John Marmysz holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from State University of New York at Buffalo. His primary research interests focus on the issue of nihilism and its cultural manifestations.

Marmysz is the author of The Nihilist's Notebook (Moralinefree Publishing, 1996), Laughing at Nothing: Humor as a Response to Nihilism (SUNY Press, 2003), The Path of Philosophy: Truth, Wonder and Distress (Cengage, 2011), The Nihilist: A Philosophical Novel (No Frills Buffalo, 2015), and Cinematic Nihilism: Encounters, Confrontations, Overcomings (Edinburgh University Press, 2017). He is coeditor (with Scott Lukas) of Fear, Cultural Anxiety and Transformation: Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films Remade (Lexington Books, 2009). Marmysz has also written articles, reviews, and essays for a variety of magazines, journals, and collections. A second edition of The Path of Philosophy is forthcoming from Bloomsbury Academic in 2026.

"Writing about and researching the topic of nihilism helps me to remember how meaningless life really is. Running, motorcycling and listening to punk rock music helps me to forget," says Marmysz.

Marmysz is an associate editor for The Philosophy of Humor Yearbook (De Gruyter), is the recipient of a SUNY Chancellor's Award For Excellence in Scholarship and Creativity, and has served as an NEH fellow. He teaches philosophy at the College of Marin in Kentfield, CA.