Weston Ochse

Weston Ochse was an American author who was celebrated for his contributions to horror, supernatural thrillers, and science fiction. With more than forty books to his credit, including SEAL Team 666 and the Grunt trilogy, Ochse has been hailed by the American Library Association as "one of the most important horror writers of the 21st century". He won the Bram Stoker Award for Scarecrow Gods (2005) and several New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards, cementing his legacy in dark fiction.

Born in Gillette, Wyoming, Weston Ochse lived in ten states by age ten, eventually graduating from Tyner High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He later earned a BA in American Literature from Excelsior University and an MFA in Creative Writing from National University. Ochse served in over fifty countries as a US Army intelligence officer before retiring in 2004.

Ochse's literary career began in 1997 with Scarecrow Gods, which won him the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. His SEAL Team 666 series, which began in 2012, combines supernatural elements with military action.

The series received widespread acclaim and was optioned for a film adaptation by Seven Bucks Productions, with Dwayne Johnson attached as executive producer and star. Ochse described the series as exploring "a secret SEAL team defending America from supernatural threats".

In addition to original works, Ochse has contributed to such well-known franchises as Aliens, Predator, Hellboy and The X-Files. His collaboration with Yvonne Navarro on Aliens vs. Predator: Rift War (2022) extended his influence in speculative fiction. He has also written short stories for DC Comics, Weird Tales and Soldier of Fortune Magazine, demonstrating his versatility as a writer.

Ochse's Grunt trilogy (Grunt Life [2014], Grunt Traitor [2015], and Grunt Hero [2017]) delved into military science fiction, earning praise for its realistic depiction of military life intertwined with speculative elements. His later works include Burning Sky (2018) and Dead Sky (2019), both of which won the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award.

Weston Ochse was also a passionate educator, teaching creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University and running the online Guerrilla Fiction Writing Workshop. He was a frequent guest at conventions and libraries, engaging with readers and mentoring aspiring writers.

Reflecting on his career, Ochse once said, "Stories are how we make sense of the world, and I'll never stop finding ways to tell them".

Weston Ochse lived in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife, Yvonne Navarro, until his death on 18 November 2023.

Photo credit: www.westonochse.com