Who, me? I’m Daryl. I live in Seattle, Washington, which means I spend a lot of time in coffee shops. A lot. Contact me here.
Or contact my agents. My literary agent is Seth Fishman at The Gernert Company, and my film/tv representatives are Anna DeRoy and Olivia Burgher at WME.
More about me
I write novels and short stories in a variety of genres, but I’ve also written comics and video games. I teach every year at the Viable Paradise Writing Workshop (apply!). I also do some programming on the side.
I grew up in Chicago, and have lived in a few states along I-80 — Pennsylvania, Iowa, Oakland — and now live in Seattle and spend a good amount of time in State College, PA. Both sides of my family came out of Cades Cove, Tennessee, and the eastern parts of that state are covered in cousins.
Book stuff:
My latest novel is Appalachian horror novel, Revelator (Knopf), a 2022 Dragon Award and Locus Award finalist, and the SF murder mystery novella The Album of Dr. Moreau (tor.com), an Edgar award finalist. My novel Spoonbenders was a Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy Award finalist. The novella We Are All Completely Fine won the World Fantasy and the Shirley Jackson awards, and was a finalist for the Nebula, Sturgeon, and Locus awards. Several of my books are being developed for TV.
The SF novel Afterparty was an NPR and Kirkus Best Fiction book of 2014, and a finalist for the Campbell and the Lambda Literary awards. My first novel, Pandemonium, won the Crawford award and was a finalist for the World Fantasy award. My other novels are YA horror novel Harrison Squared, The Devil’s Alphabet (a Philip K. Dick award finalist) and Raising Stony Mayhall (a Library Journal best SF book of the year).
My short stories have been nominated for the Hugo and other awards. Many of them are collected in Unpossible and Other Stories, which was named one of the best books of of the year by Publishers Weekly. He wrote the choose-you-own-adventure -style video game, Flatline, for 3 Minute Games. His comics work includes the Legenderry: Green Hornet, the Planet of the Apes, Dracula: The Company of Monsters (co-written with Kurt Busiek), and the graphic novel The Secret Battles of Genghis Khan.
Daryl Gregory 
Picked up “The Devil’s Alphabet” on a whim – even though the cover was more disturbing than intriguing.
Anyway, just finished the novel in less than three days. It has been several years since I have devoured a novel so quickly. Very well done indeed. I’ll be ordering “Pandemonium” in a few minutes.
Yeah, I get a pretty binary response on that cover. But thanks for trying out the book despite that! And thanks as well for taking the time to tell me about reading the book. I hope you enjoy Pandemonium!
I just wanted to tell you that my librarian wife found and gave me Pandemonium to read, and I loved every page. It’s an excellent book, and I’m hoping to read The Devil’s Alphabet soon.
On a personal note: The early chapters really drew me in — especially Del’s reminiscences about growing up in the Chicago ‘burbs, as many of the things he mentions — Randhurst mall and watching “The Magic Door” on channel 2 on Sundays as a child, for instance — were touchstones of my own childhood, so the book really had a lot of verisimilitude for me early on. If you’d written about getting hot dogs at Gene & Jude’s, I probably would have died and gone to heaven. Are you from Chicago? The “Magic Door” reference in particular is so specific that I have to ask.
In any event, thanks very much for one of the best reading experiences I’ve had in months!
Thanks for the kind words, Jay!
Yeah, I’m a boy from the ‘burbs. I grew up in Darien, near Hinsdale and Downers Grove. My wife grew up a block from Randhurst. I managed to get Italian beef into the book, but no Chicago-style hot dogs. My kids were born in PA, but we’ve raised them right — they honor the Cubs, and eat their dogs with no ketchup. My daughter’s graduation party featured Vienna all-beef dogs and poppy-seed buns, with all the fixings.
I just picked up Pandemonium on iBooks and I have to say I am loving it. I’ve also looked over the blurbs for The Devil’s Alphabet (LOVE the cover, btw) and Raising Stony and will be buying them after I am done with Pandemonium (which should only be a day or so).
I am very glad I happened to stumble upon your writing and keep it coming!
I found “Raising Stony Mayhall” in my library’s E-PUB section and downloaded it on a whim. In a matter of chapters, it became one of my favorite books! I eagerly read every word in about 1.5 days, added it to my FB profile, and plan on buying my OWN copy to read again soon. It was very original and DIFFERENT than other zombie stories. Like the other posts on this page, I am glad I happened upon your writing and am looking forward to “Pandemonium” and “The Devil’s Alphabet” (which will probably last me about a week so keep churning them out please!!). – A new fan 🙂
Thanks for dropping by, Zina! I’m so glad you liked it. And it’s interesting to hear about e-books and libraries — my local library has started doing that as well. Hope you dig the other books.
Hello there,
I was drawn to the cover of Devil’s Alphabet, and bought it for my NOOK. I then realized there was an earlier book, Pandemonium, and decided to read that first. I love it! I am only half way through, and finally had to come up for air, and to check out your website. I’m impressed with the whole package! I read two or three books a week — it is always delightful to find a new author with your talent, sense of humor and imagination. Bravo!
Linda
Hey, I’m so happy to find a new reader who is nice enough to drop me a line! You’re obviously a brave person if you were drawn to the cover of Devil’s Alphabet.
Thanks again for interrupting your reading to make my night. I hope you like the second half of the book well enough to keep going with Alphabet!
I’ve got a score to settle with you… I picked up the hebrew translation of pendamonium for reading material before going on a three day trip with the wife a few months ago. read it through twice in about a day and a half, and got a well-deserved scolding. you’re right about the cover, by the way- briliant!
anyway, the next books I’ll buy will be yours in english. I can’t wait…
Dear Yefet’s wife: My apologies. I have never been so rude to my own wife, except on our honeymoon, when I brought 4 books with me. Of course, she brought 10 — but she’s a faster reader than I am.
Seriously though — thank you for the kind words. I hope you dig the other books, and that they work for you in English as well as Pandemonium worked in Hebrew.
I have to say Raising Stony Mayhall is brilliant. I really love that book. Please keep writing! Also, I think you could totally serialize that one if you wanted ;).
Thanks so much, bohemian! Stony is the only book I’ve written that I felt like I could keep going and going.
Hi, there! I’m from Germany and me (and two friends of mine) really loved “Pandemonium”. At the moment I’m reading “The Devil’s Alphabet” and I’m enjoying it. Since your books had reviews on a website of a newspaper from Austria, you should have a couple of readers in the german speaking world. Now that I know Pandemonium has been translated in Hebrew I will recommand it to a friend from Israel.
Thanks for the kind words! I hope you like “The Devil’s Alphabet” — it’s a weird one.
–d
Hey Daryl. I have been wanting to drop you a line for some time. Picked up Pandemonium, which is now one of my and my wife’s favorite books. And then went onto read the Devil’s alphabet, Raising Stony, and am going to nab Afterparty when I get a chance. It is rare for me to find an author whose body of work I enjoy entirely but I can honestly say that I have found it in you.
Your characters and plots are intriguing, and you really take chance with your characters, making them flawed and believable. Raising Stony has to be one of my favorites because I have a sister I am very close to as well, and it’s clear you do too. I am sure you will have a great literary career ahead of you, I am eagerly awaiting your forthcoming novella, and hope to keep in touch.
Write on!
Thanks for the kind words, Alex, and for taking the time to drop me a line! Yeah, I have two sisters, and Stony definitely came out of the experience of growing up surrounded by strong women. We’re all still very close.
I hope you dig Afterparty and the novella. I’m just happy to find a reader like you who’ll put up with a writer who keeps jumping in and out of different genres. Much appreciated.
Hi there! I just wanted you to know how delighted I am to have found your beautifully crafted work. I started with Afterparty, which I stumbled across on Amazon; read Stony next, now We Are All Perfectly Fine ;)…and just downloaded Pandemonium.
What I find most compelling about your work is how emotionally engaging you make the characters irrespective (or because) of or in contrast to an otherwise completely fantastic setting/plot that might temp another writer to forget the housework of humanity 😉
I’ve long argued that great writing can be found in utterly suspect places but I rarely have such a shining example at hand. So thank you!
I hope that despite your coding mornings and comic evenings you intend to be prolific in long-form fiction, because I suspect I’ll burn through the two I haven’t read at rocket pace. No pressure, but get to work 😉
And kudos for what you’ve given the craft. I’m in awe. And I’m not that type.
Cheers!
Best Thanksgiving note ever! Thank you for the kind words. And I am now going to start using the phrase “doing the housework of humanity” — that explains so well what I try to keep in mind when I’m deep in a novel. I hope you enjoy Pandemonium and the other books, and I promise I’ll keep writing them as long as people read them. Have a great holiday!
I just finished listening to the “We all are completely fine” audiobook, after seeing it suggested on goodreads. The narration was fantastic and It was a really incredible book and as a fan of Lovecraft’s stories, I felt it captured some of the same cosmic dread he wrote in his stories. I was looking through your other works and saw “The Devil’s Alphabet” has no audiobook format – anywhere. I was wondering if there was any particular reason you couldn’t produce an audiobook, it’s my preferred format as a frequent traveler. I’m now planning a trip to my local library to find a copy, but hope it someday gets an audiobook release.
I just finished listening to the “We all are completely fine” audiobook, after seeing it suggested on goodreads. The narration was fantastic and It was a really incredible book and as a fan of Lovecraft’s stories, I felt it captured some of the same cosmic dread he wrote in his stories. I was looking through your other works and saw “The Devil’s Alphabet” has no audiobook format – anywhere. I was wondering if there was any particular reason you couldn’t produce an audiobook, it’s my preferred format as a frequent traveler. I’m now planning a trip to my local library to find a copy, but hope it someday gets an audiobook release.
Hello,
I had read about you in a magazine and was excited to find out you live in State College. My husband and I lived there for about 5 years until we had our son, then we moved to Bellefonte (where we have lived for the last 8 yrs.) I went right out and bought “Raising Stony Mayhall” and finished it in one sitting. I was so sad to see it end. Just finished “Pandemonium” today and will be starting “The Devil’s Alphabet tomorrow.” I would rather be reading a good book than just about anything else, and as a stay-at-home mom with serious health issues it had been such a joy to have found your books. They let me escape for just a little while and help me get through the very bad days. Thank you!
Hi David! I really enjoyed Harrison Squared and wound up giving it a 5 star review on my blog. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there will be more books chronicling his adventures. In the meantime I’ll have to satisfy myself by catching up on your other work.
Kim
Thanks, Kim! Much appreciated. And I’m intending more H2 adventures. Stay tuned… 🙂
Can’t wait!
Mr.Gregory I have read every one of your books, my first being Pandemonium. Then The Devils Alphabet, and then We are all completely fine, etc. to After party and Raising Stony Mayhall. If I absolutely HAD to pick a favorite. Perhaps a life or death situation? I guess I’d probably end up in the guillotine. *Runs Around In Little Circles!* ^________^
In the end I look forward to reading all of your novels you have to come from that awesome imagination of yours. You’re a true inspiration, and hopefully one day I’ll have the honor of meeting the man who inspired me to work towards publishing my first novel. Thank You, and please KEEP WRITING! (:
Your Biggest Fan – Kimberly D. Czechowski
Enjoyed meeting you at the Nebula’s. Always good to meet another “Darienite” and one who has actually heard of The (SOS Children’s) Village to boot. Looking forward to more Harrison Harrison or anything else you are inspired to write!
The two books that you have written featuring Harrison Harrison are absolutely amazing!! I got the weirdest feeling reading that first book ( We are all Completely Fine) , like I finally got something that I had been waiting for for a really long time, something that was always supposed to be out there somewhere. Thank-you so much!! I really really hope you write more books that are a part of the same world as We are all Completely Fine and Harrison Squared. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for 2016 releases but who are we waiting for you I’d wait forever!! Oh I have also read After-party which was pretty good as well. But Everything is Fine is one of my favorite books of all time and as an avid reader I find that it gets harder and harder to find books to go in that category. Can’t thank you enough. Write on!
Any idea on what the next 2 Harrison Squared books will be called?
I do– but we haven’t officially announced them yet, so I’m not allowed to say!
Hello Mr. Gregory!
I am a new reader of your books starting with Spoonbenders. I am excited to have found your work. I was initially drawn in by the subject matter but was completely hooked upon listening to the Audible excerpt. I love when I find a story set in my local area – even partially set there. I was floored to hear North Ave, Wilder Park, Jewel-Osco (the Jewels) and Dominick’s mentioned! I’m from Elmhurst and grew up a few blocks from Wilder Park and spent a good portion of my childhood there. Needless to say, you have a new fan and I look forward to reading all of your books. Thanks!
I’m so happy you dug Spoonbenders! It’s nice to hear from a native of the suburbs. I actually grew up south of you, in Darien. Alas, Dominick’s is gone, but at least the Jewel-Oscos live on!
I am sure that when you mention Italian beefs you have a certain place in mind and that place starts with the letter “P”.
I grew up in Elmhurst, went to York and so when I read “Spoonbenders” I was looking for even more references to there, plus perhaps Villa Park, Addsion, etc. When “Spoonbenders” is made for TV will it actually be filmed in the area or will it some other locale that will be passed off as the Elmhurst area?
So many questions I have. I will try and catch you the next time you are in Seattle. I will order the beefs and have them delivered. You like yours wet?
Spoon Benders was great. Characters, plot, pacing… It has it all… I’m looking forward to seeing what Hollywood does with it.
Glad you dug it! We’ll see what happens
I randomly picked up Afterparty and found the premise novel and enticing. The storyline quickly drew me in and I have to admit it has been an addictive read! I was slightly put-off by the not-so-subliminal bitter political and racist undertones, but hey, this is fiction and I suppose that sort of thing adds depth to the characters. Thank you for an unusual subject and great imagery! I will keep an eye out for your other works.