Michael G. Williams

Michael G. Williams is an American author, podcaster, and speaker who writes queer-themed science fiction, horror, and urban fiction novels and short stories.

Early life and education Williams grew up in a remote part of Appalachia in Western North Carolina.

He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a member of the social and literary fraternity St. Anthony Hall and the music fraternity Mu Beta Psi. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in Appalachian studies at Appalachian State University.

His gay science fiction, detective novel, A Fall in Autumn, received the 2020 Manly Wade Wellman Award from the North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation (NCSFF). This juried competition included more than eighty titles. His short stories have been included in a number of anthologies, and he also helps develop tabletop role-playing games. He participated in panel discussions, including "Defining Rogues and Scoundrels," "The Evolving Role of Authors," "Successful Self-Publishing: Tricks and Traps," "What Horror Should We Be Reading," "The Location Next Door," "The Cross Appeal of Niche Genres," "Beyond Spandex Studs," "Other Loves," and "Tail End in Seat." He was a panelist for "Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K): The Reboot," "Heroes, Anti-Heroes, Villains," "Writing from Different Perspectives," "Creating Magic," and "The Dichotomy Between Good and Evil."

June 2021, Williams was a literary guest speaker at the ConCarolinas. He participated in the panels "21st Century Privacy and Security," "The New Media Primer," "Let's Make a Campaign," "Real Social Media," "When Art Surpasses the Artist," "Hell is Othering People," "Writing Paranormal and Fantasy with Non-Traditional Romantic Pairings," and "Who is Your Favorite Dracula?" He discussed "empowering queer voices" and "relating the queer experience through horror, science fiction, and urban fantasy." He participated in "Explaining the Unexplainable," "State of the Federation," "Appalachian Speculative Fiction," and "Sci-Fighters: Ultimate Visual Showcase." He participated in the panel discussions "Body Positive Representation in Fiction," "LGBTQ+ Rep in Historical Settings," and "Joy is Resistance: The Need for Joyful Stories by Marginalized Creators." He will also record his podcast Arcane Carolinas at the Con with Charlie Mewshaw.

Although they have been approached by sponsors and podcast networks, Williams and Mewshaw want their podcast to remain independent as long as possible.

In October 2023, Beaufort County, South Carolina's public television station BCTV debuted a series title Sea Island Spirits. The programming is based on different haunts in the Beaufort County area, sharing the history behind the most famous buildings, superstitions, and folklore.

Data@Rest Williams works in information security, serving as the network team lead at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With his former co-worker Charlie Mewshaw, currently chief information security officer at Fayetteville State University, Williams produces the podcast Data@Rest''.

Personal life Williams lives in Durham, North Carolina with his husband.