Bio of James Blaylock

JAMES P. BLAYLOCK is a southern California writer whose short stories, novels, and collections have been published around the world.  Along with Tim Powers and K.W. Jeter, he was one of the literary pioneers of the Steampunk movement.  His novel Homunculus won the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award in 1985.  His short story “Paper Dragons” won the World Fantasy Award in 1986, “Thirteen Phantasms” in 1997, and his story “Unidentified Objects” was nominated for an O. Henry Award in 1990.  Despite his close association with Steampunk, most of his work is contemporary, realistic fantasy set in southern California, typified by books like The Last Coin, The Digging Leviathan, The Rainy Season, Winter Tides, All the Bells on Earth, and Knights of the Cornerstone, and the young adult novel Zeuglodon, the True Adventures of Kathleen Perkins, Cryptozoologist. His novel The Rainy Season was selected by Orange Coast Magazine as “One of the quintessential Orange County novels.” In all, he has published 35 novels and story collections and numerous articles and essays.  Recent novels include Pennies from Heaven and The Invisible Woman, mystery/crime novels set in Old Towne Orange. According to the Library Journal, “Blaylock’s evocative prose and studied pacing make him one of the most distinctive contributors to American magical realism.”

Mr. Blaylock taught college and university writing and literature classes for 47 years, having taught at Chapman University for 33 years, now Professor Emeritus. In the year 2000, he developed the Creative Writing Conservatory at the Orange County School of the Arts, which he directed for thirteen years, and which led to his winning the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program 2012 Teacher Recognition Award.