Seanan McGuire (pronounced SHAWN-in;^[1] born January 5, 1978, in Martinez, California) is an American author and filker. McGuire is known for her urban fantasy novels. She uses the pseudonym Mira Grant to write science fiction/horror and the pseudonym A. Deborah Baker to write the "Up-and-Under" children's portal fantasy series.

Quick Facts Born, Pen name ...

Seanan McGuire
McGuire in 2018
Born	(1978-01-05) January 5, 1978 (age 46) Martinez, California, U.S.
Pen name	Mira Grant A. Deborah Baker
Occupation	Writer
Alma mater	University of California, Berkeley
Genre	Urban fantasy horror apocalyptic
Notable works	October Daye series InCryptid series Wayward Children series Feed series (as Mira Grant)
Notable awards	John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (2010) Nebula Award for Best Novella (2010) Hugo Award for Best Novella (2010) Locus Award for Best Novella (2017) Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2020)
Website
www.seananmcguire.com

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In 2010, she was awarded the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer by the World Science Fiction Convention. Her 2016 novella Every Heart a Doorway received a Nebula Award, Hugo Award, Locus Award, and Alex Award.

In 2013, McGuire received a record five Hugo nominations in total, two for works as Grant and three under her own name.

She writes numerous queer characters into her work.

McGuire was born on January 5, 1978, in Martinez, California.^[2] Her parents were separated for most of her childhood and has stated that her early childhood was difficult.^[3]

McGuire has stated that her mother, Micki McGuire,^{[citation needed]} had "primary custody, two other children, no money, and an abusive husband who targeted [her]".^[3] During the summer, McGuire traveled with her father,^[4] a carnival worker of Romani origin,^{[citation needed]} an experience she described as "Bradbury-esque running wild and unfettered through farmers' fields, building Ferris wheels and living on funnel cake."^[5] This experience had a strong influence on her later work, particularly InCryptid: several of the stories in the series (particularly Magic for Nothing, Married in Green and The Flower of Arizona) are set in or feature carnivals, and the companion Ghost Roads series tells the story of a highway ghost. She has at least two brothers on her father's side of the family.^{[citation needed]}

At age nine, McGuire was diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder.^[6]

McGuire attended University of California, Berkeley, where she studied folklore and herpetology.^[2]

Before becoming a full-time writer, McGuire worked at a reptile rescue organization.^[7]

McGuire has published filk music, poetry, short fiction, essays, and novels. Most follow speculative fiction themes of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Her earliest publication was a contribution to the June 2002 poetry anthology Speculon.^[8] She produced the musical album Pretty Little Dead Girl in 2006^[9] and published her first short story in The Edge of Propinquity in 2008.^[8] In 2009, she published her first novel, Rosemary and Rue, which has resulted in her longest-running series, with the 18th book, The Innocent Sleep, published in 2023.

In 2010, she published Feed under the pseudonym Mira Grant. This established Seanan McGuire as an urban fantasy writer and her pseudonym Mira Grant as a horror/science fiction writer.^[10]

In 2018, McGuire began writing for Marvel Comics. She is the author of the Spider-Gwen series and has contributed to several other franchises.

McGuire was diagnosed as autistic in 2020^[87] and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.^[88][89] She identifies as pansexual,^[90] bisexual,^[91] and demisexual.^[92]

McGuire lives in Washington state.^[1]