Matthew Lake

Matt Lake's bibliography echoes what his teachers used to say about him: "Lacks focus." He can't really help it. He finds too many things interesting and enjoyable. His best-selling books in the Weird U.S. series hop about from dark history to weird science to roadside distractions. His critically-acclaimed and award-winning articles and books about science and technology show a concision and focus that belie the fact that he also writes satirical poetry and edgy children's books.

Not everybody likes what he does. A subversive article he wrote once inspired an Associated Press review that accused him of "yelling 'fire!' in a crowded theater" and being "just too ghoulish for today's workplace."