World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Jeffrey Ford

ジェフリー・フォード

Jefurī Fōdo

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1955-11-08 （West Islip, New York, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
West Islip, New York (birthplace) → Ohio, U.S. (resident)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Teacher
Active Years
1981-
Affiliations
Ohio Wesleyan University (adjunct instructor), Clarion Workshop (guest lecturer/instructor)
Influenced By
John Gardner

Education

Binghamton University
Country: United States
Studied with novelist John Gardner

Awards

World Fantasy Award
1998
Work: The Physiognomy
Category: 小説
Organization: World Fantasy Awards
Result: 受賞
World Fantasy Award
2003
Work: Creation
Category: 短編
Organization: World Fantasy Awards
Result: 受賞
World Fantasy Award
2003
Work: The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories
Category: 短編集
Organization: World Fantasy Awards
Result: 受賞
Speculative Literature Foundation Fountain Award
2004
Work: The Annals of Eelin-Ok
Category: 短編
Organization: Speculative Literature Foundation
Result: 受賞
Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire
2006
Work: Exo-Skeleton Town
Category: 外国短編/外国短編集
Organization: Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire
Result: 受賞
Edgar Award
2006
Work: The Girl in the Glass
Category: ペーパーバック（オリジナル）
Organization: Mystery Writers of America (Edgar Awards)
Result: 受賞
World Fantasy Award
2007
Work: Botch Town
Category: 中編
Organization: World Fantasy Awards
Result: 受賞
Shirley Jackson Award
2008
Work: The Shadow Year
Category: 小説
Organization: Shirley Jackson Awards
Result: 受賞
World Fantasy Award
2009
Work: The Shadow Year
Category: 小説
Organization: World Fantasy Awards
Result: 受賞
World Fantasy Award
2009
Work: The Drowned Life
Category: 短編集
Organization: World Fantasy Awards
Result: 受賞
Shirley Jackson Award
2013
Work: A Natural History of Autumn
Category: 短編
Organization: Shirley Jackson Awards
Result: 受賞
Shirley Jackson Award
2013
Work: Crackpot Palace
Category: 短編集
Organization: Shirley Jackson Awards
Result: 受賞
Shirley Jackson Award
2017
Work: A Natural History of Hell
Category: 短編集
Organization: Shirley Jackson Awards
Result: 受賞
World Fantasy Award
2017
Work: A Natural History of Hell
Category: 短編集
Organization: World Fantasy Awards
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Crackpot Palace

2012 Short story collection (fantastic/weird)

A collection of short stories showcasing Ford's blend of the fantastic, humor, and metafictional techniques (stories within stories). The collection juxtaposes everyday settings with uncanny elements. Winner of the 2013 Shirley Jackson Award (collection).

MetafictionIntersection of the mundane and the uncannyHumor and absurdity

The Shadow Year

2008 Fantasy/Horror

A novel blending memory, loss, and the uncanny through a lyrical and unsettling narrative. It won the Shirley Jackson Award and the World Fantasy Award.

Memory and lossFamily relationshipsNostalgia and unease

The Physiognomy

1997 Fantasy (part of the Well-Built City trilogy)

An early novel by Ford, part of the Well-Built City trilogy, depicting a peculiar city and its inhabitants through imaginative prose. Winner of a World Fantasy Award.

Allegorical cityscapesIdentityFantastic worldbuilding

A Natural History of Hell

2016 Short story collection (fantastic/horror-leaning)

A dark, imaginative collection of short fiction notable for vivid surreal imagery and narrative craft. Winner of the 2017 Shirley Jackson Award and World Fantasy Award.

Dark humorIntersection of the supernatural and the mundaneAllegorical elements

Bibliography

  • Vanitas (1988)
  • The Physiognomy (1997)
  • Memoranda (1999)
  • The Beyond (2001)
  • The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque (2002)
  • The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories (2002)
  • The Empire of Ice Cream (2006)
  • The Drowned Life (2008)
  • The Shadow Year (2008)
  • Crackpot Palace (2012)
  • A Natural History of Hell (2016)
  • The Best of Jeffrey Ford (2020)
  • Big Dark Hole (2021)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Fantastic/poetic proseMetafictional devices (stories within stories)Wry humor and literary allusion
Recurring Motifs
Memory and dreamsReflective imagery (mirrors, glass)Peculiar urban spaces and mechanical devicesFamily and personal relationships

Legacy

Jeffrey Ford is an American writer working across short fiction, novellas, and novels in the fantastic tradition. He has won multiple major awards (World Fantasy Award, Shirley Jackson Award, etc.) and his work has been translated into more than fifteen languages. He is noted for metafictional techniques, literary allusion, and a blend of humor and uncanny imagination.

In Popular Culture

  • Works have been anthologized in numerous 'Year's Best' and other collections.
  • He is highly regarded within American short fiction and weird fiction communities.

Trivia

  • Has published over 130 original short stories.
  • Has taught at the Clarion Workshop and teaches part-time at Ohio Wesleyan University.
  • Maintains an official website (well-builtcity.com).
  • Won the 2013 Shirley Jackson Award (collection) for 'Crackpot Palace'.