Robert Jackson Bennett

In 1984, born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Robert Jackson Bennett grew up in the still‑unfinished suburbs of Katy, Texas, where he spent his time on construction sites and in drainage ditches. His passion for writing emerged when he heard the books of his older brother and tried to replicate them on paper. After studying English literature and political science at the University of Texas in Austin, he stayed loyal to the city and now lives there with his family. Bennett’s debut novel Mr. Shivers (2010) won the Shirley Jackson Award and earned him the Sydney J. Bounds Award as a top emerging talent. The Company Man received the Edgar Award for best paperback in 2011 and a special mention at the Philip K. Dick Awards. After four standalone novels that are difficult to pin down to a single genre and blend elements of horror, science‑fiction, and fantasy, he turned more firmly toward fantasy with the Divine Cities trilogy. Bennett is distinguished by his extraordinary versatility. He describes his Founders Trilogy as a cyber‑punk story dressed in high fantasy, while the Divine Cities trilogy was nominated for a Hugo Award in the Best Series category. His works are known for their complex world‑building, weaving American history with fantastical elements, and for their keen social commentary. The ability to blend different genres seamlessly while always telling original, gripping stories makes him one of the most remarkable authors of his generation. In August 2025 Bennett was awarded the prestigious Hugo Award for The Tainted Cup, a fantasy‑crime novel that was released by Del Rey in February 2024 and represents a brilliant reinvention of the classic detective story. In this first volume of the Shadow of the Leviathan series he creates a fascinating world where biotechnological changes meet traditional investigative craft. The award crowns an already impressive career in which Bennett has repeatedly proven that fantasy literature can be both entertaining, intellectually demanding, and socially relevant. Sources: - Publishers Weekly – publishersweekly.com - Locus Magazine – locusmag.com - Wikipedia (German) – de.wikipedia.org - Penguin Random House – penguinrandomhouse.com

Born

June 22, 1984

Nationality

Vereinigte Staaten