Josh Wagner

Josh Wagner was born with a hole in his heart, a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). He’s fine now.

Wagner’s writing has been described as lyrical, whimsical, and incisive. He works primarily in the realm of magical realism and fantastic fiction. Having studied Creative Writing and English literature at the University of Montana, he went on to earn his MSc from the University of Edinburgh.

Wagner has released four novels ("Shapes the Sunlight Takes," "Deadwind Sea", "Smashing Laptops," and "The Adventures of the Imagination of Periphery Stowe"), several stage plays ("Salep & Silk" and the collection "Bleached Bones"), graphic novels ("Fiction Clemens", "Sky Pirates of Neo Terra"), the short story/poetry collection "Nothing in Mind," and the novella "Mystery Mark," collaboratively illustrated by Theo Ellsworth. His short fiction has been published by Cafe Irreal, Not One of Us, Cleaver Magazine, Medulla Review, Lovecraft eZine, and Image Comics.

His first graphic short appeared in Image Comics "24Seven vol. 2", which was nominated for an Eisner award. "Fiction Clemens" won Project Fanboy's 2008 "Best storyline" award. His short play "Bleach Bone" won the 2012 Westcliffe Center's New Rocky Mountain Voices competition.

Wagner spent his formative years close to the ocean and then later in the mountains. Torn between these forces, Josh can’t sit still for very long. He rarely lives anywhere for more than a year, and his constant travels contribute to the particular imaginative flavor of his work. He is facinated by rhizomes, paradoxes, things left unsaid.

Josh is mostly friendly. Feel free to send a message. He reads them all!