Jeff Somers

Jeff Somers is a well-known American author, particularly recognized for his works in the urban fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres. Hailing from New Jersey, Somers has written several novel series, including the Avery Cates series, Ustari Cycle series, and the Avery Cates: Burning City series. He has also penned a number of standalone novels and one novella, as well as trying his hand at writing a nonfiction book.

Somers began his writing career in 1995, contributing to the zine and serving as a prolific contributor to all its publications. At the turn of the 21st century, he transformed from an observational essayist to a writer of science fiction stories. His writing has been praised by many prominent critics for his gifted craftsmanship and funny wit. Somers made his debut with the single novel Lifers in 2001 and soon followed it up with the widely successful Avery Cates novels.

According to his website, Somers began writing by court order as an attempt to steer his creative impulses away from engineering genetic grotesqueries. He has published nine novels, including the Avery Cates Series and the Ustari Cycle, and over 40 short stories. His short story "Ringing the Changes" was selected for inclusion in Best American Mystery Stories 2006, and his story "Sift, Almost Invisible, Through" appeared in the anthology Crimes by Moonlight. Somers also writes about books for Barnes and Noble and About.com, and about the craft of writing for Writer’s Digest, which published his book on the craft of writing Writing Without Rules in 2018. He currently lives in Hoboken with his wife, The Duchess, and their cats, and considers pants to always be optional. Despite his feeble memory and love for furry creatures, Somers continues to be a prolific and successful author in his chosen genres.