Matthew S. Cox

Matthew S. Cox is an American author who works as a laboratory technician and holds a B.S. in Biology from Lincoln Memorial University, where his early fiction ideas took root during research on aquatic macroinvertebrates. Drawing inspiration from The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Lost Years of Merlin, he has built an unusually large body of work spanning dozens of series across fantasy, cyberpunk, and young-adult portal fantasy, anchored by his flagship Chronicles of a Shackled World setting. His stories favor immersive world-building paired with characters facing genuine moral dilemmas rather than straightforward good-versus-evil plots. Based in East Tennessee, Cox is also a baker, a tuba player, and a single parent, and maintains an active presence with readers across social media.