Seanan McGuire

Seanan McGuire

Seanan McGuire has written at least 288 books. Their most popular book is Every Heart a Doorway with 890 saves with an average rating of 3.89⭐. Their next book, Silver and Lead, is scheduled for release on .

Author Bio

Seanan McGuire was born in Martinez, California, and raised in a wide variety of locations, most of which boasted some sort of dangerous native wildlife. Despite her almost magnetic attraction to anything venomous, she somehow managed to survive long enough to acquire a typewriter, a reasonable grasp of the English language, and the desire to combine the two. The fact that she wasn't killed for using her typewriter at three o'clock in the morning is probably more impressive than her lack of death by spider-bite.

Often described as a vortex of the surreal, many of Seanan's anecdotes end with things like "and then we got the anti-venom" or "but it's okay, because it turned out the water wasn't that deep." She has yet to be defeated in a game of "Who here was bitten by the strangest thing?," and can be amused for hours by almost anything. "Almost anything" includes swamps, long walks, long walks in swamps, things that live in swamps, horror movies, strange noises, musical theater, reality TV, comic books, finding pennies on the street, and venomous reptiles. Seanan may be the only person on the planet who admits to using Kenneth Muir's Horror Films of the 1980s as a checklist.

Seanan is the author of the October Daye urban fantasies, the InCryptid urban fantasies, and several other works both stand-alone and in trilogies or duologies. In case that wasn't enough, she also writes under the pseudonym "Mira Grant." For details on her work as Mira, check out MiraGrant.com.

In her spare time, Seanan records CDs of her original filk music (see the Albums page for details). She is also a cartoonist, and draws an irregularly posted autobiographical web comic, "With Friends Like These...", as well as generating a truly ridiculous number of art cards. Surprisingly enough, she finds time to take multi-hour walks, blog regularly, watch a sickening amount of television, maintain her website, and go to pretty much any movie with the words "blood," "night," "terror," or "attack" in the title. Most people believe she doesn't sleep.

Seanan lives in an idiosyncratically designed labyrinth in the Pacific Northwest, which she shares with her cats, Alice and Thomas, a vast collection of creepy dolls and horror movies, and sufficient books to qualify her as a fire hazard. She has strongly-held and oft-expressed beliefs about the origins of the Black Death, the X-Men, and the need for chainsaws in daily life.

Years of writing blurbs for convention program books have fixed Seanan in the habit of writing all her bios in the third person, so as to sound marginally less dorky. Stress is on the "marginally." It probably doesn't help that she has so many hobbies.

Seanan was the winner of the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and her novel Feed (as Mira Grant) was named as one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2010. In 2013 she became the first person ever to appear five times on the same Hugo Ballot.

Seanan's website

Every Heart a Doorway

#1 of 7 in Wayward Children

Every Heart a Doorway
BySeanan McGuire

2016 • 890 Readers • 174 pages 3.9

Middlegame

#1 of 2 in Alchemical Journeys

Middlegame
BySeanan McGuire

2019 • 519 Readers • 528 pages 4.1

Down Among the Sticks and Bones

#2 of 7 in Wayward Children

2017 • 402 Readers • 192 pages 4.1

Beneath the Sugar Sky

#3 of 7 in Wayward Children

Beneath the Sugar Sky
BySeanan McGuire

2018 • 326 Readers • 176 pages 3.9

In an Absent Dream

#4 of 7 in Wayward Children

In an Absent Dream
BySeanan McGuire

2019 • 269 Readers • 187 pages 4.2

Rosemary and Rue

#1 of 2 in Toby Daye

Rosemary and Rue
BySeanan McGuire

2009 • 253 Readers • 256 pages 3.6

Come Tumbling Down

Come Tumbling Down
BySeanan McGuire

234 Readers 3.8

Across the Green Grass Fields

Planned book #6 of 11 in Wayward Children

189 Readers 3.8

Where the Drowned Girls Go

#7 of 7 in Wayward Children

2022 • 185 Readers • 150 pages 4

Lost in the Moment and Found

#8 of 7 in Wayward Children

2023 • 162 Readers • 137 pages 4.5

Discount Armageddon

#1 of 13 in InCryptid

Discount Armageddon
BySeanan McGuire

2012 • 126 Readers • 370 pages 3.7

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known

#9 of 7 in Wayward Children

2024 • 122 Readers • 146 pages 4.3

A Local Habitation

#2 of 17 in October Daye

A Local Habitation
BySeanan McGuire

2010 • 102 Readers • 400 pages 3.8

An Artificial Night

#3 of 16 in October Daye

An Artificial Night
BySeanan McGuire

2010 • 92 Readers • 371 pages 4

Late Eclipses

#4 of 16 in October Daye

Late Eclipses
BySeanan McGuire

2011 • 90 Readers • 256 pages 4.2

Seasonal Fears

#2 of 1 in Middlegame

Seasonal Fears
BySeanan McGuire

2022 • 84 Readers • 496 pages 3.8

One Salt Sea

#5 of 16 in October Daye

One Salt Sea
BySeanan McGuire

2011 • 81 Readers • 354 pages 4.2

Ashes of Honor

#6 of 2 in Toby Daye

Ashes of Honor
BySeanan McGuire

2012 • 81 Readers • 368 pages 4.4

Sparrow Hill Road

#1 of 3 in Ghost Roads

Sparrow Hill Road
BySeanan McGuire

2014 • 79 Readers • 312 pages 3.7

Chimes at Midnight

#7 of 16 in October Daye

Chimes at Midnight
BySeanan McGuire

2013 • 76 Readers • 357 pages 4.2

Unfettered III: New Tales By Masters of Fantasy

#0.4 of 4 in The Faithful and the Fallen

Unfettered III: New Tales By Masters of Fantasy
ByMegan Lindholm,John Gwynne,+28 more

2013 • 75 Readers • 768 pages 3.8

The Winter Long

#8 of 16 in October Daye

The Winter Long
BySeanan McGuire

2014 • 72 Readers • 368 pages 4.2

Juice Like Wounds

#4.5 of 7 in Wayward Children

Juice Like Wounds
BySeanan McGuire

2020 • 70 Readers • 32 pages 4

A People's Future of the United States: Speculative Fiction from 25 Extraordinary Writers

2019 • 65 Readers • 434 pages 3.7

Once Broken Faith

#10 of 16 in October Daye

Once Broken Faith
BySeanan McGuire

2016 • 62 Readers 4.2

Indexing

#1 of 2 in Indexing

Indexing
BySeanan McGuire

2013 • 62 Readers • 404 pages 3.7

A Red-Rose Chain

#9 of 16 in October Daye

A Red-Rose Chain
BySeanan McGuire

2015 • 60 Readers • 367 pages 4

The Brightest Fell

#11 of 16 in October Daye

The Brightest Fell
BySeanan McGuire

2017 • 59 Readers • 450 pages 4.3

Night and Silence

#12 of 16 in October Daye

Night and Silence
BySeanan McGuire

2018 • 57 Readers • 368 pages 4.2

Midnight Blue-Light Special

#2 of 13 in InCryptid

2013 • 54 Readers • 353 pages 3.8

In Mercy, Rain

#7.5 of 7 in Wayward Children

In Mercy, Rain
BySeanan McGuire

2022 • 53 Readers • 32 pages 3.7

Skeleton Song

Skeleton Song
BySeanan McGuire

52 Readers 3.9

The Unkindest Tide

#13 of 16 in October Daye

The Unkindest Tide
BySeanan McGuire

2019 • 52 Readers • 368 pages 4.1

A Killing Frost

#14 of 16 in October Daye

A Killing Frost
BySeanan McGuire

2020 • 52 Readers 4.1

Half-Off Ragnarok

#3 of 13 in InCryptid

Half-Off Ragnarok
BySeanan McGuire

2014 • 47 Readers • 368 pages 3.6

Infinite Stars: Dark Frontiers

#2 of 2 in Infinite Stars

Infinite Stars: Dark Frontiers
ByJack Campbell(Contributor),Orson Scott Card(Contributor)

2017 • 45 Readers • 688 pages 3.7

When Sorrows Come

#15 of 16 in October Daye

When Sorrows Come
BySeanan McGuire

2021 • 45 Readers • 368 pages 4.2

Pocket Apocalypse

#4 of 13 in InCryptid

Pocket Apocalypse
BySeanan McGuire

2015 • 43 Readers • 368 pages 3.6

The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales

The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales
ByGarth Nix,Margo Lanagan,+16 more

2016 • 43 Readers • 400 pages 3.6

Be the Serpent

#16 of 16 in October Daye

Be the Serpent
BySeanan McGuire

2022 • 40 Readers • 384 pages 4.2

Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day

2017 • 39 Readers • 182 pages 3.8

Magic for Nothing

#6 of 13 in InCryptid

Magic for Nothing
BySeanan McGuire

2017 • 35 Readers • 352 pages 4

Chaos Choreography

#5 of 13 in InCryptid

Chaos Choreography
BySeanan McGuire

2016 • 35 Readers • 368 pages 3.8

Cover 5

Planned book #10 of 11 in Wayward Children

Untitled
BySeanan McGuire

33 Readers 4.3

The Innocent Sleep

#18 of 16 in October Daye

The Innocent Sleep
BySeanan McGuire

2023 • 32 Readers • 368 pages 3.8

Tricks for Free

#7 of 13 in InCryptid

Tricks for Free
BySeanan McGuire

2018 • 32 Readers • 432 pages 3.9

Future Visions

Future Visions
ByJennifer Henshaw(Editor),Allison Linn(Editor)

2015 • 32 Readers • 224 pages 3.5

Cover 2

#17 of 16 in October Daye

These Violent Delights
BySeanan McGuire

2023 • 30 Readers 3.8

The Girl in the Green Silk Gown

#2 of 3 in Ghost Roads

2018 • 30 Readers • 384 pages 4

Carniepunk

#4.7 of 6 in Hell on Earth

Carniepunk
ByRob Thurman,Delilah S. Dawson,+11 more

2013 • 30 Readers • 440 pages 3.7

That Ain't Witchcraft

#8 of 13 in InCryptid

That Ain't Witchcraft
BySeanan McGuire

2019 • 30 Readers • 435 pages 4.1

Reflections

#2 of 2 in Indexing

Reflections
BySeanan McGuire

2016 • 27 Readers • 325 pages 4.2

Full of Briars

#9.3 of 16 in October Daye

Full of Briars
BySeanan McGuire

2016 • 27 Readers • 60 pages 4.1

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear

#10 of 7 in Wayward Children

2025 • 27 Readers • 146 pages 4

Imaginary Numbers

#9 of 13 in InCryptid

Imaginary Numbers
BySeanan McGuire

2020 • 26 Readers • 313 pages 4.2

The Mythic Dream

The Mythic Dream
ByJohn Chu(Contributor),Dominik Parisien(Editor)

2019 • 25 Readers • 368 pages 4.5

The End is Now

#2 of 1 in The Apocalypse Triptych

The End is Now
ByJohn Joseph Adams,Scott Sigler,+8 more

2014 • 25 Readers 3.8

The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius

2013 • 24 Readers • 368 pages 3.3

Cover 8

#5.1 of 16 in October Daye

In Sea-Salt Tears
BySeanan McGuire

2012 • 24 Readers • 24 pages 4

Calculated Risks

#10 of 13 in InCryptid

Calculated Risks
BySeanan McGuire

2021 • 24 Readers • 450 pages 4.1

Tidal Creatures

#3 of 2 in Alchemical Journeys

Tidal Creatures
BySeanan McGuire

2024 • 20 Readers • 365 pages 4.4

Angel of the Overpass

#3 of 3 in Ghost Roads

Angel of the Overpass
BySeanan McGuire

2021 • 20 Readers • 286 pages 4.1

Someone in Time

Someone in Time
ByNina Allan,Zen Cho,+14 more

2022 • 19 Readers • 420 pages 3.9

Cover 1

18 Readers 4.5

Backpacking Through Bedlam

#12 of 1 in InCryptid

2023 • 18 Readers • 352 pages 4.1

Body Shocks

Body Shocks
ByEllen Datlow(Editor),Nathan Ballingrud(Contributor)

2021 • 17 Readers • 380 pages 4

Cover 7

#6.2 of 16 in October Daye

No Sooner Met
BySeanan McGuire

2015 • 16 Readers • 25 pages 4.1

Laughter at the Academy

Laughter at the Academy
BySeanan McGuire

2019 • 16 Readers • 376 pages 4

Aftermarket Afterlife

#13 of 13 in InCryptid

Aftermarket Afterlife
BySeanan McGuire

2024 • 16 Readers • 370 pages 4.4

The Devil and the Deep

The Devil and the Deep
ByEllen Datlow(Editor),Seanan McGuire(Contributor)

2018 • 15 Readers • 320 pages 3.5

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015

#1 of 10 in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015
ByTheodora Goss,Neil Gaiman,+17 more

2015 • 15 Readers • 368 pages 4.2

Dying with Her Cheer Pants On

2020 • 15 Readers • 299 pages 4

Nevertheless, She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project

10 Some of the Best from Tor.com

Nevertheless, She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project
ByCharlie Jane Anders,Brooke Bolander,+9 more

2020 • 14 Readers • 47 pages 3.9

Cover 6

#8.1 of 16 in October Daye

Heaps of Pearl
BySeanan McGuire

2016 • 14 Readers • 24 pages 4.1

Any Way the Wind Blows

Any Way the Wind Blows
BySeanan McGuire

14 Readers 3.8

Cover 0

#7.2 of 16 in October Daye

Forbid the Sea
BySeanan McGuire

2013 • 13 Readers • 20 pages 3.7

Cover 8

#8.5 of 16 in October Daye

The Fixed Stars
BySeanan McGuire

2014 • 12 Readers • 20 pages 3.3

Cover 3

#12.5 of 12 in October Daye Chronological Order

Suffer a Sea-Change
BySeanan McGuire

2018 • 12 Readers 4.3

Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2019 Edition

#7 of 10 in Some of the Best from Tor.com

Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2019 Edition
BySiobhan Carroll,John Chu,+22 more

2020 • 11 Readers • 548 pages 2.8

The Gods of HP Lovecraft

The Gods of HP Lovecraft
ByMartha Wells,Adam Nevill,+12 more

2015 • 11 Readers • 450 pages 4

Cover 7

#11.5 of 16 in October Daye

Of Things Unknown
BySeanan McGuire

2016 • 10 Readers 3.7

Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2014 edition

#4 of 10 in Some of the Best from Tor.com

Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2014 edition
ByCharlie Jane Anders,Dale Bailey,+24 more

2015 • 10 Readers • 940 pages 4.5

Far Out

Far Out
ByPaula Guran(Editor),Rachel Swirsky(Contributor)

2021 • 9 Readers • 432 pages

Spelunking Through Hell: A Visitor's Guide to the Underworld

#11 of 13 in InCryptid

2022 • 9 Readers • 352 pages 4

Lightspeed Magazine, June 2014: Women Destroy Science Fiction!

#49 of 20 in Lightspeed Magazine

Lightspeed Magazine, June 2014: Women Destroy Science Fiction!
ByChristie Yant(Editor),N.K. Jemisin(Contributor)

2014 • 9 Readers • 556 pages 4

The Best of Uncanny

18 Uncanny Magazine

The Best of Uncanny
ByKen Liu(Translator)

2018 • 9 Readers • 680 pages 4

Midway Relics and Dying Breeds

2014 • 9 Readers • 32 pages 4.3

Cover 8

IM
BySeanan McGuire

9 Readers 3.3

Glitter & Mayhem

#5.5 of 4 in Kara Gillian

Glitter & Mayhem
ByJohn Klima(Editor),Lynne M. Thomas(Editor)

2013 • 8 Readers 3.3

Rocket Fuel: Some of the Best From Tor.com Non-Fiction

Rocket Fuel: Some of the Best From Tor.com Non-Fiction
ByBridget McGovern(Editor),Chris Lough(Editor)

2018 • 8 Readers • 302 pages 2.8

Cover 0

#0.07 of 13 in InCryptid

The First Fall
BySeanan McGuire

2013 • 8 Readers • 23 pages 3.8

Cover 3

#0.02 of 13 in InCryptid

One Hell of a Ride
BySeanan McGuire

2012 • 8 Readers • 14 pages 3.2

The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume One

#1 of 2 in The Best Science Fiction of the Year

The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume One
ByAliette de Bodard,David Brin,+29 more

2016 • 8 Readers • 616 pages 3

Indigo

#1 of 8 in Indigo

Indigo
ByCharlaine Harris,Christopher Golden,+8 more

2017 • 7 Readers • 343 pages 3.3

Help Fund my Robot Army!!! & Other Improbable Crowdfunding Projects

Help Fund my Robot Army!!! & Other Improbable Crowdfunding Projects
ByJohn Joseph Adams(Editor),Veronica Belmont(Contributor)

2014 • 7 Readers • 376 pages 3.7

Lost Worlds and Mythological Kingdoms

Lost Worlds and Mythological Kingdoms
ByJohn Joseph Adams(Editor),James L. Cambias(Contributor)

2021 • 7 Readers • 384 pages 4

Cover 2

#0.03 of 13 in InCryptid

No Place Like Home
BySeanan McGuire

2012 • 7 Readers • 15 pages 3.2

Cover 4

#0.06 of 13 in InCryptid

Sweet Poison Wine
BySeanan McGuire

2013 • 7 Readers • 35 pages 3.2

Cover 0

#1.2 of 3 in Ghost Roads

2014 • 6 Readers • 51 pages 3.3

Boneyard

#3 of 3 in Deadlands

Boneyard
BySeanan McGuire

2017 • 6 Readers • 352 pages 5