Scott T. Barnes won the Writers of the Future Award for his short story “Insect Sculptor.” He has published short stories in venues 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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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.
Western Americana is in Scott's bones and blood and it often finds its way into his stories. Both sides of his family have been farming and ranching in Southern California for several generations. Scott grew up on a farm (specializing in apples, pears, and cut flowers) in the small town of Julian, and later wrangled cows on his family cattle ranches in Northern California and Oregon, where Scott spent many happy days breathing dust and learning the colorful turns of phrase of the cowboys.
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 has a degree in Journalism/Spanish from CSU Fresno (dual major), an MBA from the Peter Drucker Center of the Claremont Graduate University, and an MA in Publishing from Western Colorado University. In addition to writing fiction, Scott is CFO of Moulton Company, an asset management firm specializing in real estate.
CLIFF NOTES
Scott studied Spanish at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.
In real life, Lucinda's house from the novel Memories of Lucinda Eco actually belongs to an employee and friend of the Barnes family for over 40 years. The real house only has one bedroom; Scott added a second for the sake of story.
Wishes he could purr. A tail would be cool, too.
Artichoke dip (no spinach, please) is Scott's favorite dessert, followed closely by pomegranate seeds and dark chocolate.
For several years Scott taught EASL in Paris, France, back when Parisians actually dressed up to stroll the Champs-Élysées.
He studies samurai arts (Nami Ryu Aiki Kenjutsu) with James Williams and Russian Systema with Joseph Stoltman.
He is the founder and publisher of New Myths Publishing and the e-zine NewMyths.com
Scott resides in Orange County, California with his wife and two daughters. Many of his friends have departed the Golden State for Texas and Tennessee — Scott is holding out for Narnia.