Matt Ruff

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Matthew Theron Ruff (b. September 8, 1965 in Bayside, Queens) is an American author who graduated from Cornell University. His first book, Fool on the Hill, based on his experiences living in Risley Residential College (published in 1988) gained an early cult following that continues to this day. His second book Sewer, Gas & Electric: The Public Works Trilogy helped him to become a fully settled fictional writer. What appears to be novel about a scuril and in a way fascinating future is indeed a bitter comment on what might actually develop out of recent New York in a nearby future. Not only in the United States, but also in Europe Ruff became well-known and his books underground bestsellers. His third book Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls, has nothing to do with science-fiction or fantasy. But the story of the book, dealing with multiple personalities, contains a lot of fantastic elements, which let remain a feeling of typical Matt Ruff stories. The novel has been long-listed for the 2005 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and has already won the 2003 James Tiptree, Jr. Award, a PNBA Book Award, and a Washington State Book Award. His books have been published in Germany, Italy, France, Japan and many more countries.

Ruff grew up in Queens/New York as the son of a Lutheran chaplain. He graduated in 1983 from Stuyvesant High School in New York City. After making his way through several cities on the east and west coast (1 year in Hartford, 7 months in Seattle, 1 year in Boston, 5 years in Portland, Maine) he married in Philadelphia and now lives in Seattle, Washington.