The Journal / update
Why Am I Here?
My name is Jon Conrad. I am a writer but I'd like to be an author. Here is how I am going to do that.
November 4, 2026 · Read more
Dreamer. Storyteller.
Whether I was standing in the middle of a group of friends at school, trying to make them laugh, or looking through a car window at a sheriff while desperately explaining why I was going nearly twice the speed limit, I’ve always delighted in entertaining.
The worlds we read about are more than escapes. They’re aspirations. An exotic destination first viewed with awe through the window of a jet liner. A mountain in the distance that looms over an ocean of clouds. It promises adventure and riches but whispers of danger. They’re stories of ordinary people. People like you and people like me who are thrust into extraordinary circumstances, breathtaking settings, and twists that keep us furiously turning pages.
Over the years I’ve written stories of wizards and warlocks dueling dragons, gritty novellas that follow an unshaven detective down a dark alley, and tales of alien worlds, alternate dimensions, and quiet cabins where a child of technology discovers what it means to be connected to nature. But until now, I’ve never shared them.
I want to share them with you.
My name is Jon Conrad and I’d like to tell you a story.
Coming soon.
M. Jon Conrad / The Author
A writer.
An aspiring author.
Architect of the Blacksmith Literary Universe
I am M or Jon. I call myself a writer, but I really want to be an author.
I have been working on what I am calling the Blacksmith Literary Universe for a little over a decade. The universe itself has got a sci-fi flavor. There will be distant planets, spaceborne monoliths, and a non-zero measure of neon and noodle carts in some of the stories you may read but I like to write in many genres. Might be I write something you like, regardless of what you like to read.
Do you want me to let you know when I release something? Subscribe below!
I have so many stories to tell in the Blacksmith Universe. This is where I will share them with you. I want to begin with a serialized collection of novellas and short-stories. I am looking to launch this first series in February 2027.
The novellas will be released one act at a time, while the short stories will be published in their entirety. You'll follow people around the core cities of Earth and in the far-flung reaches of settled space. The last installment will set up my first novel, The Panopticon
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The Journal / update
My name is Jon Conrad. I am a writer but I'd like to be an author. Here is how I am going to do that.