Matthew Kressel (photo by Christine Kressel)

Hi, and welcome to my website! Thanks for visiting!

The short:

I’m a software developer and speculative fiction writer with three Nebula Award nominations, a World Fantasy Award nomination, and a Eugie Award nomination. I am the co-host of the Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading series in New York City. And I created the Moksha submissions system, in use by some of the largest publishers in speculative fiction today.

The long:

I’m a software developer and writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. My fiction has been nominated three times for a Nebula Award and once for a Eugie Foster Memorial Award. And I’ve also been nominated for a World Fantasy Award for my former editorial and publishing work. My fiction has been translated into many languages, including Japanese, Spanish, French, Chinese, Romanian, Russian, Czech, Polish, and Farsi.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved hearing and telling stories. I spent a lot of time alone as a child, and I would entertain myself by creating entire worlds in my head and inhabiting them fully (sometimes to the chagrin of my parents and teachers). This world-building continued well into my adulthood, when, after a particularly vivid dream, I decided to write my stories down. Once I began writing seriously, I’ve never stopped.

My fiction tends to explore themes of loss, death, mourning and rebirth, but also hope and possibility. I consider myself a mindful optimist, even though my fiction can sometimes be very dark. I believe humanity is capable of great feats, but what we often lack is will, imagination, or foresight. Sometimes I tend my fiction to inspire. Sometimes I write cautionary tales. Sometimes I just follow my dream-id where it leads. I’m always surprised by what my subconscious brings up.

I work incredibly hard at my writing, and my only wish is that you enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoy creating it.

My short story “The Last Novelist” was a 2017 Nebula Award finalist as well a 2018 Eugie Award finalist. My short story “The Meeker and the All-Seeing Eye” was a 2014 Nebula Award finalist. And my short story “The Sounds of Old Earth” was a 2013 Nebula Award finalist. My work has also appeared in several year’s best anthologies and received numerous honorable mentions.

My many short stories have appeared in such publications as Lightspeed, Nightmare, Tor.com, Clarkesworld, Analog, io9.com, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Interzone, Electric Velocipede, Apex Magazine, and the anthologies Mad Hatters and March HaresCyber World, After,The People of the Book, and many other places.

My debut novel, King of Shards, was hailed as “Majestic, resonant, reality-twisting madness,” from NPR Books

Every third Wednesday, I co-host the Fantastic Fiction reading series at the famous KGB Bar alongside veteran speculative-fiction editor Ellen Datlow

To keep up to date with my fiction, subscribe to my mailing list.

In 2011 I was nominated for World Fantasy Award in the category of Special Award, Non-Professional for my work editing Sybil’s Garage. The magazine’s website has been archived here.

In 2003 I started the speculative fiction magazine Sybil’s Garageand the stories and poetry therein have received multiple honorable mentions in the Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror.  Under the rubric of Senses Five Press, I published Paper Cities, which won the 2009 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology.

I have been a long-time member of Altered Fluid, a Manhattan-based writing group which has many successful past and present members, including N.K. Jemisin, Sam J. Miller, Alaya Dawn Johnson, E.C. Myers, Mercurio D. Rivera, and many others. I am also obsessed with Blade Runner (both films).

When I’m not writing, I design websites and write software. I am probably best known for the Moksha submissions system, which I created, and which is currently used by some of the largest SF markets including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Uncanny, Lightspeed, and many others.

I have done IT projects for Stanford University, Columbia University, the magazines Strange Horizons, Weird Tales, Fantasy, Future Science Fiction Digest, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies, writers Genevieve Valentine, Nicholas Kaufmann, Chris Willrich, and many other organizations, including IEEE, ADP, Alliance Bernstein, Vyve Broadband, Nikon, and many others. My business website is here.

You can contact me here and subscribe to my mailing list here. I would love to hear from you!