He debuted with the story "Jacob's Ladder" in 1986 in the Writers of the Future book and contest, in which it won first prize for the year. He has written only one novel, Nicoji, in 1991, but has remained active at shorter lengths. He was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1995 for "Mrs. Lincoln's China", and nominated for a Nebula Award for Best Novelette in 2002 for "The Pagodas of Ciboure". He won an AML award for editorial excellence from the Association for Mormon Letters (AML) for editing Washed by a Wave of Wind: Science Fiction from the Corridor, a collection of science fiction short stories by people who lived or had lived in Utah.
Chris Moriarty called Bell "one of the central figures in GLBT and AIDS-related science fiction", and Orson Scott Card called him "one of the most wise and decent human beings it's been my pleasure to know on this planet".
Bell worked for six years as the poetry editor for Sunstone Magazine. Bell holds a master's degree in English from Brigham Young University, and lives in Salt Lake City.
- "Drawing the Maps of Peace: The Moisture Farmer's Tale" — Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina for Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina (1995)
- "Of the Day's Annoyances: Bib Fortuna's Tale" — Tales from Jabba's Palace for Tales from Jabba's Palace (1996)
- "Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM" — Tales of the Bounty Hunters for Tales of the Bounty Hunters (1996)