“Rattlesnakes and Men” is one of many powerful stories written by Michael Bishop. It describes a small town that requires all its inhabitants to own rattlesnakes—a deliberately unsubtle satire of American gun culture. He wrote the story after his son, a teacher and an aspiring artist, died in the mass shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007. Following his son’s death, Bishop and his wife became active proponents of gun control legislation. His son’s work is featured as covers on five of his books in his honor.

Michael Bishop was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on November 12, 1945. His father was in the U.S. Air Force, and the family moved often during his childhood. In 1967, Bishop earned his B.A. in English followed by an M.A. in English in 1968 from the University of Georgia (UGA) as an ROTC graduate.

As an Air Force officer, he taught English in Colorado Springs at the USAF Academy prep school for four years. Interested in writing, he wrote and published his first short story, titled “Piñon Fall,” in 1970. It followed an alien invasion, and kickstarted a long, prolific career full of imagination.

Fueled by his passions, he returned to Georgia, and in 1972 he became an instructor in the UGA English department. His continued success in publishing precipitated his leave from UGA. He only taught for two years, going on to devote himself to writing full time.

Bishop’s short stories appeared in numerous prominent magazines and journals and have also been collected in nine published volumes. He wasn’t afraid to push boundaries with plot, setting, and character in both short stories and novels; and often used setting to create a world that was both familiar and fantastical.

Bishop’s works include: A Little Knowledge (1977) and Catacomb Years (1979), which take place in futuristic Atlanta.Ancient of Days (1985) tells about a prehistoric hominid that happens in South Georgia. That same year, Bishop’s story “Dogs’ Lives” (1985) earned a rare distinction for him as a science fiction writer – a feature in The Best American Short Stories 1985.  The Secret Ascension: Philip K. Dick Is Dead, Alas (1987) exploits the concept of parallel or alternate universes.

Bishop did not always work on his creative projects solo. Bishop also wrote two mystery novels, Would It Kill You to Smile? (1998) and Muskrat Courage (2000), with Paul Di Filippo under the joint pseudonym “Philip Lawson.”

In 2017, among his more recent work, Other Arms Reach Out to Me continues to bring together stories mostly set in Georgia.

In addition to novels and short stories, Bishop wrote poetry. Throughout his career he published two volumes of poetry: Windows & Mirrors (1977) and Time Pieces (1998). His collection of essays and reviews, A Reverie for Mister Ray, was published in 2005. Bishop also edited seven anthologies of science fiction and fantasy.

Not only was his writing varied and intriguing, but it was award-winning. Brittle Innings (1994), which showed Bishop’s interests in fantasy, baseball, and humor, won the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel for the year. His short story titled “The Pile” (2008) won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Short Story, for the year it was published.

For most of his career, Bishop served as the writer-in-residence at LaGrange College. He held the position from 1996 to 2012. During his time there, Bishop was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities. In 2018, he was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. Michael Bishop passed away from cancer at age 78 on November 13, 2023.