Taylor, Bruce
Entry updated 15 June 2026. Tagged: Author.
(1947-2022) US psychiatrist and author who began to publish work of genre interest with "The Attendant" in New Dimensions Science Fiction, number 9 (anth 1979) edited by Robert Silverberg; it is included in Taylor's first collection The Final Trick of Funnyman and Other Stories (coll 1996). His work tends not to be straight sf but has overtones of Magic Realism – his own website called him "Mr. Magic Realism" – and psychological horror. These modes are combined in the highly experimental Edward: Dancing on the Edge of Infinity (coll of linked stories 2007), whose emotionally troubled protagonist Edward is supported (though insufficiently) by dreams of the imaginary friend from Mars whom he invented when nine years old, and experiences other surreal dream experiences punctuated by interpolated essays and copious footnotes. Franz Kafka is frequently invoked by name [see Checklist below]. Taylor's work is sometimes haunting, often unclassifiable.
The anthology Like Water for Quarks (anth 2011), edited with Elton T Elliott, assembles new and reprinted stories which in the eyes of the editors fuse Magic Realism with science fiction. [DRL]
Bruce Bradley Taylor
born Seattle, Washington: 28 May 1947
died Seattle, Washington: 31 August 2022
works
- Edward: Dancing on the Edge of Infinity (Bayside, California: RedJack, 1998) [coll of linked stories: introduction by Jay Lake: pb/]
- Metamorphosis Blues (Portland, Oregon: Eraserhead Press, 2011) [pb/]
- Stormworld (Monument, Colorado: WordFire Press, 2013) with Brian Herbert [novella: chap: pb/]
collections
- The Final Trick of Funnyman and Other Stories (Tallahassee, Florida: The Ministry of Whimsy Press, 1996) [coll: pb/Scott Eagle]
- Kafka's Uncle and Other Strange Tales (Portland, Oregon: Eraserhead Press/Afterbirth Books, 2005) [coll: pb/Adrian Majkrzak]
- Mr. Magic Realism (Portland, Oregon: Eraserhead Press, 2010) [coll: pb/]
- Kafka's Uncle: The Unfortunate Sequel and Other Insults to the Morally Perfect (Golden, Colorado: ReAnimus Press, 2016) [coll: pb/Jyreme McMillon]
- Kafka's Uncle: The Ghastly Prequel (Golden, Colorado: ReAnimus Press, 2016) [coll: pb/]
- Alleymanderous and Other Magical Realities (Golden, Colorado: ReAnimus Press, 2017) [coll: pb/Carl Sloan, Lida Sloan]
- Tales from the Good Ship KafkaBury (Golden, Colorado: ReAnimus Press, 2017) [coll: pb/Carl Sloan, Lida Sloan]
- The Infinite Tears of Pablo Azul and Other Lamentations of the Human Condition (Golden, Colorado: ReAnimus Press, 2018) [coll: pb/Richard Swift]
- Off on a Dream and Other Magical Realities (Golden, Colorado: ReAnimus Press, 2018) [coll: pb/Mark Ferrari]
- Of Sand Ships & Silent Silicate Seas (Golden, Colorado: ReAnimus Press, 2020) [coll: pb/Carl Sloan, Lida Sloan]
- The Rockin' SkyHorse Blues... and Other Fabulations (Golden, Colorado: ReAnimus Press, 2021) [coll: hb/Richard Swift]
- From the Depths of Hellas and Other Strange Realities (Golden, Colorado: ReAnimus Press, 2022) [coll: hb/Dick Swift]
works as editor
- Like Water for Quarks (Salem, Oregon: MVP Publishing, 2011) with Elton T Elliott [anth: pb/Alan M Clark]
links
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