Speculative Noir Horror
Jason Garman
Author of Reflections in the Dark, Viscera Varnish, and the upcoming The Day the Sky Died—stories of hidden worlds, creative obsession, cosmic mysteries, and the darkness lurking beneath the surface.
A Noir Horror Novel
Reflections in the Dark
🏆 Literary Titan Gold Award Winner
Some killers stalk the streets. Others step out of nightmares.Detective Maria Voss has built her reputation on being sharp, relentless, and grounded in fact. Reed Ashland is her opposite: a disgraced academic battling addiction, obsessed with strange theories about reality and the otherworldly. When a killer emerges from the shadows, leaving behind shattered mirrors and mysterious symbols, Maria is forced to confront the unthinkable: Reed’s theories may be true. Together, they must navigate realities beyond our own to stop a murderer who should not exist.
Press & Reviews
Appeared in Peoria Journal Star and Ogle County Life
“A horror-noir that treats reality like a crime scene and every mirror like a witness that knows more than it should.”
— Literary Titan ★★★★★
“It feels as if Dalí painted The Matrix, and it came to life.”
— Christine Bode, Bodacious Copy
“Trippy, nightmarish surrealism haunts this book at every turn.”
— Kent Priore, award-winning author ★★★★★
★★★★★ — Literary Titan"The prose has a slick, nasty elegance..."
"Viscera Varnish is a savage little gallery of ambition and appetite, where the masterpiece is never as frightening as the price paid to make it."
Viscera Varnish
Daniel Virek was once one of the most celebrated artists in the world.Now, the inspiration that fueled his greatest work has vanished. His latest paintings are met with ridicule, his reputation is slipping away, and the darkness that once spoke to him has fallen silent.Desperate to reclaim his creative spark, Daniel embarks on a journey that leads him into the forgotten corners of Chicago, where strange whispers, hidden truths, and impossible horrors wait just beyond the edge of reality.Viscera Varnish is a dark and unsettling tale of art, obsession, ambition, and the terrifying cost of creation.
The Day the Sky Died
When renowned archaeologist Dr. Thomas Hardin dies, he leaves behind more than memories. Hidden among his final possessions is a cryptic set of instructions leading his former student, Dr. Jonah Whitaker, to a mysterious remote location.What begins as a search for answers quickly becomes something far more unsettling.A buried diary reveals a decades-old expedition to Chile following a mysterious event witnessed by an entire village. Strange lights. Unexplained anomalies. A discovery so impossible that Hardin spent the rest of his life trying to understand it—and hiding the truth from everyone around him.As Jonah follows the trail left behind by his mentor, he uncovers evidence of something ancient, something waiting beneath the surface of history. The deeper he digs, the more reality itself begins to unravel. Nightmares bleed into waking life. Familiar places become unfamiliar. And an unseen presence seems to be watching every step he takes.Some mysteries were never meant to be solved.Blending archaeological suspense, supernatural mystery, and cosmic horror, The Day the Sky Died is a chilling descent into the unknown where the greatest terror is not what lies beneath the earth—but what lies beyond human understanding.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Filled with haunting prose, compelling characters, and unexpected twists, it's a definite recommended read that blends the Lovecraftian with X-Files.
- Goodreads review
Night Reads is a horror podcast hosted by myself and fellow horror author AC Hessenauer. Each episode dives into a different work of horror fiction, exploring the story, characters, themes, scares, and everything that makes the book worth talking about.
Expect spoilers, deep dives, strong opinions, and two horror fans talking books long after the lights should've gone out.
Jason Garman
About the Author
I grew up in the Midwest, where a quiet, ordinary upbringing only deepened my fascination with the paranormal and the unexplained. From an early age, I was captivated by the kinds of questions that arrive in dreams—questions without clear answers, but charged with meaning.My interests have always gravitated toward fantasy, horror, science fiction, and the shadowed atmosphere of noir. I love building imagined spaces that seem to exist just outside human perception—worlds with their own hidden life, waiting in the dark. Writing, for me, is a way to tap into those unseen realms and give them form on the page.I now reside in rural Illinois with my beautiful wife—who remains one of my greatest inspirations—along with our three rowdy kids and three lovable dogs who ensure no day is ever boring. When I’m not coaching youth sports or decorating our house for Halloween in a way that even aliens in space could see, I spend every spare moment I can finding time to write.
Blog
Notes From Elsewhere
This is where the curtain pulls back just a little. Sometimes I write about my process, sometimes about myself, and other times it’s fragments: stray short stories, half-formed thoughts, or images that arrive like visitors from a dream. What you’ll find here doesn’t always follow a map. It’s the smoke that drifts in when the edges of the puzzle shift, a record of the strange and the beautiful hiding in the corners of the mind.If you’d like to read more, you can find my blog by clicking Notes From Elsewhere below or the Substack icon in the Stay Connected Section. Subscribe, it's 100% free.
Official Merchandise
This is my official merchandise store. It features apparel, artwork, and other unique items inspired by my novels, including designs showcasing the striking cover art created by artist Mario Nevado and Matthew Wildasin.If you enjoy the atmosphere and imagery of my books, you can explore the store and pick up apparel, prints, and other dark little goodies inspired by the world of Reflections in the Dark and Viscera Varnish.You can also order signed paperback copies of my books directly through the store. Each copy is personally signed by me and shipped directly to you, with personalization available upon request.
Stay Connected
I believe stories are a conversation, and I’d love to keep that dialogue going. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, or find my author pages on Amazon and Goodreads. You can also check out my YouTube channel, read my blog Notes From Elsewhere on Substack, or simply reach out by email. Whether you want to talk books, horror, strange fiction, or just say hello, I’d love to hear from you.