Howard Waldrop (born September 15, 1946, in Houston, Mississippi) is a science fiction author who works primarily in short fiction.
Waldrop's stories combine elements such as alternate history, American popular culture, the American South, old movies (and character actors), classical mythology, and rock 'n' roll music.
His style is sometimes obscure or elliptical: Night of the Cooters is a pastiche of H.
He moved to Washington state for several years, but has since returned to Austin.
He is an avid fly fisherman.
He is a member of the Turkey City Writer's Workshop, has attended the Rio Hondo Writing Workshop, and has taught at the Clarion Workshop.
In 2004 he started writing movie reviews with Lawrence Person for Locus Online.
He is a frequent attendee of ArmadilloCon, the local science fiction convention held annually in Austin.
He was the Toastmaster at the very first ArmadilloCon (1979) and again at #29 in 2007; he was Guest of Honor at ArmadilloCon 5 (1983).
Waldrop was one of three writer Guests of Honor at the 1995 World Fantasy Convention held in Baltimore and at Readercon 15 held in Burlington, Massachusetts, in 2003.
Waldrop was Professional Writer Guest of Honor at Loscon 46 in Los Angeles, California, in 2019.