R. Lee Townsend

Author · Musician · Pilot

Author · Musician · Pilot · Thinker · Engineer

R. Lee Townsend

Novels of the strange and the deeply human, and non-fiction that asks what we really mean by “real.” Written by a Maryland bassist, pilot and engineer with five decades of stories to tell.

Cover of A.L.L.O.W.Cover of The Universal Best ManCover of Red Hands

Science fiction✦Mystery✦Comedy✦Espionage✦Historical fiction✦Consciousness✦Aviation✦Essays✦Music✦Science fiction✦Mystery✦Comedy✦Espionage✦Historical fiction✦Consciousness✦Aviation✦Essays✦Music✦

New release

Historical fiction

Red Hands

Eleven thousand years before anyone would call it Carolina, a boy drowns days before his naming, and Red Hands, Medicine Woman of her people, does what no one expects.

Signed copy · sold here by the author

Personally signed and shipped by Lee from Maryland. Arrives in 10–14 days. Plus shipping.

Or buy direct from Amazon

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15 booksNovels, a non-fiction trilogy, essays and practical guides

55+ years on bassIncluding The Ravyns, heard on the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack

Sport PilotNearly 1,000 cockpit hours; STEM aviation volunteer at Essex Skypark

~30 years in pro audioSystems design engineer, producer and founder of Adobo Records

Fiction

Quantum-paradigm science fiction, a haunted-woods mystery, transatlantic comedy, an espionage family saga and Ice Age historical fiction.

The Freezing The Light Trilogy

Non-fiction. Not alien tales, but an honest look at perception, consciousness and what we really mean by "real."

Essays & Guides

The curmudgeon's essays, a pilot's safety primer and a practical money book.

R. Lee Townsend

Meet the author

A storyteller who has lived several lives at once

Raised in Baltimore as the son of an attorney and the grandson of a spy, Lee has spent his life collecting stories from the stage, the studio, the cockpit and the edges of the unexplained. His books range from quantum-paradigm science fiction and a haunted-woods mystery to a transatlantic comedy, an espionage family saga and Ice Age historical fiction.

His style is informal and informative at the same time. He loves words, and it shows.

“

This story drew me in, hooked me and I couldn’t put it down. I could smell the mud, hear the thunder, feel the unrelenting heat. The tension resolved beautifully at the end.

Jill B., on The Oracles of Patapsco

From the blog

All essays & musings →

  • The Time Capsule of Memory*

    *Navigating Cognitive Dissonance in the AI Age of Digital Immortality R. Lee Townsend In the vast expanse of human experience, the passage of time…

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  • Service?

    I work in the services industries, and as such am self-employed.  Not having a single direct employer means that those I serve directly pay…

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  • Covid-21

    Like many, I’ve had several Covid scares since February of 2020, together with some major life changes, including loss of parents/family, personal quarantine, career…

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Music

Five decades on bass

From The Ravyns to Never Never and Leather & Lace: The Stevie Nicks Experience. Available for live fill-in and session work.

The music →

Services

Studio, systems & skies

Production, mixing and mastering; pro audio systems design; web, CAD and event logistics; and free flight-simulator STEM instruction.

The services →