American author, born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1957. He and his family moved to Mansfield, Ohio, where he enjoyed a fairly normal childhood. He attended Ohio State University, where he studied anthropology, and the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. He also worked at a variety of jobs, including journalist, disk jockey, photographer, motel clerk, insurance agent, roofer, waiter, factory worker (he made ceramic Nativity scenes and says, "I am still remembered for making a mean baby Jesus.") and night clerk in a grocery store.
When he turned 30, he grew concerned that he was wasting his life away, drinking too much and working as a waiter in a very small town. So he quit drinking to write his first novel: "Practical Demonkeeping", an odd fantasy about small town life, funny but very evil demons, immortals, and genies. It was published, and Disney bought the film rights to the book (it hasn't been made into a movie, and probably never will, certainly not by Disney).
Moore soon published "Coyote Blue" (featuring Crow Indians, trickster gods, Zen mechanics, and Las Vegas), "Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story" (my personal favorite Moore novel, it's about vampires, grocery clerks, Emperor Norton, San Francisco, and sex), "Island of the Sequined Love Nun" (cargo cults, cannibalism, and horrific groin injuries), "The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove" (sex, weed, psychotherapy, cyborg bartenders, B-movie queens, and a carnivorous, shapeshifting sea monster who humps tanker trucks), and "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal," which follows the Messiah and his best bud from the age of six up, as they raise lizards from the dead, battle demons, and travel throughout the Near- and Far-East.
Somewhat more recent books include "The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror" (a genuinely stupid angel, Christmas pageants and zombies), "A Dirty Job" (featuring a guy who gets stuck working as a budget grim reaper), "Fool" (a retelling of King Lear from the perspective of Pocket, Lear's royal fool), "Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings" (about a marine biologist who encounters a number of mysteries after seeing a whale with the words "BITE ME" written on its tail fin), and "Sacre Bleu" (the novel follows a number of painters in 1890s Paris, including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec as they investigate the apparent murder of Vincent van Gogh, along with a number of strange supernatural entities)
I dig Moore's writing. He's extremely funny, and he writes fantastic characters. Half the fun of reading his books is getting to know the many strange characters he creates. I recommend him for almost anyone. Though he writes science fiction and fantasy, his books are usually located in General Fiction -- look for them there.
Much research from www.chrismoore.com