Taz Lake is an Atlanta-based novelist, award-winning screenwriter, speculative fiction writer, and nonfiction author celebrated for his genre-defying storytelling and high-concept narratives. After a multi-decade career in technology, he began crafting stories that captivate, inform, and inspire. With his screenplays earning accolades and recognition from prestigious film festivals such as Austin Film Festival, HollyShorts, Sidewalk, DC Shorts, Richmond International, Finish Line, and Filmmatic, he has firmly established himself as a versatile storyteller.
Born to a career enlisted Marine, Taz’s upbringing was rich with diverse cultural experiences. He attended high school in Hawaii and graduated from Duke University with a major in chemistry while also engaging in the visual and performing arts. His early professional life saw him drawn into the burgeoning web technology industry after earning a graduate degree in Chicago and an MBA from Georgia State University. Over two decades, he made significant contributions as a technologist, university instructor, company founder, and board member in Atlanta’s technology community. A near-fatal heart attack in midlife prompted him to pursue his creative passions by writing full time. His multifaceted career and diverse cultural exposure continue to shape his distinctive characters and themes, resulting in socially conscious worlds that appeal to universal audiences.
Taz’s feature screenplays have earned critical acclaim. Alone, an intense meditation on choice that follows a young woman’s journey to the assisted dying program in Canada, is a Black List Recommended top 1% script which also received a “recommend” rating from a well-known Hollywood analyst. Fouled, a sci-fi cosmic horror feature adapted from one of his short stories, was a second rounder at the Austin Film Festival, a finalist at the Sidewalk Film Festival, and an Honorable Mention at Finish Line. The Patron, a horror thriller now novel about toxic motherhood, also advanced to the second round at Austin. AAI-Ron, a poignant and humorous story about a young woman replicating her deceased boyfriend as an AI class project, received over fifty laurels and prompted a feature film, also written by him. Ambrogio: The First Vampire, a vampire drama feature film he co-wrote, is in distribution. Let’s Abduct Max, a sci-fi romantic comedy spec script, humorously explores the dangers of idealizing potential lovers through the lens of a shapeshifting alien stripper cult (really).
Taz has also achieved recognition for his short screenplays. The Best You Got, his debut short screenplay, was a finalist at DC Shorts, performed as a table read at The Miracle Theater, and a quarterfinalist at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival. Hummingbird, a gripping tale of an intelligent but zealous spaceship ferrying human embryos to a new planet, was a finalist in the Screencraft Film Fund. Delivered, the story of a food delivery driver risking everything to save a baby from a drug-addicted couple, placed in the top 2% at the Shore Film Fund. Multiple respected festivals screened The Grief Counselor, which he executive produced.
In animation, Taz wrote Little Girl Grace, a touching story about family conflict in 1970s Singapore, which completed its festival run at The National Gallery in Singapore. Another standout is Sympathizer, a richly imagined tale of a 300-year-old alien rebel leader struggling with a desire to end his life, only to be confronted by another species seeking to commune with him.
As a novelist under a pen name, Taz authored The Last Minder, a top 10-ranked sci-fi time travel novel on Amazon. The story follows an alien scout seeking the foretold destroyer of his people as described in their abandoned religious traditions. Slipping through time, he discovers an elderly World War II hero with superpowers who might be the one destined to end the culture he despises. Taz is also developing book three of the Altered Demons trilogy, a military sci-fi series about weaponized animals, psychotronic abilities, terrorism, and political intrigue.
Besides his fiction and screenwriting, Taz has authored three nonfiction books that reflect his diverse expertise and firsthand experiences. The Myth of Easy examines how individuals and organizations often misjudge complexity in projects, leading to unforeseen challenges and outcomes. Damaged Joy explores the critical relationship between web development operations, digital experience, and branding, emphasizing the importance of operational excellence in delivering customer satisfaction. The Odd Dad Guide, initially conceived as a book of wisdom for his daughter, offers insightful and candid advice for young adults navigating the complexities of life.
Looking ahead, Taz is expanding his portfolio with ambitious feature projects. Artist I Am, a mystery thriller production, explores a rogue AI’s mission to end art as we know it. He has also committed to writing 20-30 spec features before 2030.
Whether drawing on sharp wit, emotional depth, hard sci-fi, or harrowing suspense, Taz has established himself as a bold and versatile writer with a fondness for complex and distinctive narratives.
