The cover of the book "Children of Solitude" by Michael G. Williams. It features a white wood frame farmhouse against the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Award-Winning Weird

Children of Solitude

Reginald Voth’s mother is (finally) dead. When he returns to the ancestral Appalachian homestead where she raised him, he finds her house haunted–or worse.

“The best horror comes from truth, and Michael Williams mines a deep and honest vein of it here to spectacular effect. Chilling, funny, enthralling and intense, this is one of the finest horror novels I have read in ages.”
-Richard Danskyauthor of Firefly Rain
“Williams keeps readers at the edge of their seats as he weaves a classic ghost story with relatable contemporary characters. Heartfelt, sometimes funny, startlingly poignant, and overwhelmingly frightening – this novel wraps it all up with a dingy, pocked crimson red bow.”
-L. Marie Woodauthor of The Realm Trilogy

Michael G. Williams

I write queer-themed speculative fiction celebrating the unexpected ways we outsiders find ourselves and our people at the heart of the mysterious and the macabre. I’m a member of HWA and SFWA and am on the NC Writers Network Board of Trustees.

I also co-host Arcane Carolinas, an award-winning podcast about the myths and legends of my native region, studied Performance Studies at UNC Chapel Hill and Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State, and am a brother in both Mu Beta Psi and St. Anthony Hall.

Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly email with publishing updates, exclusive stories, and convention news.

Arcane Carolinas explores the myths, legends, and hidden history unique to this region. From mountains to sand dunes, high tides to hollers, we celebrate the folklore we all share.

Michael’s Books & Stories

The cover of the book "Children of Solitude" by Michael G. Williams. It features a white wood frame farmhouse against the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Children of Solitude
(Stand-Alone Horror)

Servant Sovereign
(Emperor Norton Omnibus)

Arcane Carolinas Volume 2
(Non-Fiction Folklore)

A Fall in Autumn
(Autumn #1)

New Life in Autumn
(Autumn #2)

Perishables
(The Withrow Chronicles #1)

Tooth & Nail
(The Withrow Chronicles #2)

Deal with the Devil
(The Withrow Chronicles #3)

Attempted Immortality
(The Withrow Chronicles #4)

Nobody Gets Out Alive
(The Withrow Chronicles #5)

Withrow: The Complete
Chronicles

Through the Doors of Oblivion
(Norton #1)

All the Pomp of Earthly Majesty (Norton #2)

Shut the Gates of Mercy
(Norton #3)

The Last Scene of a Strange Career (Norton #4)

COMPLICATIONS
(A Machine of Death Short)

Wrapped in Red
(Vampire Anthology)

Wrapped in White
(Ghost Anthology)

Wrapped in Black
(Witches Anthology)

A Woman Unbecoming
(Horror Anthology)

Playing with a Full Deck
(Science Fiction Anthology)

Southern Fried Cthulhu
(Cosmic Horror Anthology)

Nevermore
(Poe-Inspired Anthology)

AC 00116 – Haunted Highways Near and Far – Live from ConGregate 2024

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[iframe style=”border:none” src=”//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/33042072/height/100/width//thumbnail/no/render-playlist/no/theme/custom/tdest_id/3832614/custom-color/87A93A” height=”100″ width=”100%” scrolling=”no” allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen]We’ve all heard of Route…

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AC 00115 – Kentucky Fried Goat-Man – Do Not Go to the Trestle of Death – Live from Ret-Con 2024

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[iframe style=”border:none” src=”//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/32960742/height/100/width//thumbnail/no/render-playlist/no/theme/custom/tdest_id/3832614/custom-color/87A93A” height=”100″ width=”100%” scrolling=”no” allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen]As the episode title says,…

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AC 00114 – The Monkey-Dog

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[iframe style=”border:none” src=”//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/32730292/height/100/width//thumbnail/no/render-playlist/no/theme/custom/tdest_id/3832614/custom-color/87A93A” height=”100″ width=”100%” scrolling=”no” allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen]On a spring-like December morning…

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