Action Pulp!

January 31, 2026

By Adam Messer

John Palisano is an author and musician who delves deep into his imagination writing horror and science fiction genres, depicting characters and stories mirroring life, tragedy, and the human experience.

Please introduce yourself.

I’m someone who is filled with passion for words and books, across many genres. My first published works came about in middle school with some very short stories in the school paper. It hasn’t stopped since. I’ve lived a varied and colorful life having toured with bands since my late teens, a period of working in the upper echelons of Hollywood cinema, and writing the entire time along the way. 

What genres do you write and why?

Primarily horror, and also science fiction, thriller, and literary. 

What is your earliest memory of reading?

I can still see and feel the Judy Blume books I loved like “Superfudge” and “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing”. Those meant a lot to me when I was very young and still hold a special place for me. 

When did you know you wanted to write? How did it happen?

The seed was sown in third grade. Assigned a photo, we had to write a story inspired by the image. Mine showed a pilot climbing into a fighter plane. I riffed that it was actually the president and he was going into space and to fight intruders. After reading the piece, some of the kids told me they liked the story. That was the first time I felt a connection to others and I loved the process of using imagination. From then on, being a writer became my purpose. 

What’s one of your favorite scenes in one of your books?

When Ava decides to slip into one of the coffin chambers in “Requiem” stands out. It’s such a key decision and moment. It’s a very profound scene as she knows there’s no turning back. It’s also a point in the story where everything changes and becomes something different. What’s very interesting is that absolutely no one, either in reviews or who has written to me directly, has truly unlocked its biggest secret. Everyone’s taken the story at completely top level, but far be it for me to spell things out. Even though it’s getting negative reviews over its last third and peculiar storytelling techniques, I don’t believe in telling readers how to interpret my work. 

What makes a good character? A bad one?

If you mean by how they’re created, I feel a good character is simply one readers can relate to, for whatever reasons they seek to do so. Bad characters are often identified as not being fully fleshed out and don’t feel realistic to the reader, according to their feedback. 

What moves the story for you?

It’s all about conflict, which can range from quiet to extraordinary. 

What is your favorite book and why?

While I don’t have a single favorite, authors who’ve been influential to me include Clive Barker, Daphne du Maurier, Stephen King, bell hooks, Anne Rice, Thomas Ligotti, John Steinbeck, Gabriel García Márquez, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Ernest Hemingway, J.D. Salinger, Carl Sagan, Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë, Charlotte Brontë, Toni Morrison, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Sylvia Plath … endless.  

What do you want to say to your audience?

I appreciate everyone who has taken time to read something of mine. Every single reader is a gift. Thanks doesn’t cover how I feel. 

What advice do you have for new writers?

Read widely. Stay away from AI. Put in the work. It’s a hard path to professionalism for most writers. You have to love the process.

Do you have anything else you would like to add?

“Fly your freak flag fly high” — Jimi Hendrix 

Bio & Website:
JOHN PALISANO’s writing has won the Bram Stoker Award®, the Imajinn Award, The BookFest award, the Yog Soggoth Award, been nominated for the Rondo Hatton Award, and has been published and appeared in such notable venues as Vanity Fair, The Los Angeles Times, Blumhouse Online, Cemetery Dance, Fangoria, and more. His screenplays have won acclaim as finalists in Shriekfest, Project Greenlight, Latent Image, and more. His professional career started with an internship and work with Ridley Scott & Associates, then with director Marcus Nispel, Tony Bon Jovi, and more. He once served as President of the Horror Writers Association. www.johnpalisano.com

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