Mat Johnson (born in Philadelphia) is an American writer of literary fiction. Born and raised in the Germantown and Mount Airy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Johnson writes primarily about the lives of African-Americans, using fiction, nonfiction and graphic novels as mediums.
Genres: Horror, General Fiction, Literary Fiction
Novels
Graphic Novels
Series contributed to
John Constantine, Hellblazer
Papa Midnite (2006)
No Future (2020) (with Jamie Delano and Peter Milligan)
Papa Midnite (2006)
No Future (2020) (with Jamie Delano and Peter Milligan)
Non fiction
Mat Johnson recommends

The Heart Goes Last (2015)
Margaret Atwood
"Thrilling, sometimes comic, often absurd and entirely engaging, spinning sins into the territory of Elvis-themed escorts, stuffed-animal carnality and customizable sexbots ... What keeps The Heart Goes Last fresh, as with the rest of Atwood's recent work, is that while it revisits earlier themes of her oeuvre, it never replicates. Rather, it reads like an exploration continued, with new surprises, both narratively and thematically, to be discovered ... Margaret Atwood has become something nearly as fantastical as one of her storytelling subjects: a living legend who continues to remain fresh and innovative on the page."

The Talented Ribkins (2017)
Ladee Hubbard
"With The Talented Ribkins, Ladee Hubbard proves herself to be a rare talent who pops onto the scene fully formed as a writer of power and purpose. This is a heart-wrenching quest into the absurdity that is family. Like the best literary fantasies, The Talented Ribkins succeeds because the heart that beats at its center couldn’t be realer."

The Ensemble (2018)
Aja Gabel
"The Ensemble deserves a standing ovation. A gripping tale of four musician's journeys through discord and harmony, life and love. Aja Gabel is a brilliant young writer with the rare gift of an old soul."

They Come in All Colors (2018)
Malcolm Hansen
"This is a voice so honest and alive it feels like a stranger whispering a confession in a dark room. Malcolm Hansen's novel is a prodigious debut of a rare literary talent."

An Ocean of Minutes (2018)
Thea Lim
"An Ocean of Minutes is a time machine into the future of this moment. Gripping and graceful, it's dystopian love story as told by a visionary. Thea Lim's novel reads like the birth of a legend."

The House of Deep Water (2020)
Jeni McFarland
"Creates a place so real it feels like you can step into it, populated by characters so alive you can almost hear them breathing. McFarland's powerful debut is a brilliant exploration of home and heartbreak, and how we live with both of them."

Antkind (2020)
Charlie Kaufman
"A tribute to the absurdity of story and ego and obsession that manages to criticize all of this as fiercely as it embraces it all, Antkind is as funny and brilliant and utterly idiosyncratic as you could ever hope. I couldn’t put it down, which is saying a lot, because holy shit, is it heavy."

Scavenger (2020)
(Dickie Cornish, book 1)
Christopher Chambers
"Scavenger is a clever mystery told with wry wit and a vivid second-person style that straps you in for its roller coaster ride Simply put: this is a damn good read."

The Atmospherians (2021)
Alex McElroy
"Alex McElroy’s debut novel is wickedly funny, graceful in prose, and brilliant in execution. With its exploration and critique of contemporary culture in general, and masculinity gender performance specifically, The Atmospherians is a Fight Club for the Millennial Generation. I feel particularly bullish on this novel, and this writer."

If I Survive You (2022)
Jonathan Escoffery
"If I Survive You is simply one of the best debut story collections I've ever read. Unmistakably original, improbably accomplished, If I Survive You earns Jonathan Escoffery the attention deserved of an important new author."
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