Sam J. Miller (born February 7, 1979) is an American

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

and horror short fiction author. His stories have appeared in publications such as ''

Clarkesworld ''Clarkesworld Magazine'' is an American Online magazine, online Fantasy magazine, fantasy and science fiction magazine edited by Neil Clarke (editor), Neil Clarke. It released its first issue October 1, 2006, and has maintained a regular monthl ...

'', ''

Asimov's Science Fiction ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine edited by Sheila Williams and published by Dell Magazines, which is owned by Penny Press. It was launched as a quarterly by Davis Publications in 1977, after obtaining Isaac ...

'', and '' Lightspeed'', along with over 15 "year's best" story collections. He was finalist for multiple

Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), a nonprofit association of pr ...

s along with the World Fantasy and Theodore Sturgeon Awards. He won the 2013

Shirley Jackson Award The Shirley Jackson Awards are literary awards named after Shirley Jackson in recognition of her legacy in writing. These awards for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror and dark fantasy are presented at Rea ...

for his short story " 57 Reasons for the Slate Quarry Suicides." His debut novel, '' The Art of Starving'', was published in 2017 and his novel ''Blackfish City'' won the 2019 John W. Campbell Memorial Award.

Life

Sam J. Miller grew up in

Hudson, New York Hudson is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Columbia County, New York, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, it had a population of 5,894. On the east side of the Hudson River, f ...

, where his family ran a

butcher shop A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale food establishme ...

. He grew up

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

and lives with his husband in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where he works as a community organizer for a

homelessness Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

organization.

Career

Miller studied writing as part at the 2012

Clarion Workshop The Clarion Workshop is an American six-week workshop for aspiring science fiction and fantasy writers. Originally an outgrowth of Damon Knight's and Kate Wilhelm's Milford Writer's Workshop, Milford Writer's Conference, held at their home in Milfo ...

under authors

Holly Black Holly Black (; born November 10, 1971) is an American writer and editor best known for her children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the ''New York Times'' bestselling young adult ''Folk of the Air'' series. She is also well kn ...

Cassandra Clare Judith Lewis (née Rumelt; born July 27, 1973), better known by her pen name Cassandra Clare, is an American author of young adult fiction, best known for her bestselling series ''The Mortal Instruments''. Personal life Clare was born Judith R ...

and

Ted Chiang Ted Chiang (; pinyin: ''Jiāng Fēngnán''; born 1967) is an American science fiction writer. His work has won four Nebula Award, Nebula awards, four Hugo Award, Hugo awards, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and six Locus Award, ...

. Miller began regularly publishing his short stories in 2013 with "57 Reasons for the Slate Quarry Suicides" in '' Nightmare Magazine''. The story later won the 2013

for best short fiction. His other stories have been published in magazines such as ''

'', ''

Apex Magazine ''Apex Magazine'', also previously known as ''Apex Digest'', is an American Horror fiction magazine, horror and science fiction magazine. This subscription webzine, ''Apex Magazine'', contains short fiction, reviews, and interviews. It has been ...

'', and '' Lightspeed''. His stories have been reprinted in over 15 "year's best" story collections and have been a finalist for multiple

s along with the World Fantasy and

Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award is an annual literary award presented by the Theodore Sturgeon Literary Trust and the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best short science fiction story ...

s. Miller states that he writes "

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...

because that's how the world looks to me. Life is magic. Human society is horror. The world is science fiction." While Miller deals with politics in his work as a community organizer, he says that "arguing a political point is a pretty good way to kill a story. But I do think it's possible to explore in fiction the issues that are important to us. That's the writing that excites me the most." Miller's prose has been called "evocative", "disturbing" and "grim stuff, but compelling". Miller's young adult novel '' The Art of Starving'' was released by

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

in July 2017. The novel is about a gay, bullied teenage boy who believes that extreme hunger awakens supernatural abilities and is rooted in Miller's own experience with an adolescent eating disorder. It was a finalist for the World Science Fiction Society award for Best Young Adult novel and won the

Andre Norton Award The Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction (formerly the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy) is an annual award presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) to the ...

for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2018. His first novel for adults, ''Blackfish City'', was released in April 2018 by

Ecco Press Ecco is a New York–based publishing imprint of HarperCollins. It was founded in 1971 by Daniel Halpern as an independent publishing company; Publishers Weekly described it as "one of America's best-known literary houses." In 1999 Ecco was acquir ...

. His second young adult novel, ''Destroy All Monsters'', was published by

HarperTeen HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the " Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. HarperCollins is ...

in 2019. His second adult novel, ''The Blade Between'', was published by

in 2020. Miller's first short-fiction collection, ''Boys, Beasts & Men'', was published in May 2022 by

Tachyon Publications Tachyon Publications is an independent press specializing in science fiction and fantasy books. Founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Jacob Weisman, Tachyon books have tended toward high-end literary works, short story collections, and anthologies ...

. It contains previously published and new stories with an introduction written by

Amal El-Mohtar Amal El-Mohtar (born 13 December 1984) is a Canadian poet and writer of speculative fiction. She is the editor of ''Goblin Fruit'' and reviews science fiction and fantasy books for the ''New York Times Book Review'' and is best known for the 2019 ...

. It won the 2023 Locus Award for Best Collection.

Awards and nominations

* "The Beasts We Want To Be" (short story in ''

Electric Velocipede ''Electric Velocipede'' was a small press speculative fiction fan magazine edited by John Klima. Published from 2001 to 2013, ''Electric Velocipede'' won the Hugo Award for Best Fanzine in 2009. History In 2000, editor John Klima was inspired ...

'', Winter 2013) was nominated for the 2014

Locus Award for Best Short Story The Locus Award for Best Short Story is one of a series of Locus Awards given every year by ''Locus Magazine''. Awards presented in a given year are for works published in the previous calendar year. Originally known as the Locus Award for Best Sho ...

* "57 Reasons for the Slate Quarry Suicides" (short story in '' Nightmare Magazine'', December 2013) won the 2013

for best short fiction. * "We Are the Cloud" (novelette in '' Lightspeed'', August 2014) was a finalist for the 2014

Nebula Award for Best Novelette The Nebula Award for Best Novelette is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) to a science fiction or fantasy novelette. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a novelette if it is between 7,5 ...

and the 2015

. * "When Your Child Strays from God" (short story in ''

'', July 2015) was a finalist for the 2015

Nebula Award for Best Short Story The Nebula Award for Best Short Story is a literary award assigned each year by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy short stories. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a short sto ...

. * "The Heat of Us: Notes Toward an Oral History" (short story in ''

'', July 2015) was a finalist for the 2016

World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...

for best short fiction. * "Calved" (short story in ''

'', September 2015) was third-placed in the 2016 ''Asimov's'' Reader Poll for best short story * "Angel, Monster, Man" (short story in '' Nightmare Magazine'', January 2016) was a finalist for the 2017

for best novelette * "Things With Beards" (short story in ''

'', June 2016) was a finalist for the 2016

and the

for best short fiction, and was third-placed for the 2017

Theodore Sturgeon Award The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award is an annual literary award presented by the Theodore Sturgeon Literary Trust and the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best short science fiction story ...

* '' The Art of Starving'' (

, 2017) won the 2018

, and was shortlisted for the 2018 IAFA William L. Crawford Fantasy Award for best first fantasy novel, the 2018

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book The Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book is an award given annually to a book published for young adult readers in the field of science fiction or fantasy. The name of the award was chosen because a lodestar is "a star that guides or leads, ...

and the 2018

Locus Award for Best First Novel The Locus Award for Best First Novel is one of the annual Locus Awards presented by the science fiction and fantasy magazine '' Locus''. Awards presented in a given year are for works published in the previous calendar year. The award for Best Fir ...

* ''Blackfish City'' (

, 2018) won the 2018

John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel The John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, or Campbell Memorial Award, was an annual award presented to the author of the best science fiction novel published in English in the preceding calendar year. It was given by s ...

and was nominated for the

Nebula Award for Best Novel The Nebula Award for Best Novel is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy novels. A work of fiction is considered a novel by the organization if it is 40,000 words or longer; ...

and the

Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel The Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel is one of the annual Locus Awards presented by the science fiction and fantasy magazine Locus (magazine), ''Locus''. Awards presented in a given year are for works published in the previous calendar ...

* ''Destroy All Monsters'' (

, 2020) was a finalist for the 2020

Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book Winners of the Locus Award The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine '' Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual b ...

* "Let All the Children Boogie" (

Tor.com ''Reactor'', formerly ''Tor.com'', is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on specul ...

chapbook, January 2021) was a finalist for the 2022

and the

* His collection ''Boys, Beasts & Men'' (

, May 2022) won the 2023 Locus Award for Best Collection.

Bibliography

Novels

* '' The Art of Starving'' (

, 2017)Winner, Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018. * ''Blackfish City'' (

, 2018) * ''Destroy All Monsters'' (

, 2019) * ''The Blade Between'' (Ecco Press, 2020)

Collections

* ''Boys, Beasts & Men'' (

, 2022)

Short fiction

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Sam J. Living people 1979 births American science fiction writers 21st-century American male writers American gay writers American LGBTQ novelists Jewish American novelists Gay Jews LGBTQ people from New York (state) 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American novelists Novelists from New York (state) Writers of young adult science fiction