Michael Marshall (Smith) was born in England in 1965. He spent his early years in the United States, South Africa and Australia, returning to England in 1973. He attended Chigwell School in Essex and then went up to King's College, Cambridge, where he read Philosophy and Social and Political Science. He also became heavily involved in the Cambridge Footlights, serving as a committee member and writing and performing many shows including the 1987 UK and 1988 US Tours. He subsequently co-wrote and performed two award-winning series of BBC Radio 4's cult comedy show AND NOW, IN COLOUR.

His first novel, ONLY FORWARD, won the August Derleth and Philip K. Dick awards. His second - SPARES - was optioned for film by DreamWorks and translated into seventeen languages. His third, ONE OF US, was optioned by Warner Brothers. His fourth - and the first to be published under the name Michael Marshall - THE STRAW MEN, was an international bestseller, as was his fifth - titled THE LONELY DEAD in the UK (HarperCollins), and THE UPRIGHT MAN in the US (Jove) and sixth, BLOOD OF ANGELS. THE STRAW MEN is currently being released as a comic series by Zenoscope Entertainment.

2009 saw the UK paperback publication of THE SERVANTS, a British and World Fantasy Award-nominated short novel under the new name M. M. Smith (though as Michael Marshall Smith in the US, confusingly). His Steel Dagger-nominated seventh novel - THE INTRUDERS - is currently in series development with the BBC. His most recently-published novel KILLER MOVE is out in hardcover in the UK, and paperback in the US. Detailed information on these an all other publications is available in the Full Bibliography.

Smith has also worked extensively as a screenwriter, writing for clients in LA and London. He lives in Santa Cruz, California, with his wife and son.