 ABOUT THE AGENT: Darryl Oliver has joined The Caldwell Agency as a literary agent, specializing in adult science fiction and fantasy, historical fiction, speculative fiction, and select literary fiction. In the nonfiction space, he’s also interested in narrative history and narrative nonfiction. He's previously worked in editorial at Random House and Hogarth. DARRYL IS SEEKING: Darryl is primarily looking for sci-fi/fantasy manuscripts; however, he's also interested in historical fiction, select literary fiction, and more. Fantasy Epic Fantasy, Grimdark, High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Military/Naval Fantasy, Crime and Caper Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Humorous Fantasy, Steampunk, Dragon Fantasy. Science Fiction Space Opera, Dystopian Sci-Fi, Literary Sci-Fi, Climate/Environmental, Space Western. Historical Fiction Darryl is interested in a variety of historical fiction, from novels like Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad where a historical period is explored through fictional characters, to more epic stories like Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Chronicles where a fictional character is inserted and plays a major impact in major historical events alongside figures from history, and even fictional quasi-biographies like Margaret George’s The Confessions of a Young Nero where a major historical figure’s life is given the novel treatment. Some Figures/Moments Darryl is interested in exploring (this is not a comprehensive list): Yasuke, the first known foreign-born samurai under Oda Nobunaga; Mansa Musa and his infamous pilgrimage to Mecca; Anna Komnene and Byzantine intrigue; anything set during the Opium Wars; Aurelian and Zenobia; or Amanirenas, the Kushite queen who fought the Romans. Alternate History: Darryl does enjoy a good alternate history, but only those that are believable and somewhat contained. He really enjoys Alan Smale’s The Clash of Eagles series. Of course, Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle is a heavyweight in this subgenre. Typically, Darryl is drawn to alternate history where one pivotal event is altered and the story unfolds from that moment. Literary Fiction While Darryl's fiction list will primarily focus on science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction, he will consider select literary fiction queries. Speculative Fiction A sometimes nebulous categorization, Darryl considers speculative fiction to be stories that don’t quite fit into the neat lines of sci-fi, fantasy, or literary fiction. Give him your best stories that veer into the speculative but remain relatively grounded (e.g., a family saga with a groundhog day loop, a neighborhood thriller complete with clones, or a painter with the uncanny ability to depict other peoples’ thoughts). Nonfiction Darryl is interested in representing a few scholars, academics, historians, and journalists who are writing narrative histories and narrative nonfiction. Narrative History: Darryl has a fondness for nearly every era of history, with a particular taste for antiquity. Regardless of the era, he's on the lookout for histories that are undertold or haven’t been thoroughly explored for a general audience. Topics he's interested in: Shogunate-era Japan; Mansa Musa and the Malian Empire; Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba; The Maya; The Eastern Roman Empire; and Afrocentric narrative histories. Narrative Nonfiction: Darryl is interested in narrative nonfiction from authors that have a story to tell and a compelling voice. Titles in this space he's enjoyed are Christina Rivera Garza’s Liliana’s Invincible Summer, David Grann’s The Wager, and anything by Patrick Radden Keefe. HOW TO SUBMIT: To see Darryl's full wishlist and to send him a query, visit his Query Tracker. Please note: When we post a New Agent Spotlight, we try to make sure the agent is open to submissions at the time of posting. But as time goes by, an agent can close and open to submissions at any time. If some time has passed since this spotlight was posted, you will want to check their agency website and/or QueryManager before submitting, to be sure.  Attend a Writers Conference in 2026:
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