Taylor Anderson

Taylor Anderson is an author, historical artillery and firearm expert, re-enactor, and former history professor. He is the author of the Destroyermen series, about USS Walker, USS Mahan, and USS S-19, and their fight against the Grik. Anderson has also written several short stories in the same fictional universe.

Anderson served as a weapons consultant to various media organizations. In 1999, he owned three cannons which he had used for Civil War re-enactments and manufactured 19th century firearms. He served as a weapons expert for the 2004 movie The Alamo.

In May 2020, Anderson announced that Winds of Wrath would be the final book in the Destroyermen series and that he has started on a new writing project. The first book of his Artillerymen series, a prequel to Destroyermen, was released in September 2021.

Education

Anderson received a bachelor of arts and master of arts in history from Tarleton State University. He taught American history for one academic year at Tarleton from 1991 to 1992.

Reception and literary significance

Several of his books sold well enough to be included on various best selling book lists. Firestorm was listed on the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction for one week in October 2011 and Iron Gray Sea was listed on the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction for one week in July 2012. Iron Gray Sea was listed on the USA Today Best-Selling Books list during a single week in July 2012.

Several of his books were finalist for a number of major literary awards. Into the Storm was a finalist for the 2009 Compton Crook Award. Blood in the Water was a finalist for the 2016 Dragon Award for Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel and Devil’s Battle was a finalist for the 2024 Dragon Award for Best Alternate History Novel.

Critical studies and reviews of Anderson's work

Straits of Hell

Sakers, Don (November 2015). "The Reference Library". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 135 (11): 105–108.

Interviews

Audio

Smith, S. Daniel (May 7, 2020). "S1 E6 Interview with Taylor Anderson". Coffee in Space (podcast). Season 1. Episode 6.

Rutherford, Jeff (April 2009). "Taylor Anderson interview" (Podcast). Reading and Writing Podcast. No. 5.

Written

Majstorovic, Ivan (March 3, 2020). "An Interview with Destroyermen Author Taylor Anderson". SCIFI.radio.

Mitrovich, Matt (May 4, 2016). "Interview with Destroyermen author Taylor Anderson". SFFWorld.