Michael Merriam was born in Flint, Michigan, but spent most of his life in west-central Oklahoma and north Texas before moving to Minnesota in 1999.
Like most writers, Michael has worked various odd jobs over the years: actor, poet, late-night disc jockey, short-order cook, bassist in a rock-a-billy band, and booking agent for a puppet troupe. Michael is legally blind due to retinitis pigmentosa.
Michael is an award-winning author, performer, playwright, and screenwriter. He is the author of the steampunk and weird western series Sixguns & Sorcery, and his essays and stories have appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Cast of Wonders, and Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. His latest book, Terror at Tierra de Cobre, is out from Queen of Swords Press. He has published a dozen books and over 100 pieces of short fiction and poetry. His scripts have won awards at various film festivals and have been produced for stage and radio. He has appeared in the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Not-So-Silent Planet, StoryFest Minnesota, and over the air on KFAI and Minnesota Public Radio.
Michael is Organizer Emeritus of the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers, and a member of SFWA and Story Arts Minnesota.
Michael lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
You can find Michael’s Press Kit here!
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PRAISE FOR MICHAEL’S WORK:
“Last Car to Annwn Station is a great novel.” – Hugo Award-winning blogger and reviewer Cora Buhlert.
“There is so much Minnesota in this book, grounding the reader in reality before slowly sliding the narrative into the surreal of ghostly street cars slipping through downtown unseen.” – World of Mayhem
“Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep is a moving novella full of deep, emotional imagery and transcendent beauty. It is easily one of the top five stories I have read all year.” – Kenneth Mark Hoover, author of Haxan
“…Merriam has a sure touch for the voice of young protagonists.”
-The Fix Short Fiction Review
“Michael’s dry and wry sense of humor shines…” – Conrad Zero
“One of the hardest-working men in short fiction.” — Scott Lynch, World Fantasy Award-nominated author of The Lies of Locke Lamora
“Michael is one of the hardest-working, most prolific and most dedicated writers I know. His stories have both craft and heart, making it no surprise that his list of publications is ever-growing. I look forward to saying that I knew him when…” — Jaye Lawrence, author of “Kissing Frogs,” nominated for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award for Short Fiction.