James R. Gapinski

author, editor, educator

Books & Chapbooks

Book cover for "The Last Dinosaurs of Portland"

The Last Dinosaurs of Portland

Bottlecap Press, May 2021

The Last Dinosaurs of Portland contains ten stories set within cascading surrealist versions of Portland, Oregon. New bridges sprout across Portland; a sabertooth cat roars atop the Moda Center; a cavalcade of matching bicycles pour into the Willamette River.

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Fruit Rot

Etchings Press, July 2020

In this modern fable, a comic book writer and his artsy partner discover a magical tree in their backyard, able to cure any ailment with a single bite—but when the fruit rots, it reveals darker properties.

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Edge of the Known Bus Line

Etchings Press, May 2018

In Edge of the Known Bus Line, a woman’s daily commute takes an abrupt turn when she’s dropped off in a grotesque shantytown. The narrator searches for a way out of this surreal hellscape while dredging up a few nightmares of her own.
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Messiah Tortoise

Red Bird Chapbooks, January 2018

Messiah Tortoise contains ten linked stories, each taking place in the same zoo. Amid a collection that is fundamentally animalistic, readers gain several glimpses into what it means to be human.
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Upcoming Class

Advertisement for James R. Gapinski's class, "Your Body is Not a Horror," on October 22nd.

Your Body is Not a Horror: Reclaiming Queer Bodies in Speculative Fiction

Sunday, October 22nd
1:00pm to 4:00pm
Virtual (Zoom)

James R. Gapinski is leading a three-hour workshop, hosted through X-R-A-Y Magazine.

Just in time for Halloween season, this virtual workshop upends typical speculative “body” tropes in favor of something more nuanced. Examples focus primarily on queer authors who challenge our ideas about bodily transformation, but the class is open to all allies and accomplices eager to expand their craft.

Sliding scale course fee (between $25 to $75). Learn more about register at X-R-A-Y‘s website.

Register Here