Ray Nayler

Ray Nayler
Born
EducationUniversity of California, Santa Cruz (BA)
SOAS University of London (MA)
Websitewww.raynayler.net

Ray Nayler is an American and Canadian science fiction writer.[1] His works engage with humanist themes and questions of AI and animal ethics.[2][3][4] His debut novel, The Mountain in the Sea, focuses on the discovery of a society of intelligent octopuses off the coast of Vietnam, and was the winner of the 2023 Locus Award for Best First Novel.[5][6][7][8][9] His second novel, The Tusks of Extinction, centers on the de-extinction of the woolly mammoth and was published in 2024.[10][11][12][13] His third novel, a "near-future thriller" titled Where the Axe is Buried is set to be released on April 1, 2025.[14]

Nayler previously served in the Peace Corps and was a US Foreign Service officer, working in Russia and Central Asia.[15] He also served as Press Attaché at the United States Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, and Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer at the U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.[16][17]

Bibliography

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Novels

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  • The Mountain in the Sea (2022)
  • The Tusks of Extinction (2024)
  • Where the Axe is Buried (2025)

Short fiction

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Stories[a]
Title Year First published Reprinted/collected Notes
"Mutability" 2015 Nayler, Ray (June 2015). "Mutability". Asimov's Science Fiction. 39 (6): 48–57.
"Do Not Forget Me" 2016 Nayler, Ray (March 2016). "Do Not Forget Me". Asimov's Science Fiction. 40 (3): 60–69.
"Fire in the Bone" 2019 Nayler, Ray (January 2019). "Fire in the Bone". Clarkesworld. Issue 148 Direct link
"Beyond the High Altar" 2019 Nayler, Ray (September 2019). "Beyond the High Altar". Nightmare. Issue 84 Direct link
"The Death of Fire Station 10" 2019 Nayler, Ray (October 2019). "The Death of Fire Station 10". Lightspeed. Issue 113 Direct link
"Albedo Season" 2020 Nayler, Ray (May 2020). "Albedo Season". Clarkesworld. Issue 164 Direct link
"The Swallows of the Storm" 2020 Nayler, Ray (July 2020). "The Swallows of the Storm". Lightspeed. Issue 122 Direct link
"Outside of Omaha" 2020 Nayler, Ray (September 2020). "Outside of Omaha". Nightmare. Issue 96 Direct link
"Sarcophagus" 2021 Nayler, Ray (April 2021). "Sarcophagus". Clarkesworld. Issue 175 Direct link
"Yesterday's Wolf" 2021 Nayler, Ray (September 2021). "Yesterday's Wolf". Clarkesworld. Issue 180 Direct link
"The Summer Castle" 2022 Nayler, Ray (February 2022). "The Summer Castle". Nightmare. Issue 113 Direct link
"Rain of Days" 2022 Nayler, Ray (March 2022). "Rain of Days". Clarkesworld. Issue 186 Direct link
Bibliography notes
  1. ^ Short stories unless otherwise noted.

References

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  1. ^ Tor.com (2023-05-02). "Revealing The Tusks of Extinction, a Tense Eco-Thriller From Author Ray Nayler". Reactor. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  2. ^ "AI and the Rise of Mediocrity". TIME. 2023-11-27. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  3. ^ Harris, Marlene. "'The Tusks of Extinction' by Ray Nayler | SFF Pick of the Month". Library Journal. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  4. ^ Nayler, Ray (2022-10-04). "How to Dive with Octopuses from 5,000 Miles Away: An Unlikely Craft Essay". Literary Hub. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  5. ^ Flattery, Nicole (2022-11-10). "Which Is More Terrifying: Nature or Other People?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  6. ^ Poole, Steven (2023-02-18). "The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler – how to speak octopus". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  7. ^ Anders, Charlie Jane (2023-02-07). "Review | 4 science fiction and fantasy books mine a real issue: Climate change". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  8. ^ Miller, Laura (2022-10-03). "Among the Octopuses". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  9. ^ Yorker, The New (2023-01-09). "Briefly Noted". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  10. ^ El-Mohtar, Amal (2024-02-27). "The War Orphan and the Warmongering Alien". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  11. ^ "Review | These books prove it's easy to fall in love with super competent heroes". Washington Post. 2024-01-19. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  12. ^ "The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  13. ^ Johnstone, Doug (2024-03-01). "The Tusks Of Extinction by Ray Nayler review – the risks of playing God with nature". The Big Issue. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  14. ^ "Revealing Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler". Reactor. 2024-10-09. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  15. ^ "Ray Nayler". Literary Hub. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  16. ^ "US Consulate's fair on dugong attracts young citizens". Tuoi Tre News. 2013-08-09. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  17. ^ "'The Mountain in the Sea' Is a Meditation on Myths, Monsters, and the Mind | Saigoneer". www.saigoneer.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.