American novelist
Joshua "Josh" Viola (born July 23, 1983) is a science fiction /fantasy /horror writer, artist and film producer best known for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise , True Believers , Denver Moon , The Bane of Yoto and his companies Hex Publishers and Bit Bot Media.[ 1] He is a 2021 Splatterpunk Award nominee (Psi-Wars: Classified Cases of Psychic Phenomena )[ 2] and a 2022 Colorado Book Awards winner (Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas ).[ 3]
In 2012, Viola collaborated with Klayton and his music label/publisher, FiXT Music , where Viola is the author of the novels Blackstar [ 4] and The Bane of Yoto .[ 5] He directed the “Unshakeable ”[ 6] animated music video for Celldweller .
Viola is owner of publishing house Hex Publishers .[ 7] [ 8] He edited their Denver Post number one best selling[ 9] horror anthology, Nightmares Unhinged ,[ 10] featuring Bram Stoker, Hugo and Nebula Award winners such as Jason Heller, Steve Rasnic Tem , Edward Bryant and Stephen Graham Jones .[ 11] He co-edited Cyber World , a cyberpunk anthology, with Jason Heller for Hex Publishers in 2016, which was a 2017 Colorado Book Award finalist[ 12] [ 13] and named one of the best anthologies of 2016 by Barnes & Noble .[ 14] Blood Business , a paranormal crime anthology co-edited by Mario Acevedo, was a 2018 Colorado Book Award finalist.[ 15] In 2019, his comic book collection, Denver Moon: Metamorphosis , was included on the 2018 Bram Stoker Award Preliminary Ballot for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel.[ 16] He was nominated for his fourth Colorado Book Award in April 2020 for his Denver Moon sequel, The Saint of Mars ,[ 17] a year after the first book, The Minds of Mars , was nominated for the 2019 award.[ 18] In 2021, he edited the StokerCon™ souvenir anthology for the Horror Writers Association 's first online convention (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), which included the 2020 Bram Stoker Awards .[ 19] His 2020 anthology, Psi-Wars , was nominated for a 2021 Splatterpunk Award (award founded by Wrath James White and Brian Keene ).[ 20] He won the 2022 Colorado Book Award in the Anthology category for Shadow Atlas , co-edited by Carina Bissett and Hillary Dodge.
In 2022, he became the Creative Director of Novelization and Comics for Random Games' Unioverse videogame franchise[ 21] launched by a team of gaming and entertainment industry veterans behind titles such as Grand Theft Auto , Donkey Kong Country , and Crackdown . He worked directly with writer Brent Friedman, whose previous credits include Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Halo 4 , The Walking Dead , Call of Duty , and Star Trek: Enterprise .
In 2023, he co-wrote the slasher comic book series True Believers with Stephen Graham Jones , which features official cameos from Jamie Lee Curtis , R.L. Stine , and more.[ 22] He executive produced a reboot of Roger Corman 's Deathstalker (film) franchise, directed by Steven Kostanski (The Void (2016 film) , PG: Psycho Goreman ), starring Daniel Bernhardt , and co-executive produced by Slash (musician) of Guns N' Roses ,[ 23] as well as Jason Lei Howden 's Deathgasm II: Goremaggedon . He is an executive producer on artist Skinner's Shrine of Abominations (featuring work by stop motion animator Phil Tippett [ 24] ), and associate producer on films such as Chris Stuckmann 's Shelby Oaks , and CreatorVC's Aliens Expanded and TerrorBytes .
In 2024, Viola and Klayton formed Bit Bot Media, a multimedia company focused on film, games, comics and licensed IP. Bit Bot announced a partnership with Canadian film studio Raven Banner Entertainment and London-based FreakZone Games to bring a number of projects to the public.[ 25] Not long after, Bit Bot announced a partnership with the game studio known for the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider series, Crystal Dynamics , to revive the popular video game series Legacy of Kain , with Viola co-writing Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise , a prequel graphic novel to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver alongside writer Angie Hodapp and artists Juan Samu, Dave Rapoza, and Aaron Lovett.[ 26]
Films
Deathstalker (film) 2024 (Executive Producer)[ 27]
Deathgasm II: Goremageddon (Executive Producer)
Shrine of Abominations (Executive Producer)
Aliens Expanded (Associate Producer)
Shelby Oaks (Associate Producer)
TerrorBytes (Associate Producer)Novels
Novellas
Stolen Pallor with Sean Eads (Blood Bound Books, 2024)[ 28]
Denver Moon: The Minds of Mars with Warren Hammond (Hex Publishers, 2018)
Denver Moon: The Saint of Mars with Warren Hammond (Hex Publishers, 2019)
Denver Moon: The Thirteen of Mars with Warren Hammond (Hex Publishers, 2022)Collections
Midnight Vintage with Sean Eads (Crystal Lake Entertainment, 2025)[ 29] Anthologies edited
Nightmares Unhinged [ 30] (Hex Publishers, 2015)
Cyber World with Jason Heller[ 31] (Hex Publishers, 2016)
Georgetown Haunts and Mysteries with Jeanne Stein[ 32] (Hex Publishers & Ghost Town Writers Retreat, 2017)
Blood Business: Crime Stories from this World and Beyond with Mario Acevedo[ 33] (Hex Publishers, 2017)
Psi-Wars: Classified Cases of Psychic Phenomena [ 34] (Hex Publishers, 2020)
It Came From The Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers [ 35] (Hex Publishers & Colorado Festival of Horror, 2020)
StokerCon™ 2021 Souvenir Anthology: The Phantom Denver Edition [ 36] (Hex Publishers/Horror Writers Association , 2021)
Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas with Carina Bissett and Hillary Dodge[ 37] (Hex Publishers, 2021)
Unioverse: Stories of the Reconvergence with Angie Hodapp[ 38] (Hex Publishers/Random Games, 2023)Comic books & Graphic Novels
Tooth and Claw with Angie Hodapp and Aaron Lovett[ 39] (Hex Publishers, 2017)
Denver Moon: Murder on Mars with Warren Hammond and Aaron Lovett (Hex Publishers, 2018)
Denver Moon: Rafe's Revenge with Warren Hammond and Aaron Lovett (Hex Publishers, 2018)
Denver Moon: Transformations with Warren Hammond and Aaron Lovett (Hex Publishers, 2018)
Denver Moon: Metamorphosis with Warren Hammond and Aaron Lovett (Hex Publishers, 2018)
Unioverse: Reyu with Angie Hodapp and Ben Matsuya (Hex Publishers/Random Games, 2023)[ 40]
Unioverse: Krishah with Angie Hodapp and Ben Matsuya (Hex Publishers/Random Games, 2023)
Unioverse: Tor Gret with Angie Hodapp and Ben Matsuya (Hex Publishers/Random Games, 2023)
Unioverse: Annill with Angie Hodapp and Ben Matsuya (Hex Publishers/Random Games, 2023)
Unioverse: Vella Janx with Angie Hodapp and Ben Matsuya (Hex Publishers/Random Games, 2023)
Unioverse: Silas with Angie Hodapp and Ben Matsuya (Hex Publishers/Random Games, 2023)
True Believers with Stephen Graham Jones and Ben Matsuya (Hex Publishers/Metal X Entertainment, 2023)
Shrapnel Volume One ("Game Over") with James Aquilone and Juan Samu (Metal X Entertainment, 2024)
Terror in the Corn: The Wells Twins with Sean Eads and Juan Samu (Metal X Entertainment/Anderson Farms, 2024)
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise with Angie Hodapp and Juan Samu (Bit Bot Media/Crystal Dynamics, 2024)Children's books
Boomer and Friends! with Lindsey Bell and Aaron Lovett[ 41] (JAM Publishers, 2017)Short stories
"Luna One" (Hex Publishers, 2014)
"The Camera" (Hex Publishers, 2015)
"The Librarian" (Hex Publishers, 2015)[ 42]
"Needles" with Dean Wyant (Hex Publishers, 2015)
"Scarecrows" (Hex Publishers, 2015)[ 43]
"Fangs" as J.V. Kyle (Hex Publishers, 2015)
"Bathroom Break" as J.V. Kyle (Hex Publishers, 2015)
"Finder's Fee" (RMFW Press, 2016)[ 44]
"Outsorcery" (The Literary Hatchet, 2016)[ 45]
"Notches" with Sean Eads (Blood Bound Books, 2017)[ 46]
"Straight to the Top" as Trevor Jones (Hex Publishers, 2017)[ 47]
"Denver Moon: Metamorphosis" with Warren Hammond (Hex Publishers, 2018)
"For the Road is Heaven" with Sean Eads (Hex Publishers, 2018)[ 48]
"Our Hero" with Sean Eads (RMFW Press, 2018)[ 49]
"Many Carvings" with Sean Eads (Corpus Press, 2018)[ 50]
"Eunuch's Code" with Sean Eads (Blood Bound Books, 2019)[ 51]
"Grave Mistake" with Carter Wilson (Denver Horror Collective, 2019)[ 52]
"BFG" with Sean Eads (Birdy Magazine, 2020)[ 53]
"The Sommelier" with Sean Eads (Birdy Magazine, 2020)[ 54]
"Bright Rain" with Sean Eads (Birdy Magazine, 2020)[ 55]
"The Jarheads" with Sean Eads (Hex Publishers, 2020)[ 56]
"The Devil's Reel" with Sean Eads (Hex Publishers, 2020)[ 57]
"The Recall" (Bloodshot Books, 2020)[ 58]
"When the Trumpet Sounds" (Birdy Magazine, 2020)[ 59]
"Flashpoints" with Keith Ferrell (Birdy Magazine, 2021)[ 60]
"The Disciple of Many Faces" (Birdy Magazine, 2021)[ 61]
"Diminished Seventh" with Sean Eads (Black Spot Books/Crystal Lake Publishing, July 2022)[ 62]
"Ballad of the Overeager Gun" with Sean Eads (Brigids Gate Press, August 2022)[ 63]
"The Climb Up to Hell" with Sean Eads (Hellbound Books Publishing, October 2023)[ 64] Anecdotes
"Introduction: Reclaim Your Fears" (Hex Publishers, 2015)[ 65]
"Cyber Punks" (Locus Magazine , 2016)[ 66]
"Introduction: Metamorphosis" (Hex Publishers, 2016)[ 67]
"The Holy Appendix" as Jay Vee (Birdy Magazine, Issue 083, 2020)[ 68]
^ "Book Review: 'The Bane of Yoto' by Joshua Viola" , Burkart, Gregory, for FEARnet , 15 August 2012, retrieved 14 March 2013
^ "2021 Splatterpunk Awards Winners" , Locus Magazine , 23 August 2021, retrieved 10 October 2022
^ "2022 Colorado Book Award Winners" , Locus Magazine , 27 June 2022, retrieved 10 October 2022
^ Barkan, Jonathan. "Celldweller Plans New Music, Book Series, And More" , Bloody Disgusting , 27 February 2013. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
^ Johnston, Rich. "Could The Bane Of Yoto Herald In A New Look For Digital Comics?" , Bleeding Cool , 5 March 2012. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
^ Crane, Matt. "Celldweller Releases Music Video for Unshakeable" , Alternative Press , 10 December 2013. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
^ Wenzel, John. "Erie-based Horror publisher uses unlikely way to bankroll, empower writers" , The Denver Post , 4 September 2015. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
^ Siebrase, Jamie. "Hex Publishers, a New Local Press, Plans to Release a Dark, Twisted Anthology" , Westword , 9 February 2015. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
^ The Denver Post. "Books: Denver best sellers, 9/20/2015" , The Denver Post , 20 September 2015. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
^ Jules, Damnetha. "Nightmares Unhinged (Book Review)" , Horror Palace , 5 September 2015. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
^ Barkan, Jonathan. "Witness The Unveiling Of Nightmares Unhinged (Exclusive)" , Bloody Disgusting , 9 July 2015. Retrieved on 16 July 2015.
^ Wenzel, John. "“Cyber World” anthology brings darkly alluring sci-fi back to the future" , The Denver Post , 26 October 2016. Retrieved on 16 July 2015.
^ Colorado Humanities. "“2017 Colorado Book Award Finalists" , Colorado Humanities . Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
^ Cunningham, Joel. "The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Collections and Anthologies of 2016" , Barnes & Noble , 21 December 2016. Retrieved on 25 February 2019.
^ Colorado Humanities. “2018 Colorado Book Award Finalists" , Colorado Humanities . Retrieved on 25 February 2019.
^ Locus Magazine. "2018 Stoker Awards Preliminary Ballot" , Locus Magazine , 21 January 2019. Retrieved on 25 February 2019.
^ Locus Magazine. "2020 Colorado Book Awards Finalists" , Locus Magazine , 7 April 2020. Retrieved on 16 April 2020.
^ Westword. "Colorado Book Awards Finalists Announced" , Westword , 21 March 2019. Retrieved on 16 April 2020.
^ StokerCon™. "Souvenir Book - StokerCon™ 2020"
^ 2021 Splatterpunk Award Nominees
^ https://random.games/team.php Random Games Team
^ Schedeen, Jesse. "Jamie Lee Curtis to Guest Star in Horror Comic True Believers" , IGN , 2 April 2024. Retrieved on 15 July 2024.
^ Ramachandran, Naman. "Roger Corman Reboot ‘Deathstalker,’ Exec Produced by Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Unveils First Look, Raven Banner Launches Sales at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)" , Variety (magazine) , 18 May 2024. Retrieved on 2 June 2024.
^ Hammond, Chris. "SHRINE OF ABOMINATIONS – A STOP-MOTION KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN THAT’S OUT OF THIS WORLD!" , Rue Morgue (magazine) , 7 March 2023. Retrieved on 2 June 2024.
^ Jonathan, James. "Exclusive: Klayton (Celldweller) and Joshua Viola Form Bit Bot Media and Announce Strategic Partnerships with Raven Banner Entertainment and FreakZone Games" , Daily Dead , 6 June 2024. Retrieved on 15 July 2024.
^ Schedeen, Jesse. "Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Returns In New Prequel Graphic Novel" , IGN , 30 June 2024. Retrieved on 15 July 2024.
^ Ramachandran, Naman. "Roger Corman Reboot ‘Deathstalker,’ Exec Produced by Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Unveils First Look, Raven Banner Launches Sales at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)" , Variety (magazine) , 18 May 2024. Retrieved on 2 June 2024.
^ Blood Bound Books. "Stolen Pallor" , Blood Bound Books , 2024. Retrieved on 2 June 2024.
^ Crystal Lake Publishing. "First project signed for 2025!" , Crystal Lake Publishing , 2024. Retrieved on 2 June 2024.
^ Froyd, Susan. "Nightmares Unhinged Launch Party" , Westword , 9 September 2015. Retrieved on 16 July 2015.
^ Wheeler, Isaac. "Cyber World Demonstrates the Future of the Cyberpunk Genre" , Neon Dystopia , 11 November 2016. Retrieved on 19 December 2016.
^ Kirkus Reviews. "Georgetown Haunts and Mysteries" , Kirkus Reviews , 9 August 2017. Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
^ Kirkus Reviews. "Blood Business" , Kirkus Reviews , 26 September 2017. Retrieved on 28 November 2017.
^ Kirkus Reviews. " , Kirkus Reviews , 13 April 2020. Retrieved on 16 April 2020.
^ Facebook. " , Facebook , 17 January 2020. Retrieved on 16 April 2020.
^ StokerCon. [1] , StokerCon , 2021. Retrieved on 31 May 2021.
^ Hex Publishers. [2] , Hex Publishers , 2021. Retrieved on 31 May 2021.
^ Glyfe. [3] , Glyfe ,19 October 2022. Retrieved on 24 October 2022.
^ Hex Publishers. "Tooth and Claw" , Hex Publishers . Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
^ Hex Publishers. [4] , Hex Publishers , 2022. Retrieved on 24 October 2022.
^ Wenzel, John. "The Secret Ingredients to a Great Children's Book" , Denver Post , 4 August 2017. Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
^ HorrorNews.net. "Paul Campion's 'The Librarian' Optioned Short Horror Story To Screen" , Horror News , 30 October 2015. Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
^ Anderson, Derek. "Exclusive: Read a Short Story from NIGHTMARES UNHINGED: TWENTY TALES OF TERROR" , Daily Dead , 28 August 2015. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
^ Siebrase, Jamie. "Get Lost at a Celebration of Found, a Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Anthology" , Westword , 4 October 2016. Retrieved on 19 December 2016.
^ GoodReads. "The Literary Hatchet #15" , GoodReads . Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
^ Blood Bound Books. "DOA III" , Blood Bound Books . Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
^ Hex Publishers. "Blood Business" , Hex Publishers . Retrieved on 28 November 2017.
^ Kirkus Reviews. "Blood and Gasoline" . Retrieved on 25 February 2019.
^ RMFW. "2018 Anthology" , RMFW . Retrieved on 25 February 2019.
^ Horror After Dark. "Doorbells At Dusk" . Retrieved on 25 February 2019.
^ Blood Guts and Story. "Crash Code" . Retrieved on 25 February 2019.
^ Westword. "Westword" . Retrieved on 26 September 2020.
^ Birdy. "Birdy Magazine" . Retrieved on 16 April 2020.
^ Birdy. "Birdy Magazine" . Retrieved on 16 April 2020.
^ Birdy. "Birdy Magazine" . Retrieved on 26 September 2020.
^ Hex Publishers. "Hex Publishers" . Retrieved on 26 September 2020.
^ Hex Publishers. "Hex Publishers" . Retrieved on 26 September 2020.
^ Facebook. "Facebook" . Retrieved on 26 September 2020.
^ Birdy Magazine. "Birdy Magazine" . Retrieved on 31 May 2021.
^ Birdy Magazine. "Birdy Magazine" . Retrieved on 31 May 2021.
^ Birdy Magazine. "Birdy Magazine" . Retrieved on 17 June 2021.
^ Monstrous Books. "Monstrous Books" . Retrieved on 24 October 2022.
^ Brigids Gate Press. "Brigid Gates Press" . Retrieved on 24 October 2022.
^ Hellbound Books Publishing. "Hellbound Books Publishing" . Retrieved on 2 June 2024.
^ Hex Publishers. "Nightmares Unhinged" , Hex Publishers . Retrieved on 19 October 2020.
^ Zinos-Amaro, Alvaro. "Josh Viola Guest Post–“Cyber Punks”" , Locus Magazine , 15 June 2016. Retrieved on 19 October 2020.
^ Hex Publishers. "Cyber World" , Hex Publishers . Retrieved on 19 October 2020.
^ Birdy Magazine. "The Holy Appendix" , Birdy Magazine . Retrieved on 19 October 2020.