Michel Rio gained his degree and master's degree in Teaching Modern Arts at the University of Caen. He graduated in Semantics from the Higher Social Sciences School of Paris, where he also studied for a PhD. Between 1972 and 1981 he worked for the French publishers: Les Lettres Nouvelles-Maurice Nadeau, Hachette and Bordas. Since 1981 he has devoted himself exclusively to writing.
He is the author of over fifteen novels, prominently including: Melancolie Nord (1982), Société des Gens de Lettres Prize, Parrot's Perch (1983), Société des Gens de Lettres Grand Prize, Alisios (1984), Creators' Prize, Archipelago (1987), Merlín (1989), Faux pas (1991), C.E. Renault first prize, Le principe d'incertitude (1993), La statue de la liberté (1997), Morgana (1999), Arthur (2001) and La Terre gaste (2003), his latest novel.
He has also published books of short stories, such as Les aventures des Oiseaux-Fruits (1978) and Les Polymorphes (1991), with illustrations by the author himself, and the libretto for the children's opera Un roi sans soleil (1975), with music by Sergio Ortega. He has also written plays -L'Ouroboros (1985), Baleine pied-de-poule (1990), Script (2002)-, and essay works such as: Le rêveur et le logicien (1987) and Rêve de logique (1992), amongst others.