Michael  Jensen

Michael Jensen’s Followers (157)

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Michael Jensen

Goodreads Author


Born
in The United States
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Influences
Stephen King, L.M. Montgomery, James Michener, Jacqueline Carey, J.R.R ...more

Member Since
April 2012

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I am an author, editor, and lover of all things dark chocolate. My books of gay historical fiction include two series, The Drowning World, which is set in 5500 B.C., and The Savage Land, which takes place on the American frontier. Man & Monster, the second book in The Savage Land series, was a Lambda Award Finalist (under the title Firelands).

I also co-founded AfterElton.com, which covered pop culture for gay and bisexual men, and eventually became one of the largest and most influential LGBT websites on the internet. In 2006, AfterElton.com was sold to MTV/Viacom. As editor, I interviewed hundreds of writers, directors, and actors, breaking numerous stories and advancing the issue of
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Michael Jensen I'm afraid I'll probably have to spend a year or two in therapy before I can truly answer this question! It's funny that you should mention sci-fi and…moreI'm afraid I'll probably have to spend a year or two in therapy before I can truly answer this question! It's funny that you should mention sci-fi and fantasy, as both were genres I read long before I discovered horror. I think I could have been a sci-fi writer except I'm pretty horrible at the science part. As for fantasy, I read so much of it when I was younger, I grew tired of it and, frankly, felt like the genre had grown stale and wasn't something I wanted to write.

So why do I write horror? What appeals to me about it? I honestly don't know! I don't particularly like to be frightened and a good horror novel can leave me feeling anxious and uncomfortable by the time I get to the end. And yet, as soon as I discover another horror novel with an intriguing premise, I snatch it up.

However, writing horror is an entirely different experience for me, as writing the most horrifying stuff doesn't bother me at all. My husband will often read my work and be shocked that it came from mild-mannered me, the guy who can only watch horror movies holding his hands over his face.

I guess I write horror because I like putting characters in extreme situations and seeing how they react to what is happening. I also like writing books with (hopefully) clever plots and twists that keep the reader guessing.

Perhaps I'll go get that therapy now and see what REALLY drives me to write horror....
(less)
Michael Jensen What an interesting question! Both Firelands and Frontiers were based on an actual person -- John Chapman, better known today as Johnny Appleseed -- s…moreWhat an interesting question! Both Firelands and Frontiers were based on an actual person -- John Chapman, better known today as Johnny Appleseed -- so the facts of his life dictated the setting.That being said I was very drawn to his time on the western Pennsylvania frontier where white civilization was almost non-existent. I'm always drawn to extremes where it feels like anything can happen.

For my current novel, Flood, the historical facts also dictates the setting in which I have to tell my story. But again, I was drawn to this particular story, both for its location in time -- 8,000 years ago -- and the setting -- ancient Turkey because I find them fascinating.

I'm currently working on a contemporary novel that could be set anywhere, but I chose Seattle, both because I love the city and because I think the city's dynamism fits with the story. (less)
Average rating: 3.89 · 655 ratings · 155 reviews · 4 distinct worksSimilar authors
Man & Beast (The Savage Lan...

3.88 avg rating — 269 ratings — published 2016
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Frontiers

3.84 avg rating — 166 ratings — published 1999 — 6 editions
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Firelands

3.80 avg rating — 135 ratings — published 2004 — 6 editions
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Man & Monster (The Savage L...

4.12 avg rating — 85 ratings2 editions
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Angkor Wat, Possibly the Most Amazing Place I've Ever Been

When I was seventeen and living in suburban Denver, Colorado, I saw Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Over the following thirty years, I must have seen the movie a dozen more times. And each time, I had the same thought:

I want to have an adventure in the jungle! I want to explore ancient ruins like Indiana Jones!

Alas, living in the U.S., that seemed highly unlikely, and my Ind

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Published on August 22, 2025 04:29
Man & Beast Man & Monster
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3.94 avg rating — 354 ratings

Frontiers Firelands
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3.82 avg rating — 301 ratings

Frontiers Firelands
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3.82 avg rating — 301 ratings

Lands of Lost Bor...
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Angkor Wat, Possibly the Most Amazing Place I've Ever Been



When I was seventeen and living in suburban Denver, Colorado, I saw Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Over the following thirty years, I Read more of this blog post »
Brent Hartinger answered Michael Jensen's question: Brent Hartinger
I would never say never, but not in the next few years anyway. This makes me sad, because I love Russel. But I did write nine books! And truthfully, the last few books (the two Otto books) didn't sell as well as I'd liked.

Mostly, there are just so ma See Full Answer
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Woman of the Hour by Claire Polders
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I think any man looking to better understand the female "experience" would be well served by reading this book. These fifty fragments/snapshots are a very unique and compelling way for men to at least get a sense of in what different ways men and wom ...more
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Infinite Drift by Brent Hartinger
Infinite Drift
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Murder Road by Simone St. James
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The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo
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The Hunter by Tana French
The Hunter
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More of Michael's books…
Charles Bukowski
“Do you hate people?”

“I don't hate them...I just feel better when they're not around.”
Charles Bukowski, Barfly

Jack Ketchum
“But there's also the fact that in my experience most of my readers are first and foremost plain old-fashioned readers. Good readers. They're not looking for cozy brand-name output and that means I don't have to give it to 'em. They're not lazy and have little patience with pre-fab beach-bag books or Oprah's opine du jour. They're questers.
They know that every now and then you're gonna get lucky and pure gold like King and Straub's Black House will simply drop into your lap at the local supermarket but after that, if your bent is horror and suspense fiction, you're gonna have to get your hands dirty and root around for more. Find a Ramsey Campbell or an Edward Lee. They expect diversity and search it out. They want what all good readers want - to be taken somewhere in a book or a story that's really worth visiting for a while. Maybe even worth thinking about after.
If that place happens to scare the hell out of you all the better.”
Jack Ketchum, Peaceable Kingdom

Paula Poundstone
“Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up ’cause they’re looking for ideas.”
Paula Poundstone

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Comments (showing 1-10)    post a comment »
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message 10: by Michael

Michael Jensen Fehu wrote: "Hi Michael,
thank you for the friend request, I am looking forward to reading Man&Beast."


Thanks for accepting! Fingers crossed you like it!


Michael Jensen Ann wrote: "Hi Michael! Nice to meet you!"Ann wrote: "Hi Michael! Nice to meet you!"

Thanks, Ann! You as well. I think you might have this biggest "to read" list I've ever seen!


message 8: by Fehu

Fehu Hi Michael,
thank you for the friend request, I am looking forward to reading Man&Beast.


message 7: by Ann

Ann Hi Michael! Nice to meet you!


Michael Jensen Nile Princess wrote: "Thanks for the friend req!"Thanks for accepting!


Nile Princess Thanks for the friend req!


Michael Jensen Pavellit wrote: "Thank you for the friend-invite, Michael. I liked your profile. Looking forward to chatting books.
Take care my friend."
You, too! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!


Pavellit Thank you for the friend-invite, Michael. I liked your profile. Looking forward to chatting books.
Take care my friend.


Michael Jensen Michael wrote: "Thanks for friending me :)"
Yep. Looking forward to reading Slipstream.


Michael Offutt Thanks for friending me :)


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