My usual morning ritual... O.o My new novel/novella (it's 46k, call it what you want) has settled into a June release. I'll have a COVER REVEAL and a couple blurbs for you in a few days. YAY!!!! So excited!! This are? R. Crumb, of course.

Good morning?

Available in two editions--a gorgeous trade paperback and a pay-what-you-can eBook. ❤️

Monday's in a mood. Looks like I'm going to have to talk it down. Afterwards, I have errands. Later, there will be Words. Shall we get to it? This art comes courtesy of Ali Warren.

"The world tells itself it is “normal” and pretty and entitled to have nice things. Horror says, 'Let’s remove these bandages and take a look, shall we?'" Thanks again to Ivy Grimes for interviewing me during Women in Horror Month. Ivy's latest, THE CELLAR BELOW THE CELLAR is available now.

The latest #blog post. Because I'll be getting you a new one again...next week. Going to be consistent, what with the new novel coming out soon. Anyway, this one's got my massive Covid poem in it. Heavy, rough stuff. Enjoy? ;-) thewildernesswithinbyjohnclaudesmith.blogspot.com/2026/03/clos...

Women in Horror month? It’s a year round deal for me. Here’s a couple of just received purchases. I’m already deep into the Elsby book. 😅📖

Inspiration for all the writers... Wait! What? Hahaha... Let me get writing.

Saturday goals...along with writing, seeing my son, surfing on the Milky Way, exploring the caves of Mars, and probably having pizza. This art comes courtesy of Jose David Morales.

Reposting for the evening crowd. ;-)

Listening to a live performance by BRUIT ≤ from last September. Phenomenal "cinematic post-rock." Just really damn good! www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbwH...

Allow me to really mess with your head this morning, friends. This new blog post was written March 19-20, 2020. Yes, exactly six years ago. Just when Covid was hitting its stride... Read it if you dare. thewildernesswithinbyjohnclaudesmith.blogspot.com/2026/03/clos...

David Bowie kicking off my morning, with Mick Ronson's muscular guitar leading the way. I have errands to run, but afterwards there will be Words. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgP-...

My first novel published by Simon & Schuster comes out in exactly one week!!!! AHHHHH I’m terrified, overjoyed, nervous, and ridiculously excited all at once… I hope you love this deeply unpleasant story about love and loss. 🖤🕯️🪲

My muse is in a mood. Excuse me, guess I should quit messing around online and get to writing... ;-)

New @3lobedmag.com is out today with 6 fresh tales of horror! 3 are free to read online, like my first new story of 2026, "Our Darkness to Take." Tara can't tell how long she's been kept in this basement. Weeks? Months? All she knows for sure is, she's no longer alone. www.3lobedmag.com/issue47/

Mother Nature/The World has had enough of our shit. Our being humanity. I completely understand. Going to work out. Write. Take a walk. Whatever it takes to hold on to my sanity.

Still waiting on new glasses, so this art is exactly how I feel right now... O.o ;-) Going to see about Words, as in writing. If my eyes cooperate. Good morning/afternoon. This art comes courtesy of Lola Dupre.

Completed a 37,700+ word novella today. "The Great God Pollock." SF with horror/cosmic horror trimmings. Does anybody know of a publisher who would be into such a beast? Here's me with a Pollock painting in Rome, Italy.

Available NOW: Weird Fiction Quarterly. The AI-themed issue. Includes my grim lil' tale, "Her Father's Voice," and a fully-loaded TOC. You know what to do. www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8MR96...

We have a fantastic new novelette up today at Nightmare about a small-town animal control officer just trying to save a dog during the apocalypse. DO NOT MISS "Will the Last One to Leave Please Turn Out the Lights?" by @gordonbwhite.bsky.social !! www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/will...

Looking to deal with revisions/edits on the novella, if my eyes cooperate (waiting for new glasses that cannot come soon enough!). And you, Cthulhu? Good morning/afternoon all.

Women in Horror month, eh? I'm good with that, but never limit it to one month. These books are from my current tbr stack next to the bed. I've read some, am reading one, and have a few more to read. And this doesn't even include what's on my kindle. Women in Horror? Always!

woodcuts from Compendium Maleficarum, witch-hunter's manual by the Italian priest Francesco Maria Guazzo Milan 1608 colored by Adam McLean

Cats do not fear the Funhole. You will though. Preorders are right now, from @deadinkbooks.bsky.social deadinkbooks.com/product/the-... and TY to @lostmirror.bsky.social for the Riddle portrait ♥️🐈

Good morning. I'll take a hazelnut mocha as I do not drink coffee, believe it or not. Final revisions on the novella are in progress shortly. Just looking to have a constructive day as it's been a very busy week dealing with stuff. Let's get to it!

25 tales, over four-hundred pages of weird horror & psychological horror, with a strong dose of Body horror threaded through it all.

Gift card reading suggestions from yours truly. I have three books available. Check them out. 3 Autumn in the Abyss Redux www.amazon.com/Autumn-Abyss...

This is the only AI I want. The AI stories themed issue of Weird Fiction Quarterly will be out soon. Includes my story, "Her Father's Voice." The TOC is loaded, trust me! weirdfictionquarterly.com/wfq-ai-is-on...

The great Mark Lanegan, four years gone, with his take on the classic Joy Division song, "Love Will Tear You Apart." Fabulous! www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIu3...

Moby Dick Monday? Well, not sure if this is the big fella, but this massive whale and I wish you a marvelous and constructive Monday...and rest of the week, too! As for me, pulling up a file as I type this... Art courtesy of Terry Fan & Joe Carr.

Breakfast of champions... Good morning/afternoon to You! File(s) up in a sec. A workout later. My agenda looks busy. Good! This art comes courtesy of Saturno Butto.

Lunchtime soundtrack, taking a break from revisions on a novella. Celtic Frost. This starts a little past two minutes in and is raw stuff. Good! I saw them on this tour... www.youtube.com/watch?v=agvQ...

It’s always a delight to see that somebody else has enjoyed Riding thr Centipede…

Happy Valentine's Day!! <3 Now, excuse me while I open a file and get to Words. ;-)

ICYMI: In last week's page of Weird Luck, Smiley finally explains himself. Coming later this week (9pm Wednesday, Pacific Time): the return of Bianca! #webcomics #comics #indiecomics #urbanfantasy #fantasy #scifi #oc #espionage #crime #interdimensional #weird weirdluck.net/comic/2-1-4-...

Two new $2.99 Kindle deals are live! Grab Brian Moore's magical realist classic THE GREAT VICTORIAN COLLECTION or James Blish's blackly funny occult gem BLACK EASTER, both available at a bargain price all month long on Kindle!

This reading by Harlan Ellison of his classic short story, "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" is wild stuff. He really gives it his all. Only 40 minutes long, give it a listen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgo-...

...speaking of Burroughs, you do know he made an appearance in my Bram Stoker Award finalist debut novel, Riding the Centipede, don'tcha? Check it out! www.amazon.com/Riding-Centi...

The great literary outlaw, William S. Burroughs, would have been 112 today...

I've seen a sketch of the cover art for my forthcoming novel, Our Savage Anatomies. Ohhhh, yes! There are Werewolves! Our two werewolf protags are front and center! Can't wait to get this wild ride in your hands. Coming soon!

Pulling myself together this chilly Tuesday morning. A bit of Words to deal with before heading out. Good morning/afternoon. This art comes courtesy of danistrips.

This amuses me because one of the two main characters in my forthcoming novel, Our Savage Anatomies, is a female werewolf. Yes, I’m utilizing familiar horror tropes…primarily by throwing a wrench into expectations.

$2.99 Kindle deals now through 1/31, worldwide! Philip Ridley's IN THE EYES OF MR FURY is a brilliant magical realist LGBT epic, while Bernard Taylor's SWEETHEART SWEETHEART has been called one of the best horror novels ever written.

Besides writing, artist Norman Lindsay has captured how I want the rest of my Lazy Sunday to play out with this cool art.

#horror fan? #western fan? SINNERS RIDE is a brand-new novella perfect for you! Real Amazon readers have called it a "Terrific weird western!" and say they're "ready for more!" mybook.to/LyuCY

Clark Ashton Smith was born 133 years ago today. Celebrate this amazing fantasist by reading one or more of his fabulous stories today.

Late start this morning. If I drank coffee regularly, I’d need a gallon of the stuff. Erratic sleep last night. Crawling out of bed for my workout, then Words.

Technology. I love it and I hate it. Anyway. There’s a file awaiting my attention.