Christopher Barzak

Christopher Barzak is Professor of English at Youngstown State University, teaching creative writing, fiction, and speculative literature. He earned his MFA from Chatham University and MA/BA from Youngstown State University.

His research explores revisionist writing, place-based narratives, fabulist literature, mythology, and folklore. Barzak's creative works blend magical realism, queer themes, and Midwest settings, often reinventing fairy tales and gothic traditions.

Barzak's publications include award-winning novels and short story collections. His novel Wonders of the Invisible World received the Stonewall Honor, while the collection Before and Afterlives won the Shirley Jackson Award. Recent work includes the novella A Voice Calling (2024) and collection Monstrous Alterations (2023).

Honors include the Crawford Award, Whippoorwill Award, and multiple Nebula and Locus Award nominations. His books have been selected for CNN's Pride Month Honor List, HRC's Required Reading List, and the Choose to Read Ohio program.

Barzak serves on editorial boards and has organized literary conferences, including the International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts. His writing has been translated into multiple languages and adapted into the Sundance feature film Jamie Marks is Dead.