Mary Imlay Taylor was an American novelist and short story writer active during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born in Washington, D.C., to George and Eleanor Imlay Taylor, she went on to establish a prolific literary career, publishing nearly two dozen novels alongside numerous short stories and serialized works in popular periodicals of her day, such as Munsey's Magazine and Argosy.
Taylor's literary output was heavily defined by historical fiction, often set against the backdrop of major historical eras and featuring prominent political figures. Her early novels, such as On the Red Staircase (1896) and An Imperial Lover (1897), explored the court of Peter the Great, while A Yankee Volunteer (1899) was set during the American Revolutionary War. She also blended historical drama with supernatural elements, as seen in The House of the Wizard (1899), which depicted the reign of King Henry VIII and his first two wives alongside a fictional evil wizard.
In addition to her success in print, Taylor's narratives caught the attention of the early film industry. Several of her works were adapted into silent films during the 1910s and 1920s, including The Tenderfoot's Money (1913), Putting One Over (1919), and Conquest (1928). She continued writing until her death in Miami, Florida, in August 1938.
