Thomas Pierce is the author of the novel "The Afterlives" (Riverhead, 2018) and the short story collection "Hall of Small Mammals." His fiction explores themes of the uncanny, mortality, and the boundaries between reality and the speculative, often blending literary realism with elements of the surreal. Pierce's work has earned critical acclaim, including a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honor, and his short stories have appeared in prestigious publications such as The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Zoetrope.
A graduate of the University of Virginia's M.F.A. program, where he served as a Poe/Faulkner Fellow, Pierce has also worked as a reporter for NPR and National Geographic Magazine. His stories have been anthologized in "The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2014" and "The O. Henry Prize Stories 2015," showcasing his versatility across fiction and nonfiction. Born and raised in South Carolina, Pierce now resides near Charlottesville, Virginia, with his family.