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Dustin Grinnell

Goodreads Author

Born

in North Conway, NH, The United States

Website

http://www.dustingrinnell.com

Twitter

DustinGrinnell

Genre

Science Fiction, Memoir, Travel

Influences

Michael Crichton, Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut, George Orwell, Ray Brad ...more

Member Since

April 2014

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Dustin Grinnell is a writer based in Boston. Journalism and creative nonfiction, short stories and novels, poetry and scripts—all these and more have earned him publication with a wide range of presses, magazines, and literary journals.

His true passion, however, lies in exploring the intersection of ethics and science in a subgenre of speculative fiction he’s dubbed “sci-fi with heart.” Most of his fiction writing—including his most recent novel, The Empathy Academy, and his short story collection, The Healing Book—falls into this subgenre, blending the imaginative worlds of science fiction with deep, emotional storytelling that emphasizes the human impact of science and technology. Inspired by modern media, he also reviews sci-fi movies th Dustin Grinnell is a writer based in Boston. Journalism and creative nonfiction, short stories and novels, poetry and scripts—all these and more have earned him publication with a wide range of presses, magazines, and literary journals.

His true passion, however, lies in exploring the intersection of ethics and science in a subgenre of speculative fiction he’s dubbed “sci-fi with heart.” Most of his fiction writing—including his most recent novel, The Empathy Academy, and his short story collection, The Healing Book—falls into this subgenre, blending the imaginative worlds of science fiction with deep, emotional storytelling that emphasizes the human impact of science and technology. Inspired by modern media, he also reviews sci-fi movies that bring real emotions to the genre in articles and in his video series, Sci-Fi with Heart, analyzing what makes them hit on a deeper level.

Born in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Dustin grew up with a fascination for the science-fiction works of authors like Michael Crichton, and he never missed an addition to R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series or an episode of The X Files. With a BA in psychobiology, an MS in physiology, and an MFA in fiction, he hones his writing in marketing while building his literary portfolio.

Beyond writing, Dustin loves to explore the world. He’s traveled a lot throughout his life, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, running the Paris marathon, hitchhiking across New Zealand, and riding his motorcycle across the United States. He’s written about many of these adventures in personal essays, most of which can be found in his essay collection, Lost & Found: Reflections on Travel, Career, Love and Family.

More recently, he’s applied his love of exploring the world to his podcast, Curiously, in which he explores big ideas with a variety of guests in insightful and engaging conversations. When not traveling the world, he can be found in the seaside town of Winthrop, MA, where he lives with his cat, Poe, named after author and poet Edgar Allan Poe.
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30 posts
Dustin Grinnell's Blog

The Burden of Imitation

[image error]In Zen and the Art of Writing, Ray Bradbury writes about the years he spent trying to write like his favorite authors. “I loved them, and they smothered me.”

Bradbury called this the burden of imitation, and it was holding him back. This resonated with me, as I’ve been trying to imitate Michael Crichton’s speculative fiction for years.

Sensing that Bradbury needed to grow out of the p

Combine Editions
Dustin Grinnell’s books

Average rating: 4.66 · 156 ratings · 97 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Healing Book 4.91 avg rating — 32 ratings — published 2023 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Empathy Academy 4.41 avg rating — 32 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Without Limits 4.57 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Velvet Ghetto 4.91 avg rating — 23 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Genius Dilemma 4.43 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lost & Found: Reflections on Travel, Career, Love and Family 4.75 avg rating — 16 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Reach for the Stars: A Dragon Soul Press Anthology by J.E. Feldman (Goodreads Author), Diana Parrilla, Vanessa Caraveo (Goodreads Author) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bedridden: A Novella 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	rainy weather days: Volume 4—Baptized by Fire by D. Aaron Campbell, Elvis Alves (Goodreads Author), Diane Dooley (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	rainy weather days: Volume 4—Baptized by Fire by D. Aaron Campbell, Elvis Alves (Goodreads Author), Diane Dooley (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Dustin Grinnell rated a book it was amazing Art for All: Planning for Variability in the Visual Arts Classroom (Cast Skinny Books) by Liz Byron Loya	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Art for All is a clear, accessible resource for art teachers looking to implement Universal Design for Learning in their classrooms. Liz offers practical strategies and real-world examples that align with current standards and promote inclusivity. A ...more
Apr 16, 2025 08:05AM · 1 like · like · see review
Dustin Grinnell liked Enakshi J.'s review of The Healing Book: "The Healing Book stands out with its fluent and graceful writing, immersing readers in varied, authentic stories. From a neurosurgeon’s soul-searching in Peru to an office worker finding peace on the Appalachian Trail, the characters’ experiences a" Read more of this review »
Jun 30, 2024 10:30AM · see review