Introduction
Over the last decade, Michael Picco has published over two-dozen short stories; produced two award-winning collections; and has received numerous accolades for his brand of “literary” horror. Michael’s work “explores the dark and disturbing recesses of what is possible” and has been described as “eloquently-written terror.” Michael received his B.A. in English from Western State College in Colorado. He is a member of the Horror Writers Guild, the Denver Horror Collective, and the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. His most recent publishing credit, The Horse Leech Has Two Maws appears in The Jewish Book of Horror. He is currently working on The Wretched Bones, a revision and expansion of some of his most popular published work.
When he's not writing, you'll find Michael out wandering through the hills: drawing, reading or taking photographs. He finds beauty in odd things, making people laugh and writing things that disturb his mother.
When he's not writing, you'll find Michael out wandering through the hills: drawing, reading or taking photographs. He finds beauty in odd things, making people laugh and writing things that disturb his mother.
BooksIf you are looking for sparkly vampires and dreamy teenage werewolves, I am afraid you will have to look elsewhere.
I have always loved a creepy tale. Well, not just a creepy tale… a story that makes you squirm while you read it. I like to say that my stories get into your head, clawing and burrowing into the soft folds of your brain; searching for a nice place to lay their eggs and drive you mad with their incessant chittering. I would characterize my work more in the "weird fiction" or "strange tales" category (think, Twilight Zone, Tales From The Loop, or Black Mirror for contemporary analogs). My dream-like narratives focus on odd locales, strange phenomena, cryptids, and hallucinations. |
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Work Appearing in Anthologies
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The Reviews Are In!
Praise for Scenes From The Carnival Lounge, A Collection Of Odd Tales
First Place — Horror
25th Annual CIPA / EVVY Awards
"Michael Picco does a stellar job of taking you into the darkest corners of your own mind. Each sentence
guides you towards something terrifying that you must see through to the end. He weaves
in universal fears that manage to feel specific to the reader."
"What a great horror romp! The author's imagery, word-crafting, and twisted take on the world kept me entertained
for hours. I especially enjoyed "The Vampyre's Last Dawn" and highly recommend Scenes From The
Carnival Lounge to anyone who enjoys dark tales that scare you witless."
"Each and every one of the {stories from Scenes…} sucks you right in to the depth and darkness of the characters. Picco paints very vivid… pictures for your imagination throughout the whole book, it's like you are inside these stories. I loved every minute of this read. I find the short stories aren't enough though. I want more! Some of these
terrifyingly epic tales would make brilliant full-length novels!"
"Scenes From The Carnival Lounge explores the dark and disturbing recesses of what is possible through interesting, and sometimes complex, characters. Each story leads the reader through a macabre passageway into the character’s reality that, with each turned page, becomes more inky until the character and reader alike are unsure
whether the character has gone mad or has always been mad."
"I enjoyed reading the Scenes From The Carnival Lounge…. However, I don't recommend reading them when you're home alone and before you fall asleep. All of a sudden, you won't feel alone and you'll hear every bump in the night."
"I must admit the cover {of Scenes…} is what really caught my attention with this book, and the admiration only grew as I dug into it. Overall, I really enjoyed this collection, and I’m glad I got to read it. I will definitely be on
the lookout for more works from Picco, as it seems his style is right up my alley."
25th Annual CIPA / EVVY Awards
"Michael Picco does a stellar job of taking you into the darkest corners of your own mind. Each sentence
guides you towards something terrifying that you must see through to the end. He weaves
in universal fears that manage to feel specific to the reader."
"What a great horror romp! The author's imagery, word-crafting, and twisted take on the world kept me entertained
for hours. I especially enjoyed "The Vampyre's Last Dawn" and highly recommend Scenes From The
Carnival Lounge to anyone who enjoys dark tales that scare you witless."
"Each and every one of the {stories from Scenes…} sucks you right in to the depth and darkness of the characters. Picco paints very vivid… pictures for your imagination throughout the whole book, it's like you are inside these stories. I loved every minute of this read. I find the short stories aren't enough though. I want more! Some of these
terrifyingly epic tales would make brilliant full-length novels!"
"Scenes From The Carnival Lounge explores the dark and disturbing recesses of what is possible through interesting, and sometimes complex, characters. Each story leads the reader through a macabre passageway into the character’s reality that, with each turned page, becomes more inky until the character and reader alike are unsure
whether the character has gone mad or has always been mad."
"I enjoyed reading the Scenes From The Carnival Lounge…. However, I don't recommend reading them when you're home alone and before you fall asleep. All of a sudden, you won't feel alone and you'll hear every bump in the night."
"I must admit the cover {of Scenes…} is what really caught my attention with this book, and the admiration only grew as I dug into it. Overall, I really enjoyed this collection, and I’m glad I got to read it. I will definitely be on
the lookout for more works from Picco, as it seems his style is right up my alley."
Praise for Corpse Honey, A Banquet of Gruesome Tales
First Place — Horror
Second Place — Cover Design
27th Annual CIPA / EVVY Awards
A Feast of Fear!
"Truly horrifying, and deliciously macabre. Michael Picco weaves tales that pick
at long-healed wounds of our childhood and re-introduces them to our very adult nightmares.
I highly recommend this gruesome feast!"
"I don’t know where to begin to gush over what I loved about this book. Picco has such talent.
You will be awed by his art as well as his storytelling in Corpse Honey.
I felt like I was enjoying visual art in literary form as I read these tales."
Eloquent Terror!
"Michael Picco's writing is like a fine wine — delicate and cultured — a wine that,
after drinking, you learn has been poisoned but couldn't be happier about it."
29th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards
“A gripping and deliciously disturbing collection of stories – horror on the go, just enough for a quick bite, short yet punchy. These are well-written tales and some of them burrow deep under the skin, staying long past the telling.
“On The Other Side of the Sky” is a classic – a beautifully-written short story full of foreboding and malicious intent,
and I love the visceral descriptions that tug you into the scenes, such as this gem: “it’s the scent of second-hand clothing stores, the mingling of cheap soap and moth balls…” This is my favorite {piece} – it builds up steadily and smacks you
on the head at the end. Peters thinks he’s at a hostel but in fact he’s dead and doesn’t know it – the 'nascient' dead,
as the author kindly explains in the Afterword.
In “Dispossessed,” we are again treated to some great descriptions, “spiritually compromised” ; “olfactory neutered” and I love the ending – the last two lines about the electricity going out, which is kind of creepy as I just lost electricity a few minutes ago! “The Island” and “In Unison With A Dying Earth” are also great examples of the author's expressive writing and descriptive genius. I appreciate the author’s Afterwords, as I find the background or origin of a story idea, very interesting. And I like the cover and book title (“Corpse Honey”) and the story behind it. These were very enjoyable
and fast paced stories, clever, well-crafted, and structured, with great twists, and suitably horrifying.”
~Judge, 29th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.
Second Place — Cover Design
27th Annual CIPA / EVVY Awards
A Feast of Fear!
"Truly horrifying, and deliciously macabre. Michael Picco weaves tales that pick
at long-healed wounds of our childhood and re-introduces them to our very adult nightmares.
I highly recommend this gruesome feast!"
"I don’t know where to begin to gush over what I loved about this book. Picco has such talent.
You will be awed by his art as well as his storytelling in Corpse Honey.
I felt like I was enjoying visual art in literary form as I read these tales."
Eloquent Terror!
"Michael Picco's writing is like a fine wine — delicate and cultured — a wine that,
after drinking, you learn has been poisoned but couldn't be happier about it."
29th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards
“A gripping and deliciously disturbing collection of stories – horror on the go, just enough for a quick bite, short yet punchy. These are well-written tales and some of them burrow deep under the skin, staying long past the telling.
“On The Other Side of the Sky” is a classic – a beautifully-written short story full of foreboding and malicious intent,
and I love the visceral descriptions that tug you into the scenes, such as this gem: “it’s the scent of second-hand clothing stores, the mingling of cheap soap and moth balls…” This is my favorite {piece} – it builds up steadily and smacks you
on the head at the end. Peters thinks he’s at a hostel but in fact he’s dead and doesn’t know it – the 'nascient' dead,
as the author kindly explains in the Afterword.
In “Dispossessed,” we are again treated to some great descriptions, “spiritually compromised” ; “olfactory neutered” and I love the ending – the last two lines about the electricity going out, which is kind of creepy as I just lost electricity a few minutes ago! “The Island” and “In Unison With A Dying Earth” are also great examples of the author's expressive writing and descriptive genius. I appreciate the author’s Afterwords, as I find the background or origin of a story idea, very interesting. And I like the cover and book title (“Corpse Honey”) and the story behind it. These were very enjoyable
and fast paced stories, clever, well-crafted, and structured, with great twists, and suitably horrifying.”
~Judge, 29th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.
Praise for Fraser: The Disappearance of Michael Pitts:
"I really enjoyed this piece of literature. The characters are written in a way that we become very close with the lead/main character as well his companion. I am picky with my books that I take home with me. This one kept me coming back for more and I am patiently waiting for the next book to become published! Really well done; wonderful story line, well developed plot, intriguing and very relative characters that seemingly become your friends. I recommend it!"
"Such a great book, the characters are so well written you feel as if you know them, the story draws you in, grips you, and takes you on a thrilling ride into the darkest, deepest part of the soul, it leaves you gasping and wanting
to know more, you'll be waiting as expectantly as I for the next book."
"Highly recommend this book! Incredible detail for a horrific tale!!"
"I really enjoyed this piece of literature. The characters are written in a way that we become very close with the lead/main character as well his companion. I am picky with my books that I take home with me. This one kept me coming back for more and I am patiently waiting for the next book to become published! Really well done; wonderful story line, well developed plot, intriguing and very relative characters that seemingly become your friends. I recommend it!"
"Such a great book, the characters are so well written you feel as if you know them, the story draws you in, grips you, and takes you on a thrilling ride into the darkest, deepest part of the soul, it leaves you gasping and wanting
to know more, you'll be waiting as expectantly as I for the next book."
"Highly recommend this book! Incredible detail for a horrific tale!!"
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Thank you for visiting! |
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michaeljpicco@gmail.com
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