For several years, this site has been home to my fiction — including The Hunt Begins and early entries connected to The Black Ledger universe.
That chapter is coming to a close.
Over time, these stories grew larger, denser, and more deliberate than a weekly blog format was ever meant to hold. What began as experiments became long-form works that benefit from quieter pacing, clearer structure, and spaces designed specifically for sustained reading.
Because of that, I’ve made the decision to retire my fiction from this website and prepare it for release in new homes better suited to the way the work now exists.
Over the coming days, The Hunt Begins and other long-form pieces will be removed from public view here. This isn’t an ending — it’s a transition.
Where the Work Is Going
Going forward, my fiction is organized across genre-specific Substack publications, each designed to give readers clarity, consistency, and breathing room.
These spaces will officially go live on February 1, 2026, beginning with the release of The Hunt Begins, the opening story in The Hunt for Truth series.
Here’s how the work is structured going forward:
- John O’Neill (Author Space)
A low-frequency author space that serves as an index, orientation point, and place for announcements about new work. - The Sci-Fi Collection
Home to my science fiction, including The Hunt for Truth series. - The Noir Collection
Where contemporary noir and related projects will live, including future Black Ledger stories. - The Post-Apocalypse Collection
Reserved for post-collapse and survival-focused fiction. - The Fantasy Collection
Where fantasy projects will be released when they’re ready.
Each collection operates independently, allowing readers to follow only the genres that interest them — without mixed expectations or unnecessary noise.
About the February 1 Release
The Hunt Begins will return in a revised, properly formatted form, released as it was intended to be read — without being broken up to fit a blog schedule.
Additional material from The Hunt for Truth will follow over time, at a deliberate pace.
Other collections will remain quiet until there is work ready to place there.
A Note to Long-Time Readers
If you’ve been reading my work here over the years: thank you. Genuinely.
Nothing is being abandoned.
Nothing is being rushed.
The stories are continuing — just in spaces built to support them properly.
This site will remain online as a reference point, but new fiction will be released through the Substack collections listed above, starting February 1.
More soon,
— John