Michael J. Picco

INTRODUCTION

Michael Picco's work has been described as "gripping and deliciously disturbing"; "full of foreboding and malicious intent"; and "adaptive and exceptional." One editor says: "{Picco} conducts his nightmares with something between feverish grace and clammy ease." Picco himself describes his work as "more weird than scary" — but either description fits.

Folklore, parasitic morphology and regional cryptids feature prominently in Picco's writing — with the intention of exposing readers to the lesser-known horrors that prowl the abandoned corners of the world. Picco finds inspiration in Scripture, nature documentaries and urban legends. What makes his work so alluring is the ease with which he immerses readers into seemingly innocuous situations — that is, before revealing the horrors that lurk in the shadows.

Picco received his B.A. in English from Western State College in Colorado. He has received numerous awards for his writing, including his recent short story collections. He is a member of the Denver Horror Collective, and the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. He is currently working on These Wretched Bones, a revision and expansion of some of his most popular published work.