About

I’m a writer of fiction and nonfiction. For more than two decades my work has explored the intersection of religion, horror, creativity, consciousness, and culture.

I’m especially interested in pursuing a first-person investigation into the self and the world, and in the ways awe, dread, and beauty often turn out to be different faces of the same revelation.

In my fiction, this has often taken the form of weird or cosmic horror stories in which the understory of the soul becomes the surface of the narrative. In my nonfiction, it emerges as reflection on creativity, supernatural horror, and spiritual awakening, sometimes involving the ancient idea of the daemon muse or inner genius.

Alongside writing, I’m a lifelong pianist.

Occasionally, I engage in one-to-one dialogical work with writers and thinkers who find themselves navigating difficult creative, philosophical, or spiritual terrain.

Official bio (for interviewers, journalists, and event hosts)

Matt Cardin is an author known for delving into the realms of horror and the metaphysical. His widely acclaimed books, including To Rouse Leviathan and What the Daemon Said, explore the convergence of horror, religion, and creativity.

His work has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, long-listed for the Bram Stoker Award, recommended for the British Fantasy Award, translated into Spanish and German, and praised by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Rue Morgue, The New York Review of Science Fiction, and by writers and thinkers including Thomas Ligotti, John Shirley, Brian Keene, Laird Barron, Adam Nevill, John Langan, and Nathan Ballingrud.

He has appeared as a reader and panelist at the World Fantasy Convention, the World Horror Convention, and Baylor University’s Faith and Film symposium, and has been a guest on podcasts and radio programs including Weird Studies, Expanding Mind, and This Is Horror.

He holds a Ph.D. in leadership and an M.A. in religious studies. He is also a lifelong pianist, a college vice president, and a former English professor, high school teacher, university media producer, and videographer for country and pop music legend Glen Campbell. A native of the Missouri Ozarks who lived for many years in Texas, he now resides in North Arkansas with his wife.

Stay in touch

The best way to follow my current work is through my free newsletter, The Living Dark, where I publish essays and reflections on all the themes mentioned here.

You can also write to me through the contact form.

Selected Press and Interviews