[1] Major topics in Tenev's works are the cultural and ideological void in the post-totalitarian societies and the consequent emerging of counter-cultures; the fall of utopias and the social amnesias.
He is the son of Tenyo Tenev and Bozhanka Konstantinova, a descendant of the poet Nikolai Liliev and the literary historian Georgi Konstantinov.
In 1988 graduated from the H. Konstantin-Kyril Philosopher High School for Languages and Culture and Philological Studies at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski” (1989–1991).
His novels have been translated into English (Open Letter Books), Spanish (Baile del Sol), and German (eta Verlag, Berlin); the collection of stories was distinguished by the American PEN/Heim Translation Grant; the stories have been published in Bat City Review, Ninth Letter Anthology, Words Without Borders (USA), and Granta (UK).
His collection Holy Light (Altera, 2009) is a book of science fiction short stories featuring mainly issues of political correctness/incorrectness and biopolitics treated in a provocative way: racism, ownership over human's reproductive functions, sexual difference, discrimination, violence.
[3] "Georgi Tenev examines the most recent past by avoiding taboos and using distinct words – it is a philosophical dealing with memory which uses powerful imagery.
[10] He is author of books and other publications translated into English, Spanish, German, Polish, French, Russian, Dutch, Lithuanian, and Finnish.