About Scott T. Barnes

Scott T. Barnes is a winner of the Writers of the Future award. He has published short stories in venues
Awards
 ranging from BuzzyMag.com to the History and Horror, Oh My! anthology. 

Scott's prose evokes the lyricism and world-building of J.R.R.Tolkien, Ursula K. le Guin, Neil Gaimon and even Isaak Dennison. 
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A great example is the award-winning short story “Insect Sculptor,” from the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future XXVIII anthology. Linked here is a short interview with Scott in the Orange County Register. The contest was established by Hubbard in 1983 as a way to find new talent in the science fiction writing genre.

Most of Scott’s work is in the speculative realm, from science fiction (“The Last Job”) to fantasy (“A Hero’s Wish”) to magic realism (“Charlotte’s Cove”), about as far from his rural roots as imaginable. Or perhaps not so far, as country life provides plenty of opportunities for adventure and wonder.

Scott grew up on a farm in the small town of Julian in Southern California, a farm specializing in apples, pears, and cut flowers such as lilacs and lily-of-the-valley. In 1993, his family purchased cattle ranches in Northern California and Oregon, and Scott spent many happy days working cattle and learning the colorful turns of phrase of the cowboys. 

Western Americana is in Scott's bones and blood, and it often finds its way into his stories, from the horror tale "The China Queen" to the fourth grade reader Rancho San Felipe. His family has been farming and ranching in Southern California for several generations on both his mom and dad's side.

The one thing Scott never learned to do—or do well—is ride horses. He prefers the on-again, off-again relationship with a four-wheeler to the constant training required of a good horse. Which, he understands, precludes his consideration as an honest-to-goodness cowboy.

Pictured left is a recent photo of Scott at his Great Grandfather's sheep and cattle ranch in Orange County, the Moulton Ranch, next to a commemorative plaque. 


Along that vein, Scott was thrilled to coauthor Rancho San Felipe, a Story of California One Hundred Years Ago with author/illustrator Sarah Duque. Rancho San Felipe tells the true story of a young boy’s first summer working on his father’s rancho in 1905.

https://sites.google.com/a/newmyths.com/rsf/
An accomplished artist, illustrator Sarah Duque has done one-woman shows of her artwork in such far-flung places as the Philippines, Australia, and Italy.  

Two volumes of Sarah’s artwork, Accade Una Volta, have been published in Florence, Italy, now in their third edition.  

Also enjoyed as a read-aloud book for younger children, Rancho San Felipe is used in Southern California schools to enrich the study of the Missions and Ranchos.

Another nonfiction venture, Scott’s first book was Alice Barnes, Gold Mines and Apple Pie, an oral history of his grandmother. Alice Barnes was a pioneer woman in an era when much of the country had been settled and modernized. 

One of six siblings, Alice was born outside the Helvitia gold mine in 1906 in the mountain town of Julian, California. A founding member of the Women's Club, Triangle Club, and Stitch and Bitch Club, she lived in the same town for 90 years, taking a hand in its growth and development, witnessing the startling changes the 20th century brought to the world. 

Alice Barnes—Gold Mines and Apple Pie is an oral history, Alice's story told in her own words in interview format. Anyone with an interest in western history, San Diego County in particular, small towns, or Western Americana will find something to cheer for in Alice's story. Over 200 footnotes and 18 photo pages document the story.

Scott spent a year in 1987-88 living in Mexico City studying at the Universidad Iberoamericana. 

He also lived a total of eight years living in Paris, France. These two cultural immersions helped cement Scott’s love of history, travel, and language.

Three passions have marked Scott. The first is writing, beginning with Scott’s introduction into fantastic realms through C.S. Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien. The second is music, specifically, flamenco and classical guitar. The final passion is kenjutsu, Japanese sword fighting. Scott is currently working on a book on Samurai teachings (tentatively titled Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World) with his teacher since 2003, sensei James Williams.

Scott has a degree in Journalism/Spanish from CSU Fresno (dual major) and an MBA from the Peter Drucker Center of the Claremont Graduate University. In addition to writing fiction, Scott is CFO of The Moulton Company, an asset management firm specializing in real estate.