Born in the San Francisco bay area and raised in Napa, California,
Michael R. Johnston grew up steeped in everything Science
Fiction and Fantasy from Asimov to Zelazny, as well as endless
terrible SF TV shows he still has a slightly embarrassed fondness
for.
Faced with the choice between moving back in with his parents and
continuing school, or paying his rent, he took “a year” off from
college. He spent time as a court process server, a retail sales
associate, a sandwich maker, and a data entry tech, before finding
himself in a management role.
A decade later, burnt out from his job in political research and
facing 30, he decided he’d had enough and returned to college,
graduating with honors from California State University,
Sacramento. In fall 2006, he became a high school English teacher,
a job he likens to herding a swarm of angry bees. It’s the best job
he’s ever had.
In 2013, he attended the 17th Viable Paradise Science Fiction
Writing Workshop. The experience of having his story critiqued by
other writers, some of them professionals he’d been reading for
years, helped him realize he could write professionally, and
introduced him to some of his best friends.
He currently lives in Sacramento, California, with his wife and
daughter, surrounded by a circle of incredibly geeky and amazing
people. When he’s not writing or teaching, he spends time with his
family, plays video games and tabletop RPGs, and reads. He
blogs at MJohnstonBooks.com, and can be found on Twitter
@MREJohnston.
“The Widening Gyre is the best Space Opera I’ve read in years.”
*Cemetery Dance Online*
“Johnston's debut will keep readers on the edge of their seats as
the heroes get themselves into one scrape after another. It has a
hint of Battlestar Galactica, but with giant reptilian aliens.
Johnston, with skillful plotting and impeccable world building,
takes the tale of Tajen and his crew searching for home and shapes
it into an unforgettable journey."
*ALA Booklist*
“Readers will feel invested in Tajen’s team of affable human rebels
and their futures.”
*Publishers Weekly*
“Fans of David Weber or Elizabeth Moon will enjoy this debut, and
experienced sf readers will catch some winks at other series.”
*Library Journal*
“Johnston proves that he has a deft hand at world building and is
giving us a new take on Earth’s future [...] A thrilling ride full
of mystery and mayhem.”
*ScienceFiction.com*
“What makes the book work is the characters. They all have
interesting flaws, strengths, short-sightedness, and wisdom:
they’re well rounded enough that I really came away liking them,
even some of the villains.”
*Locus Magazine*
“Johnston has taken the best elements from the old masters of space
opera and created a fresh and fun story.”
*scintilla.info*
"The story is the action-packed space opera that the synopsis
suggests. But it was so much more! [...]But I think the best
surprise, for me, was the introduction of LGBT characters. It was
unexpected, yet done in such a casual way that it was just
natural."
*Astroclone*
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