Behind the Beard

Michael Bettendorf is a speculative fiction writer from Nebraska, primarily interested in genre blending sci-fi, horror, and crime, often inspired by his Midwestern upbringing. He is a library technician in Lincoln where he earned an English degree from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln with an emphasis in creative writing in 2012.

His debut experimental gamebook TRVE CVLT is out through Tenebrous Press now! Check it out here.

Literary Hub included TRVE CVLT on its list of books to check out for those curious about horror; and Book Riot featured TRVE CVLT on its Must-Read New Horror List!

Michael is a recipient of the 2023 Brave New Weird Award, and has earned nominations for Best Short Fiction (2021) and Best of the Net (2021) awards. He lives in Lincoln with his partner and dog, where he tries to convince the world that Nebraska is too strange to be a flyover state.

He is seeking representation and can be reached here, on Twitter @BeardedBetts, Bluesky @beardedbetts.bsky.social, and Linktree.