Weston Ochse (June 20, 1965 – November 18, 2023) was an American author and educator. He won the

Bram Stoker Award The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing. History The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since ...

for Best First Novel and was nominated for the

Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are ...

for his short fiction. His novel SEAL Team 666 is currently being shopped by

Seven Bucks Productions Seven Bucks Productions is an American production company founded by actor Dwayne Johnson and his manager/ex-wife Dany Garcia in 2012. The company is involved in film, television, digital networks, and emerging technologies. It produces a varie ...

Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional w ...

has attached himself to the film to executive produce as well as act in a leading role.

Biography

Early life

Weston Ochse was born in

Gillette, Wyoming Gillette (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, jih-LET'') is a city in and the county seat of Campbell County, Wyoming, United States. The town was founded in 1891 as a major railway town on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The po ...

. By the time he was ten years old, he'd lived in ten states including South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Ohio, New Jersey and Tennessee. He spent the greater part of his childhood in

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

, where he graduated from Tyner High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school and became an intelligence officer. He was stationed in the

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, Fort Jackson,

Fort Gordon Fort Gordon, formerly known as Fort Eisenhower and Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established southwest of Augusta, Georgia in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cy ...

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...

Fort Carson Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, El Paso, Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo, Fremont County, Colorado, Fremont, and Huerfano County, Colorado, Huerfano counties, Color ...

Fort Huachuca Fort Huachuca is a United States Army military base, installation, in Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise County in southeast Arizona, approximately north of the Mexico–United States border, border with Mexico and at the northern end of the Huac ...

, Presidio Monterey and Los Angeles Air Force Base. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2004 with an Honorable Discharge.

Career

Weston began writing professionally in 1997. He won the Bram Stoker Award for his first novel, ''Scarecrow Gods'', in 2005. Since then he has been nominated for a

, received five additional

nominations, won four New-Mexico Arizona Book Awards, with five total nominations. Weston's work has appeared i
comic books
(

IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW) and is recognized as the fifth-largest comic ...

and

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

), professional writing guides, magazines, anthologies, as well as his own novels. He has been widely reviewed and has been hailed by his contemporaries as "one of the few new writers who will help redefine the field of dark literature for the future" (

Edward Lee (writer) Edward Lee (born May 25, 1957) is an American horror novelist who has written 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York City paperback companies such as Leisure/ Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. H ...

). In 2002, an independent film company attempted to create a feature film based on his short story "Catfish Gods" (appeared in Scary Rednecks and Other Inbred Horrors). The film reached primary shooting before it folded. In 2013,

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

optioned the film rights to ''SEAL Team 666'' from MacMillan Films Division.

has attached himself to the film to executive produce as well as act in a leading role. His company,

, which he owns alongside Dany Garcia, has the shopping agreement and is actively seeking interest. ''SEAL Team 666'' and the ensuing books was inspired by the U.S. Navy SEAL take down of Osama Bin Laden and the idea of "What if there's an even more special SEAL Team that protects America from supernatural attack". In 2017, he appeared in a DC Comics Special, ''DC House of Horror Vol 1'', where he wrote a story about a possessed Shazam. Weston held a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in American Literature from Excelsior University and a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

in Creative Writing from

National University A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state. In the United States, the term "national university" connotes the highe ...

. He traveled extensively to book signings and conventions where he has been Gross Out Contest bouncer, toastmaster and guest of honor. He was a frequent speaker at libraries and schools. He was an adjunct faculty member for Cochise Community College, and associate professor for

Southern New Hampshire University Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private university between Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire, United States. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, along with ...

, and had run the online Guerrilla Fiction Writing Workshop. He lived in

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

with his wife, and fellow author,

Yvonne Navarro Yvonne Navarro (born 1957 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American author who has published over twenty novels. Of those twenty, the titles ''AfterAge'', ''deadrush'', ''Final Impact'', ''Red Shadows'', ''DeadTimes'', ''That's Not My Name'' and ''M ...

Death

Ochse passed away on November 18, 2023.

Awards

* 2002 ''Appalachian Galapagos Short Story Collection'' (Nominated for the

) * 2005 ''Scarecrow Gods'' (Won

for Best First Novel) * 2008 ''Redemption Roadshow'' (Finalist for the

for Long Fiction) * 2009 ''The Crossing of Aldo Ray'' (Finalist for the

for Short Fiction) * 2011 ''Multiplex Fandango'' (Finalist for the

for Collection) * 2012 ''Righteous'' (Finalist for the

for Short Fiction) * 2013 ''SEAL Team 666'' (Won New Mexico-Arizona Book Award for Adventure/Drama Novel) * 2014 ''Age of Blood'' (Won New Mexico-Arizona Book Award for SF/Fantasy Novel) * 2015 ''Reign of Evil'' (Won New Mexico-Arizona Book Award for Adventure/Drama Novel) * 2019 ''Burning Sky'' (Won New Mexico-Arizona Book Award for Adventure/Drama Novel) * 2020 ''Dead Sky'' (Finalist for the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award for Adventure/Drama Novel)

Comics

* 2005 ''The Keep #2'' (IDW) (short story Blue Heeler appeared in the back) * 2005 ''Shadowplay #2'' (IDW) (short story Blue Heeler appeared in the back) * 2005 ''Shaun of the Dead #5'' (IDW) (short story Blue Heeler appeared in the back) * 2005 ''Angel: The Curse #5'' (IDW) (short story Blue Heeler appeared in the back) * 2005 ''CSI: New York – Bloody Murder #4'' (IDW) (short story Blue Heeler appeared in the back) * 2017 ''Hellboy: An Assortment of Horrors'' (IDW) (short story The Other Government Guys) * 2017 ''DC House of Horror Vol 1'' (DC) (Shazam Origin Story)

Bibliography

Novels * 2005 ''Scarecrow Gods'' Delirium Books 300 Limited Edition HB * 2005 ''Scarecrow Gods'' Delirium Books 26 Deluxe Edition HB * 2007 ''Scarecrow Gods'' Delirium Books, Trade-paperback * 2007 ''Recalled to Life'' Delirium Books 300 Limited Edition HB * 2007 ''Recalled to Life'' Delirium Books 26 Deluxe Edition HB * 2008 ''The Golden Thread'' Delirium Books 300 Limited Edition HB * 2008 ''The Golden Thread'' Delirium Books 26 Deluxe Edition HB * 2009 ''Blaze of Glory'' Bloodletting Press 300 Limited Edition HB * 2010 ''Empire of Salt''

Abaddon Books Abaddon Books is a British publishing imprint, founded in 2006. It is part of the Rebellion group of companies, along with publishing companies Solaris Books, ''2000 AD'', 2000 AD Graphic Novels, and Cubicle 7. Abaddon publishes " shared ...

Trade-paperback>br /> * 2011 ''Blood Ocean''

Trade-paperback * 2011 ''Velvet Dogma'' Crossroads Press, eBook Only * 2011 ''Blaze of Glory'' Crossroads Press, eBook * 2012 ''Babylon Smiles'' Crossroads Press, eBook Only * 2012 ''SEAL Team 666''

Thomas Dunne Books Thomas Dunne Books was an imprint of St. Martin's Press, which is a division of Macmillan Publishers. From 1986 until April 2020, it published popular trade fiction and nonfiction. History The imprint signed David Irving, a scholar, for a Joseph ...

Hardback * 2012 ''SEAL Team 666''

Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of the British entertainment company Titan Entertainment, which was established as Titan Books in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cine ...

Trade-paperback * 2013 ''Ghost Heart'' with

Dark Regions Press ''Dark Regions Press'' was an independent specialty publisher of horror, dark fiction, fantasy and science fiction, specializing in horror and dark fiction in business since 1985 founded by Joe Morey. They gained recognition around the world for th ...

Trade-paperback * 2013 ''Age of Blood''

Hardback * 2013 ''Age of Blood''

Trade-paperback * 2014 ''Reign of Evil''

Hardback * 2014 ''Reign of Evil''

Trade-paperback * 2014 ''Halfway House'' Journalstone Books Hardback * 2014 ''Halfway House'' Journalstone Books Trade-paperback * 2014 ''Grunt Life''

Solaris Books Solaris Books is an imprint which focuses on publishing science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy novels and anthologies. The range includes titles by both established and new authors. The range is owned by Rebellion Developments and distribut ...

Mass Market Paperback * 2015 ''Grunt Traitor''

Mass Market Paperback * 2017 ''Grunt Hero''

, Mass Market Paperback * 2018 ''Burning Sky''

, Mass Market Paperback * 2019 ''Dead Sky''

, Mass Market Paperback * 2020 ''Bone Chase''

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

, Trade Hardback * 2021 ''Aliens: Infiltrator''

, Mass Market Paperback * 2021 ''Bone Chase''

, Trade Paperback * 2022 ''Aliens vs. Predator: Rift War''

Trade-paperback * 2022 ''Red Unicorn'' Aethon Books, Hardback * 2022 ''Red Unicorn'' Aethon Books, Trade Paperback * 2023 ''Alpha Wave (The Sleepers War Series, Book 1)'' with

Jonathan Maberry Jonathan Maberry (born May 18, 1958) is an American suspense author, anthology editor, comic book writer, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. He was named one of the Today's Top Ten Horror Writers. ...

Blackstone Publishing, Trade Paperback Collections * 2000 ''Scary Rednecks and Other Inbred Horrors'' Darktales Publications Trade-paperback * 2002 ''Appalachian Galapagos'' Medium Rare Books Hardback * 2004 ''Scary Rednecks Omnibus, Delirium Books'' 26 Deluxe Edition Hardback * 2011 ''Multiplex Fandango''

26 Deluxe Edition Hardback * 2011 ''Multiplex Fandango''

Trade Edition Hardback * 2023 ''Ziggy Stardust Turpentine Koolaid'' Wordjitsu LLC, Trade Paperback Single Book Novellas * 2001 ''Natural Selection'' Darktales Publications Chapbook * 2007 ''Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way''

Bad Moon Books {{Infobox company , name = Bad Moon Books, foundation = 1992, founder = Roy K. Robbins , logo = , type = Publishing, location = Garden Grove, California, USA, key_people = , num_employees = ...

Chapbook * 2007 ''Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way''

Hardback * 2008 ''Redemption Roadshow'' Burning Effigy Press * 2009 ''Lord of the Lash and Our Lady of the Boogaloo''

Chapbook * 2009 ''Lord of the Lash and Our Lady of the Boogaloo''

Hardback * 2010 ''The Loup Garou Kid''

Chapbook * 2010 ''The Loup Garou Kid''

Hardback * 2010 ''The Last Kobiashi Maru'' Crossroads Press e-Book Only * 2011 ''Nancy Goats'' Dark Fuse Hardback * 2020 ''Pets During Wartime'' Thunderstorm Books Hardback Commercial Properties Worked On ''V-Wars''
''Midian''
''X-Files''
''Predator''
''Hellboy''
''Joe Ledger''
''Aliens'' Short Fiction and Essays Weston has more than a hundred and fifty professionally published short stories and essays in various anthologies and magazines such as Cemetery Dance,

Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, printe ...

, Nightmare, and '' Soldier of Fortune''.