Robert Jackson Bennett

Robert Jackson Bennett is an American author of fantasy and horror. He won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel for The Tainted Cup (2025), a mystery fantasy set in an empire threatened by monstrous creatures. He also won the Shirley Jackson Award twice—for Mr. Shivers (2010) and American Elsewhere (2013). Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1984, Bennett studied at the University of Texas at Austin. His early novels including Mr. Shivers, The Company Man, and American Elsewhere established him as a distinctive voice in contemporary dark fantasy. His Divine Cities trilogy (City of Stairs, City of Blades, City of Miracles) was widely celebrated for its political depth and world-building. The Founders trilogy (Foundryside, Shorefall, Locklands) brought him commercial mainstream success. The Tainted Cup is the first in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. Bennett lives in Austin, Texas.