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Beginning Anywhere: Views from the Treehouse
209 pages, Paperback
Published January 29, 2026
About the author
James P. Blaylock
114 books286 followersJames Paul Blaylock is an American fantasy author. He is noted for his distinctive style. He writes in a humorous way: His characters never walk, they clump along, or when someone complains (in a flying machine) that flight is impossible, the other characters agree and show him why he's right.
He was born in Long Beach, California; studied English at California State University, Fullerton, receiving an M.A. in 1974; and lives in Orange, California, teaching creative writing at Chapman University. Many of his books are set in Orange County, California, and can more specifically be termed "fabulism" — that is, fantastic things happen in our present-day world, rather than in traditional fantasy, where the setting is often some other world. His works have also been categorized as magic realism.
He and his friends Tim Powers and K.W. Jeter were mentored by Philip K. Dick. Along with Powers he invented the poet William Ashbless. Blaylock and Powers have often collaborated with each other on writing stories, including The Better Boy, On Pirates, and The William Ashbless Memorial Cookbook.
Blaylock is also currently director of the Creative Writing Conservatory at the Orange County High School of the Arts, where Powers is Writer in Residence.
He was born in Long Beach, California; studied English at California State University, Fullerton, receiving an M.A. in 1974; and lives in Orange, California, teaching creative writing at Chapman University. Many of his books are set in Orange County, California, and can more specifically be termed "fabulism" — that is, fantastic things happen in our present-day world, rather than in traditional fantasy, where the setting is often some other world. His works have also been categorized as magic realism.
He and his friends Tim Powers and K.W. Jeter were mentored by Philip K. Dick. Along with Powers he invented the poet William Ashbless. Blaylock and Powers have often collaborated with each other on writing stories, including The Better Boy, On Pirates, and The William Ashbless Memorial Cookbook.
Blaylock is also currently director of the Creative Writing Conservatory at the Orange County High School of the Arts, where Powers is Writer in Residence.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 15, 2026
Views from the Treehouse is an intimate and funny look into James P. Blaylock’s fascinating life.
It is a memoir-like collection, which is a great addition to his body of work. It is fun to compare the two. You have the chance to appreciate his fiction through personal context.
The mini-memoir balances humor and thoughtful commentary on writing, creativity, and the often funny oddities of his everyday life. In addition, the essays are windows into his pioneering work in Steampunk, and you get to see how his experiences filter into his fiction and nonfiction writings.
This treatise is well written, funny, and insightful. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Steampunk and his other works.
It is a memoir-like collection, which is a great addition to his body of work. It is fun to compare the two. You have the chance to appreciate his fiction through personal context.
The mini-memoir balances humor and thoughtful commentary on writing, creativity, and the often funny oddities of his everyday life. In addition, the essays are windows into his pioneering work in Steampunk, and you get to see how his experiences filter into his fiction and nonfiction writings.
This treatise is well written, funny, and insightful. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Steampunk and his other works.
Displaying 1 of 1 review