Hi, I'm Simon Shadows!

I’m a queer and trans author, illustrator, and demon prince living in Portland, Oregon. Pleased to meet you! (He/him pronouns are a safe bet, generally, but I am pretty ambivalent about what I'm called these days as long as it's said kindly.)

I mostly write a mix of fantasy, sci fi, romance, and horror, and I draw manga. My current project Snowlight is a mashup of all these things, and I'm still trying to figure out exactly what he end product will be!

I’m most inspired by science, and especially quantum mechanics and astrophysics. I aspire to write fiction that captures the sense of awe I feel when I learn about the strange things we have learned about our reality by applying science to what we see. I especially love the idea that a person with a deep knowledge of a scientific field would find my representation of their field interesting and satisfying.

I’m also inspired by humanity and our continual quest for enlightenment. Mental health and trauma themes inform much of what I write, and I often use my writing as a vehicle for witnessing feelings within myself and helping them move through me.

Reflecting these two things alongside one another, the tininess of our human existence and its simultaneous hugeness, might be the strongest inspiration for my writing, and I humbly hope that I might help even one person to the realization of the freedom inherent in their truth.

I released my first book, an anthology of short horror stories called Overwhelm, in April 2023. I'm currently working on a new novel project I'm calling Snowlight about pretty boys with telescopes fighting each other in the snow. And there're tons more ideas on the backburner. 2022 was the first year I really took my writing seriously after 30 years of incubating ideas, so I've got many stories that I can't wait to share!

I also created an independent publishing company called Antientropic Press. For now, all this means is that I’ve paid to register an LLC name, and my short term goal is to make my own book ideas into reality. I do sometimes dream about designing books for other people, though…

日本語話者の皆さん、こんにちは！シモンです。
僕は日本語を勉強しているけれど、初心者です。
時々日本語で漫画を描いて練習します。僕の間違いを赦してください。
いつか僕からのお知らせも日本語で書きたいです。
僕の絵を、どうぞ楽しんでください！
よろしくお願いします！

Outside of art, I spend a lot of time outside in nature walking around and feeling smug about how many types of plants and birds I can identify. I also love reading, watching anime, listening to deathcore, and playing videogames with my lads. Fellow Portlanders might catch me biking around in our fabulous bike lanes or hunching over my laptop in various coffee shops. You’ll recognize me by my copious tattoos and silly grin.

Black lives matter. Abolish prisons. Healthcare for all. Fight hate with love. We are all we have. ♡