Greg Keyes was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology at Mississippi State University and a Master's degree at the University of Georgia. While pursuing his PhD at UGA, he wrote several novels, one of which - The Waterborn - was published, along with its sequel, The Blackgod.

He followed this with The Age of Unreason books, the epic fantasy series Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, and numerous franchises, including Star Wars, Babylon Five, The Elder Scrolls, and Planet of the Apes. He now lives and works in Savannah, Georgia with his wife Nell, son Archer, and daughter Nellah.