Ray Nayler has lived and worked in Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Balkans for nearly two decades. He is a Foreign Service Officer, and previously worked in international educational development, as well as serving in the Peace Corps in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. A Russian speaker, he has also learned Turkmen, Tajiki, Albanian, and Azerbaijani Turkish -- as well as Vietnamese for a two-year stint as the Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ray began publishing science fiction in 2015 with the short story “Mutability,” which appeared in the pages of Asimov’s. Since then, his stories have also seen print in Clarkesworld, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Lightspeed, and Nightmare, as well as in several “Best of the Year” anthologies. His story "Winter Timeshare” from the January/February 2017 issue of Asimov's was collected by the late Gardner Dozois in The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction.
In addition to his work in Science Fiction, Ray has published in many genres. He is the author of a detective novel, American Graveyards, published by TTA Press, and his short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen, Crimewave, Hardboiled, Cemetery Dance, Deathrealm, and the Berkeley Fiction Review, among many other journals. He is also a widely published poet, with work in the Atlanta Review, the Beloit Poetry Journal, Weave, Juked, Able Muse, Sentence, and more.
Ray holds a Master’s in Global Diplomacy from the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, the University of London. He currently lives in Pristina, Kosovo with his wife Anna, their daughter Lydia, and two rescued cats – one Tajik, one American.
CURRENT PUBLICATIONS
"Albedo Season" in Clarkesworld May 2020
"Eyes of the Forest" in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction May/June 2020
"Return to the Red Castle" in Asimov's March/April 2020
"The Disintegration Loops" in Asimov's November/December 2019
"The Death of Fire Station 10" in Lightspeed October 2019 with an audio version here
"Beyond the High Altar" in Nightmare September 2019 with text and audio
"Albedo Season" in Clarkesworld May 2020
"Eyes of the Forest" in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction May/June 2020
"Return to the Red Castle" in Asimov's March/April 2020
"The Disintegration Loops" in Asimov's November/December 2019
"The Death of Fire Station 10" in Lightspeed October 2019 with an audio version here
"Beyond the High Altar" in Nightmare September 2019 with text and audio
UPCOMING
"The Ocean Between The Leaves" in The Year's Top Hard Science Fiction Stories June 2020
"Father" in Asimov's July/August 2020
"The Swallows of the Storm" in Lightspeed July 2020
"Winter Timeshare" in Forever Magazine est 2020
"The Painted Room" in the Raintown Review est 2020
"Outside of Omaha" in Nightmare est 2020
"A Rocket for Dimitrios" (novella) in Asimov's est 2021
"Evrim's Children" in Dark Matter Magazine January 2021
"The Ocean Between The Leaves" in The Year's Top Hard Science Fiction Stories June 2020
"Father" in Asimov's July/August 2020
"The Swallows of the Storm" in Lightspeed July 2020
"Winter Timeshare" in Forever Magazine est 2020
"The Painted Room" in the Raintown Review est 2020
"Outside of Omaha" in Nightmare est 2020
"A Rocket for Dimitrios" (novella) in Asimov's est 2021
"Evrim's Children" in Dark Matter Magazine January 2021
REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWS
Review: "The Disintegration Loops" at Black Gate
Arley Sorg interview for "The Death of Fire Station 10" at Lightspeed
Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali interview for "Beyond the High Altar" at Nightmare
Review: "Beyond the High Altar" at Quick Sip Reviews
Review: "The Ocean Between the leaves" in Tangent Online
Rich Horton's review of "Incident at San Juan Bautista" in Locus Online
Review: "Fire in the Bone" at Reviews and Robots
Review: "Fire in the Bone" at Tangent Online
Review: "Incident at San Juan Bautista," (November / December 2018 Asimov's ) at Tangent Online
The one story this year that came out of nowhere to stun me was “Mutability” – Rich Horton, Editor, The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy
I feel a sense of loss whenever I finish a truly memorable story. Why couldn’t it go on? Why do I have to leave this wonderful world? This is how I felt after reading “Incident.” Perhaps it was the elegant writing, or maybe the attention to setting detail, but ultimately, I think it was the sheer originality that grabbed me." -- Jeffrey Steven Abrams, Tangent Online
"Nayler’s works . . . always can be trusted to be wondrous, mind bending and philosophical. His latest, in the Nov/Dec 2019 release, his “The Disintegration Loops,” demonstrates his skill ably. I couldn’t help but imagine how this story would make such a cool movie or TV series, it’s crafted with such a cinematic sophistication." -- Gabe Dybing, Black Gate
Review: "The Disintegration Loops" at Black Gate
Arley Sorg interview for "The Death of Fire Station 10" at Lightspeed
Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali interview for "Beyond the High Altar" at Nightmare
Review: "Beyond the High Altar" at Quick Sip Reviews
Review: "The Ocean Between the leaves" in Tangent Online
Rich Horton's review of "Incident at San Juan Bautista" in Locus Online
Review: "Fire in the Bone" at Reviews and Robots
Review: "Fire in the Bone" at Tangent Online
Review: "Incident at San Juan Bautista," (November / December 2018 Asimov's ) at Tangent Online
The one story this year that came out of nowhere to stun me was “Mutability” – Rich Horton, Editor, The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy
I feel a sense of loss whenever I finish a truly memorable story. Why couldn’t it go on? Why do I have to leave this wonderful world? This is how I felt after reading “Incident.” Perhaps it was the elegant writing, or maybe the attention to setting detail, but ultimately, I think it was the sheer originality that grabbed me." -- Jeffrey Steven Abrams, Tangent Online
"Nayler’s works . . . always can be trusted to be wondrous, mind bending and philosophical. His latest, in the Nov/Dec 2019 release, his “The Disintegration Loops,” demonstrates his skill ably. I couldn’t help but imagine how this story would make such a cool movie or TV series, it’s crafted with such a cinematic sophistication." -- Gabe Dybing, Black Gate
PAST PUBLICATIONS
"The Drought Cycle" and "El Niño" in The Potomac Review Issue 65
"If I Were You" in Yemassee
"The Ocean Between the Leaves" (SF novelette) July/August 2019 issue of Asimov's, with an audio version for the Asimov's blog here
"Worlds to Live in: Atmosphere" blog for Asimov's
"Winter Timeshare" in The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction Gardner Dozois, ed.
"Fire in the Bone" (SF SS) in Clarkesworld January 2019 with an audio version here.
"Aphrodisias" (poem) in Silk Road Review issue 20.
"Torques / Double Shifts at the KFC" (poetry) in Atlanta Review Fall / Winter 2018
"Incident at San Juan Bautista" (SF SS) in Asimov's November/December 2018
"Winter Timeshare" in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fifth Annual Collection ed: Gardner Dozois: July 2018
"Winter Timeshare" in The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018 ed: Rich Horton (Originally published in Asimov's, January 2017)
"A Threnody for Hazan" (SF Novelette) in Asimov's March/April 2018
"A Strange Feeling in a Parking Lot / The Tree" (poem) in Crab Creek Review 2018
"I ran way but some, by choice, remain . . ." (poem) in Potomac Review 2018
"Photo Submitted as Evidence of Relationship" (graphic poem) in Driftwood Press 2017
"Kyzyl-Orda" (poem) in Badlands Literary Journal, January 2017
"Winter Timeshare" (SF SS) in Asimov's, January / February 2017
"August, Ashgabat" (poem) in Mud Season Review Spring 2016
"Do Not Forget Me" (SF SS) in Asimov's March 2016
"Mutability" (SF SS) in The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016, Ed. Rich Horton 2016
"Beehive, Birdbath, Gas Station Flowers" (poem) in Minetta Review Fall 2015
"The Cigarette Machine" (graphic SS) in Pinball #5 2016
"To the Savages" in Antiphon #12 2016
Mutability (SF SS, Hungarian translation) in Galaktika 311 February 2016
"Mutability" (SF SS) in Asimov's June 2015
Two Suburban Sonnets (poem) in The Collapsar
Suburban Triptych (poem) in Juked Number 11
Letters to Cities in the Fall (prose poem) in Sentence: A Journal of Prose Poetics Issue 10
"Casting" (poem) in Weave Magazine Issue 11
" Confluence," "Varangian," "The Wooden Sword," "My Uncle's Grand Tour," "Wakhan (Narasimha)" (poems) in Elohi Gadugi
Three Suburban Sonnets (poems) in Clapboard House Journal
Three Suburban Sonnets (poems) (Eclectica Magazine April/May 2013)
Streptomyces (poem) (PiF Magazine December 2012)
A Fat Girl in Paris (poem) (PiF Magazine December 2012)
Custer Shoots His Horse (poem) (PiF Magazine November 2012)
Three Suburban Sonnets (poems) (Able Muse Volume 15)
Old School (poem) (Beloit Poetry Review, Summer 2013)
"Never have a town named after you" (poem) (Phantom Limb, Summer 2013)
Present in the Past (poem) (Shadow Road Quarterly, Fall 2013)
The Idiot Birds (SS) (nthposition.com) 2009
"Catch" (noir SS) in Crimewave 7: The Last Sunset 2003
"Cutting Wood, Carrying Water" (noir SS) in Crimewave 4: Mood Indigo 2002
"Because I Could Not Stop For Death" (noir SS) in Cemetery Dance #38, 2002
"The Bat House" (noir SS) in Ellery Queen April 2002
American Graveyards (detective novel) TTA Press 2001
"Population Zero"(noir SS) in Blue Murder 20, 2001
"Sleepwalking" (noir SS) in Blue Murder 18, 2001
"Saturday Night Special" (noir SS) in Ellery Queen February 2001
"The Ride" (noir SS) in The Edge: Tales of Suspense #5, 1999
"The Watchman" (SS) in Berkeley Fiction Review 18, 1998
"The Ropes of the Lasso Inn" (horror SS) Deathrealm Winter 1996/1997
"Waiting" (SS) Lines in the Sand 1996
"The Drought Cycle" and "El Niño" in The Potomac Review Issue 65
"If I Were You" in Yemassee
"The Ocean Between the Leaves" (SF novelette) July/August 2019 issue of Asimov's, with an audio version for the Asimov's blog here
"Worlds to Live in: Atmosphere" blog for Asimov's
"Winter Timeshare" in The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction Gardner Dozois, ed.
"Fire in the Bone" (SF SS) in Clarkesworld January 2019 with an audio version here.
"Aphrodisias" (poem) in Silk Road Review issue 20.
"Torques / Double Shifts at the KFC" (poetry) in Atlanta Review Fall / Winter 2018
"Incident at San Juan Bautista" (SF SS) in Asimov's November/December 2018
"Winter Timeshare" in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fifth Annual Collection ed: Gardner Dozois: July 2018
"Winter Timeshare" in The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018 ed: Rich Horton (Originally published in Asimov's, January 2017)
"A Threnody for Hazan" (SF Novelette) in Asimov's March/April 2018
"A Strange Feeling in a Parking Lot / The Tree" (poem) in Crab Creek Review 2018
"I ran way but some, by choice, remain . . ." (poem) in Potomac Review 2018
"Photo Submitted as Evidence of Relationship" (graphic poem) in Driftwood Press 2017
"Kyzyl-Orda" (poem) in Badlands Literary Journal, January 2017
"Winter Timeshare" (SF SS) in Asimov's, January / February 2017
"August, Ashgabat" (poem) in Mud Season Review Spring 2016
"Do Not Forget Me" (SF SS) in Asimov's March 2016
"Mutability" (SF SS) in The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016, Ed. Rich Horton 2016
"Beehive, Birdbath, Gas Station Flowers" (poem) in Minetta Review Fall 2015
"The Cigarette Machine" (graphic SS) in Pinball #5 2016
"To the Savages" in Antiphon #12 2016
Mutability (SF SS, Hungarian translation) in Galaktika 311 February 2016
"Mutability" (SF SS) in Asimov's June 2015
Two Suburban Sonnets (poem) in The Collapsar
Suburban Triptych (poem) in Juked Number 11
Letters to Cities in the Fall (prose poem) in Sentence: A Journal of Prose Poetics Issue 10
"Casting" (poem) in Weave Magazine Issue 11
" Confluence," "Varangian," "The Wooden Sword," "My Uncle's Grand Tour," "Wakhan (Narasimha)" (poems) in Elohi Gadugi
Three Suburban Sonnets (poems) in Clapboard House Journal
Three Suburban Sonnets (poems) (Eclectica Magazine April/May 2013)
Streptomyces (poem) (PiF Magazine December 2012)
A Fat Girl in Paris (poem) (PiF Magazine December 2012)
Custer Shoots His Horse (poem) (PiF Magazine November 2012)
Three Suburban Sonnets (poems) (Able Muse Volume 15)
Old School (poem) (Beloit Poetry Review, Summer 2013)
"Never have a town named after you" (poem) (Phantom Limb, Summer 2013)
Present in the Past (poem) (Shadow Road Quarterly, Fall 2013)
The Idiot Birds (SS) (nthposition.com) 2009
"Catch" (noir SS) in Crimewave 7: The Last Sunset 2003
"Cutting Wood, Carrying Water" (noir SS) in Crimewave 4: Mood Indigo 2002
"Because I Could Not Stop For Death" (noir SS) in Cemetery Dance #38, 2002
"The Bat House" (noir SS) in Ellery Queen April 2002
American Graveyards (detective novel) TTA Press 2001
"Population Zero"(noir SS) in Blue Murder 20, 2001
"Sleepwalking" (noir SS) in Blue Murder 18, 2001
"Saturday Night Special" (noir SS) in Ellery Queen February 2001
"The Ride" (noir SS) in The Edge: Tales of Suspense #5, 1999
"The Watchman" (SS) in Berkeley Fiction Review 18, 1998
"The Ropes of the Lasso Inn" (horror SS) Deathrealm Winter 1996/1997
"Waiting" (SS) Lines in the Sand 1996