Matt Ruff
Encyclopedia
Matthew Theron Ruff is an American
author
of thriller, science-fiction and comic novel
s.
. He attended Stuyvesant High School
in Manhattan
; one of his teachers there was the memoirist Frank McCourt
. He graduated from Cornell University
in 1987.
, was a fantasy that drew on his experiences living in Risley Residential College
at Cornell. Published shortly after Ruff graduated from the university, it gained an early cult following which continues to this day. His second book Sewer, Gas & Electric: The Public Works Trilogy was postcyberpunk; it helped him to become a fully settled writer. He became fairly well known not only in the United States, but also in Europe.
and won the 2007 James Tiptree, Jr. Award
, a PNBA Book Award, and a Washington State Book Award
. Ruff is also the recipient of a 2006 National Endowment for the Arts
Literature Fellowship in Prose
His fourth novel, Bad Monkeys
, received the 2008 Washington State Book Award
for Fiction, a PNBA Book Award, and an Alex Award.
His fifth novel, The Mirage, will be published by HarperCollins
in February 2012.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of thriller, science-fiction and comic novel
Comic novel
A comic novel is a work of fiction in which the writer not only seeks to amuse the reader, but also to make the reader think about controversial issues, sometimes with subtlety and as part of a carefully woven narrative; sometimes, above all other considerations...
s.
Background and education
Ruff grew up in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He attended Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
; one of his teachers there was the memoirist Frank McCourt
Frank McCourt
Francis "Frank" McCourt was an Irish-American teacher and Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, best known as the author of Angela’s Ashes, an award-winning, tragicomic memoir of the misery and squalor of his childhood....
. He graduated from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1987.
Early works
The author's first novel, Fool on the HillFool on the Hill (novel)
Fool on the Hill is a 1988 comic fantasy novel by Matt Ruff, set at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.The novel is the story of two authors. Cornell University resident and author Stephen Titus George finds that his real life is becoming the main plot of a retired god, known as Mr. Sunshine. Mr...
, was a fantasy that drew on his experiences living in Risley Residential College
Risley Residential College
Prudence Risley Residential College for the Creative and Performing Arts, commonly known as Risley Residential College, Risley Hall, or just Risley, is a program house at Cornell University...
at Cornell. Published shortly after Ruff graduated from the university, it gained an early cult following which continues to this day. His second book Sewer, Gas & Electric: The Public Works Trilogy was postcyberpunk; it helped him to become a fully settled writer. He became fairly well known not only in the United States, but also in Europe.
Maturity
His third book Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls, focuses on multiple personalities; while not technically science-fiction, it nonetheless contains significant speculative elements. The novel was long-listed for the 2005 International IMPAC Dublin Literary AwardInternational IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is an international literary award for a work of fiction, jointly sponsored by the city of Dublin, Ireland and the company IMPAC. At €100,000 it is one of the richest literary prizes in the world...
and won the 2007 James Tiptree, Jr. Award
James Tiptree, Jr. Award
The James Tiptree, Jr. Award is an annual literary prize for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of gender. It was initiated in February of 1991 by science fiction authors Pat Murphy and Karen Joy Fowler, subsequent to a discussion at WisCon.- Background...
, a PNBA Book Award, and a Washington State Book Award
Washington State Book Award
The Washington State Book Awards are presented annually in recognition of notable books written by Washington authors in the previous year.This literary awards program was established in 1967 as the Governor's Writers Awards. The program was based at the Washington State Library in Olympia...
. Ruff is also the recipient of a 2006 National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
Literature Fellowship in Prose
His fourth novel, Bad Monkeys
Bad Monkeys
-Plot summary:The beginning of the book takes place in the mental disabilites wing of the Las Vegas Clark County Detention Center. A psychiatrist named Dr. Vale interviews Jane Charlotte, who is there for the murder of a man called Dixon...
, received the 2008 Washington State Book Award
Washington State Book Award
The Washington State Book Awards are presented annually in recognition of notable books written by Washington authors in the previous year.This literary awards program was established in 1967 as the Governor's Writers Awards. The program was based at the Washington State Library in Olympia...
for Fiction, a PNBA Book Award, and an Alex Award.
His fifth novel, The Mirage, will be published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
in February 2012.
Personal
Ruff currently lives with his wife, Lisa Gold, in Seattle, Washington.Published works
- Fool on the HillFool on the Hill (novel)Fool on the Hill is a 1988 comic fantasy novel by Matt Ruff, set at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.The novel is the story of two authors. Cornell University resident and author Stephen Titus George finds that his real life is becoming the main plot of a retired god, known as Mr. Sunshine. Mr...
(1988) - (ISBN 0-8021-3535-8) - Sewer, Gas & Electric: The Public Works Trilogy (1997) - (ISBN 0-87113-641-4)
- Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls (2003) - (ISBN 0-06-095485-X)
- Bad MonkeysBad Monkeys-Plot summary:The beginning of the book takes place in the mental disabilites wing of the Las Vegas Clark County Detention Center. A psychiatrist named Dr. Vale interviews Jane Charlotte, who is there for the murder of a man called Dixon...
(2007) - (ISBN 0061240419)