Sunday, December 26, 2021

December 26, 2021

On December 23, 2021, 7:00-8:30 PM EST, I was a guest on Miami Ghost Chronicles, a weekly paranormal talk show hosted by Marlene Pardo Pellicer. The show is devoted to unravelling the mysteries of the paranormal world and discussing “just plain weird stuff”, as she puts it, with authors, experts and those who have witnessed the unexplained.

Marlene is a native Miamian and an author of fiction and non-fiction books. She is also the producer, host and narrator of the paranormal talk show, Stories of the Supernatural and  podcast shows Nightshade Diary, Supernatural StoryTime and the blog author of Stranger Than Fiction. She appeared in S1E1 of Paranormal Survivor which presently airs on Destination America and Netflix, and S1E12 of Haunted Hospitals which airs on the Trvl channel.

Marlene holds a Master of Science degree in Human Behavior & Health. She is a certified master hypnotist and considers herself a subconscious behaviorist and had a private practice for many years. She founded Miami Ghost Chronicles in the 1990s, and considers herself one of only a handful of "hardcover paranormal investigators" who work under what she calls the "dungeon" approach, which is little or no reliance on technology to research the unseen world of the paranormal. She has worked mainly with research groups in Florida, but she has also assisted other organizations and private clients across the country.

Marlene & I had a lively hour & a half discussion on a variety of topics: life, the afterlife, the necessity for believing in something “larger than oneself” and, of course, the core topics in my book.  In particular, we talked about “real” and so-called artificial intelligence & speculated about whether or not robots or VR “idols” will ever achieve a level of mental acuity comparable to humankind.

The interview will be uploaded to Marlene’s website (and YouTube) in the immediate future.

https://www.miamighostchronicles.com/

JLS

 

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

December 15, 2021

 Greetings Everyone! 

This Christmas, why not give the gift of knowledge- weird, wonderful knowledge- which is the best kind!   My books are easy to understand, jargon-free & fun to read.  And they make the perfect gifts for friends & family members.

The prices are the best that they have ever been, so check them out on Amazon and any other online or real-time bookstore.  They are essential reading for anyone who is a fan of the great New England horror writer H. P. Lovecraft & for readers who like science fiction, horror & fantasy literature.

My books look good together under the Christmas Tree- red, gold & black and sparkling with speculative wisdom & light!  They make good stocking stuffers as well.

Merry Christmas To All!

JLS

https://www.amazon.com/Lovecraft-Black-Magickal-Tradition-Influence/dp/157863587X

https://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Reality-Science-Fiction-Lovecraft/dp/178904510X

Monday, December 6, 2021

December 6, 2021

Greetings Everyone! 

Christmas is on the way & it is time to think about getting the perfect gifts for friends & family members.

Why not give the gift of knowledge?  And what better than weird-knowledge?

Think about giving the gift of my two books.  They are essential reading for anyone who is a fan of the great New England horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and for readers who like science fiction, horror & fantasy literature in general.

My books look good together under the Christmas Tree!  Red, gold, black & sparkling with speculative wisdom & light!

JLS

https://www.amazon.com/Lovecraft-Black-Magickal-Tradition-Influence/dp/157863587X

https://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Reality-Science-Fiction-Lovecraft/dp/178904510X






Monday, November 15, 2021

November 15, 2021

 Greetings Everyone!

My second book - Aliens, Robots & Virtual Reality Idols in the Science Fiction of H.P Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov and William Gibson - has just been reviewed in the prestigious DePauw University journal Science Fiction Studies by E. Mariah Spencer, Vol 48, No. 3 (November 2021), pp. 600-604.

Please use the link below & then log into the JSTOR digital database to access the review. 

Professor Spencer flatters me by referring to my “masterful storytelling ability” & recognizes that, in the final analysis, the readers of my book (and of the remarkable works of Lovecraft, Asimov & Gibson) must come up with their own interpretations of what an “alien” really is- and perhaps more importantly, decide how the genuinely alien entity differs from entities linked to specific “markers of otherness” – such as ethnicity, gender, race, disability & age- all of which are, in my view, merely human-centric associations.

Best wishes to all of you!

JLS

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5621/sciefictstud.48.3.0600?refreqid=excelsior%3A435b19a8aeabd74db8011c9048c6e653

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

November 3, 2021

Greetings Everyone!  

Autumn continues.  The skies orange and ash gray at twilight; the  leaves brown, yellow & red as they fall from the trees; all working their magic as the season declines & moves towards winter. 

This is the perfect time to check out my two books!  They are essential reading for everyone who is an autumn person & a fan of the great New England horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.

And, of course, for readers who like science fiction, horror & fantasy literature.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/178904510X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_tkin_p1_i1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157863587X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_tkin_p1_i0





Saturday, October 30, 2021

October 30, 2021

Greetings!

This is my daughter Ligeia, all ready for Halloween night!

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

JLS


Saturday, October 23, 2021

October 23, 2021


Greetings Everyone!

Before ending my series of October postings, it is only fitting to cite Edgar Allan Poe, an autumn person to the roots of his heart & soul. 

In his greatest poem “Ulalume”, Poe describes the October dream-scape that his narrator is journeying through on his way to a mysterious destination.  It is clear that this nightmarish experience is taking place on Halloween night.

The skies they were ashen and sober;

The leaves they were crisped and sere-

The leaves they were withering and sere:

It was night, in the lonesome October

Of my most immemorial year:

          It was hard by the dim  lake of Auber,

In the misty mid region of Weir:-

It was down by the dark tarn of Auber,

In the ghoul-haunted woodland  of Weir.

The narrator encounters weird visions- including the “specter” of a planet- a ghost planet! – and ends up standing before the tomb of his beloved- the Lady Ulalume.

The narrator has been tricked by the woodland ghouls into a confrontation with Death.   And this is the ultimate Halloween trick or treat!

JLS

Saturday, October 16, 2021

October 16, 2021

Greetings Everyone!

The third week of October!

Ray Bradbury describes October in his book The October Country  as: “that country where it is always turning late in the year.  “That country  where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnights stay.  That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun.  That country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts.  Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sound like rain....”

In another book, Bradbury warns us against the autumn people, who, he argues, are evil & seek to ensnare human souls.  In his gothic tales, Bradbury’s autumn people are indeed evil. 

But there are autumn people who have souls & are not evil; they love autumn & celebrate the death of the year & the renewal that always follows.

JLS

Friday, October 8, 2021

October 8, 2021

 

Greetings Everyone!

This is the second week of the month of October!  

H. P. Lovecraft, as much a patron-saint of autumn as Ray Bradbury, writes in his poem “October”:

Mellow-fac’d, with eyes of faery, wistful clad in tinted leaves,

See the brown October tarry by the golden rows of sheaves;

Oak and acorn in his garland, fruit and wineskin in his hands,

Mystic pilgrim from a far land down the road to farther lands.

 The “farther lands” referred to in the last line are what Halloween is all about- half-seen sights from the outer distance & half-heard sounds from the outer spheres.

 JLS

 

          



Thursday, October 7, 2021

October 7, 2021

Let’s meditate on the meaning of Halloween during this second week of October.

Halloween began in the ninth & eleventh centuries in Europe as preludes to two church holidays: All Saints Day & All Souls Day.

On these days, the Catholics prayed that the souls of all those who died will pass from death to life.  This was symbolic-  it meant  simply the passage from the “death” of an unproductive, evil existence to the “life” of a productive, creative existence.

So, Dark Friends & Colleagues, do as our ancestors did before us- make a vow to yourselves on this most special All Hallows season to spend your existence on this earth creatively & productively.

And not only during the dark months, but throughout the coming year.

JLS


Friday, October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021

Greetings Everyone!

October 1st, the first day of my favourite month!  The air crisp, long shadows in the day with slanting beams of sunshine, the skies orange & ash gray at twilight and Halloween just around the corner!

Ray Bradbury, the patron-saint of autumn, writes about Halloween: "Night came out from under each tree and spread ...The wind  nested in each tree, prowled the sidewalks in invisible treads like unseen cats....Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows Eve.  Everything seemed cut from soft black velvet or gold or orange velvet.  Smoke panted up out of a thousand chimneys like the plumes of funeral parades...."  JLS





Wednesday, September 1, 2021

September 1, 2021

 Greetings Everyone!  

Autumn is here!   The darkness is now richer & more special; the twilight  mystical & eldritch; the moon sickle-like, half or full, as the case might be- ripe Harvest moons each week as the season progresses.

This is the perfect season to check out my two books!  They are essential reading for everyone who is a fan of Halloween  & the great New England horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.

And, of course, for readers who like science fiction, horror & fantasy literature.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/178904510X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_tkin_p1_i1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157863587X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_tkin_p1_i0

Monday, August 2, 2021

August 2, 2021

Greetings Everyone!  

Please check out my two books!  They are essential reading for everyone who is a fan of the great New England horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.

And for readers who like science fiction, horror & fantasy literature in general.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/178904510X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_tkin_p1_i1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157863587X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_tkin_p1_i0







 

Friday, July 2, 2021

July 2, 2021

Greetings Everyone!

Here's a recent Amazon review from Sir Readsalot about my new book!

“Nonfiction books of this variety are few and far between. High concept and academic, yet accessible. Specific, yet covering all required bases and sticking a solid landing.

This book expanded my thinking on the subjects of aliens, robots, and VR – all quite common sf topics and, if I’m being honest, got me excited again to think of these things as much more than tropes, but as deliberate conversation pieces within our fiction.”

I hope you will agree after you read the book! So please pick up a copy!  

https://www.amazon.com/John-L-Steadman/e/B0106RC2KM%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

JLS


Thursday, June 17, 2021

June 17, 2021

 Greetings Everyone!

Recently, I  was a guest on Midnight in the Desert, which is broadcast on the Dark Matter Network. The interview ran from 12 PM- 3 AM Eastern Standard Time &  was my longest interview to date. It was also one of my best.  My host Tim Ozman & I covered a broad & delightful range of topics:

*H. P. Lovecraft & prehistoric alien invaders.

* Isaac Asimov’s Foundation & Robot Novels.

* William Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy.

*The equivalence of Lovecraft’s views to those of contemporary quantum physics.

*Gibson’s views on virtual reality & how it relates to “real” reality.

*The diminishment of humankind in the 21st century & beyond.

*My own personal experience with the “alien” & what the word “alien” really means. 

Please check it out!  It was a fun & speculative romp through the darker recesses of popular culture & cosmic consciousness.

JLS

https://www.darkmatter.radio/blogs/dark-matter-after-midnight/midnight-in-the-desert-2-6-21-guest-john-l-steadman-to-discuss-aliens-robots-and-virtual-reality-idols



Wednesday, June 2, 2021

June 2, 2021

 Greetings Everyone!

What I like most about sci-fi literature is that it deals with a wider range of topics than conventional literature.  In conventional literature, we find the usual (and to me, rather boring) themes: love, sex, relationships, etc.- the so-called proper topics for people to be interested in.

But sci-fi literature encourages us to think about the larger issues: what exactly is meant by “space”, “dimension”  & “time”? ; what is the nature of reality? ; what are alternate, daughter dimensions & parallel universes? ; what is a “human being” & can humans transcend their own humanness?

H. P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov & William Gibson have some fascinating theories about these subjects.  Read about them in my new book!

https://www.amazon.com/John-L-Steadman/e/B0106RC2KM%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share



Friday, May 14, 2021

May 14, 2021

 

Greetings Everyone!

Recently, I did one of my best interviews ever  on the Paranormal Soup Webcast; also, my longest interview – two & a half hours! 

Host Jason Bland & I talked about my new book, and also, about a vast array of topics: life, the afterlife, and the uncanny ability of science fiction writers & filmmakers to read current cultural trends & patterns and then predict what will be happening in the future!

Please watch the interview on YouTube using the link below!

JLS

Paranormal Soup Ep 253- Guest John L. Steadman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkAP_IkY2tE&feature=youtu.be


Saturday, May 8, 2021

May 8, 2021

 

Greetings Everyone! 

My new book Aliens, Robots & Virtual Reality Idols in the Science Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov and William Gibson has been officially released & published by Zero Books as of November 1st.

The book can be ordered from Google, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Indiebound, Hive and many other online retail sites; you can get it in real-time book stories as well. 

I appreciate all of you who are planning to read my new book. This book was so much fun for me to write & I think that it will be fun to read.

Along the way,  I raise some important questions: What is meant by the terms "alien" and " human being"? Can human beings evolve into homo-sapiens pluses and if so, do they become supra-human or else dehumanized monsters? What is meant by the concepts "space" and "time", and most intriguingly, is space = time?

We cannot really answer these questions conclusively, but we can speculate about the answers. And that is what is really fun to do!

JLS

https://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Reality-Science-Fiction-Lovecraft/dp/178904510X


Saturday, April 24, 2021

April 24, 2021

 Greetings Everyone!

Recently, I appeared as a guest on the Ghostly Talk Podcast, a weekly, unscripted talk show exploring supernatural, paranormal & speculative topics.

Ghostly Talk is hosted by Scott L. & Amberrose Hammond.  The segment is EP 142: John L. Steadman- Aliens, Robots and Virtual Reality Idols in Science Fiction.

Please listen via the link below.

 https://ghostlytalk.com/ep-142-john-l-steadman-aliens-robots-and-virtual-reality-idols-in-science-fiction

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

March 16, 2021

Marc Schuster, the host & creator of Abominations, a podcast on Spotify.com that conducts film & book reviews, gave my new book a perceptive review on March 14, 2021.  I hope you’ll listen in via the link below!

Marc Schuster is the author of  The Grievers, a “coming of age” novel about a group of friends who went to high school together & must come to grips with the suicide of a fellow classmate.   Other works include The Singular Exploits of Wonder Mom and Party Girl (The Permanent Press 2011) &  Don DeLillo, Jean Baudrillard, and the Consumer Conundrum (Cambria 2008).

In addition, he is also the book reviewer for Small Press Reviews, a blog started in November of 2007 to promote books from small and independent presses. The blog is currently featured on Word Press, as of March, 2009.

https://anchor.fm/marc-schuster/episodes/Aliens--Robots--and-VR-Idols-eshkgb

 



Saturday, March 13, 2021

March 14, 2021

 Greetings Everyone!

Here's a recent Amazon review from Sir Readsalot about my new book!

“Nonfiction books of this variety are few and far between. High concept and academic, yet accessible. Specific, yet covering all required bases and sticking a solid landing.

This book expanded my thinking on the subjects of aliens, robots, and VR – all quite common sf topics and, if I’m being honest, got me excited again to think of these things as much more than tropes, but as deliberate conversation pieces within our fiction.”

I hope you will agree after you read the book! So please pick up a copy!  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/178904510X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_tkin_p1_i0


Tuesday, March 2, 2021

March 2, 2021

Greetings Everyone

Spring is in the air & all around us!

A perfect time to read my new book, Aliens, Robots & Virtual Reality Idols in the Science Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov and William Gibson!

Sunday, February 7, 2021

February 7, 2021

 Greetings Everyone!

On February 6, 2021, I was a guest on Midnight in the Desert, which is broadcast on the Dark Matter Network.  My host, Tim Ozman, is the author of many popular books such as Secret Religion of the Elite, The Autohoaxer Handbook, and The Power of ME: Mandela Effect Magick.

The interview ran from 12 PM- 3 AM Eastern Standard Time &  was my longest interview to date. It was also one of my best. Tim & I discussed my new book Aliens, Robots & Virtual Reality Idols in the Science Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov and William Gibson.

We also covered a very broad & delightful range of other topics.

*H. P. Lovecraft & prehistoric alien invaders.

* Isaac Asimov’s Foundation & Robot Novels.

* William Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy.

*The equivalence of Lovecraft’s views to those of contemporary quantum physics.

*Gibson’s views on virtual reality & how it relates to “real” reality.

*The diminishment of humankind in the 21st century & beyond.

*My own personal experience with the “alien” & what the word “alien” really means. 

Please check it out!  It was a fun, joyous & speculative romp through the darker recesses of popular culture & cosmic consciousness.

JLS

https://www.darkmatter.radio/blogs/dark-matter-after-midnight/midnight-in-the-desert-2-6-21-guest-john-l-steadman-to-discuss-aliens-robots-and-virtual-reality-idols

 

Friday, February 5, 2021

February 6, 2021

 Greetings Everyone!

This Saturday night, 2/6/21, I am going to be a guest on Midnight in the Desert, which is broadcast on the Dark Matter Digital Network.  The show will run from 12 Midnight- 3 AM Eastern Standard Time (9 PM-12 Pacific Time)

I will be interviewed by Tim Ozman,  the host of Infinite Plane Radio and author of  many popular books such as Secret Religion of the Elite, The Flat Earthers: Life On The Edge of Reality, The Autohoaxer Handbook, and The Power of ME: Mandela Effect Magick.

Tim & I will be discussing my new book, Aliens, Robots & Virtual Reality Idols in the Science Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov and William Gibson.  We will also cover a host of interesting, speculative topics, all of which, like my book, defy the normal perceptions of reality.

Please tune in on Saturday!

https://tunein.com/radio/Dark-Matter-Digital-Network-s211941/

JLS

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

January 27, 2021

 I am the author of Aliens, Robots & Virtual Reality Idols in the Science Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov and William Gibson, published by Zero Books.  

My book is a spirited, speculative & fun romp through the greatest works of the three most well-known & influential sf writers in the history of the genre.

I examine exactly what an alien is, what a human being is and how artificially intelligent entities can, by a simple act of will, evolve into nouveau aliens whose objectives are at odds with human exceptionalism, free will & objectivity- the things that make us human beings.

Lovecraft, Asimov & Gibson posit a dark future.  But my book is not dark; I argue that humans are more than capable of becoming Type IV status, as Michio Kaku calls it, who can transcend the limitations of space and time.

I like to see light on the mountain tops; 2020 has been a troubling year in many ways, but I see light now in this new year coming out everywhere.

Best wishes.

John L. Steadman


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JHFJQ8N/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1


Monday, January 18, 2021

January 18, 2021

In my new book, I explore the difference between human & non-human.

Perhaps, if the non-human becomes self-actualized, then there is no difference.

Check it out!

JLS

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/178904510X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_tkin_p1_i1

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

January 7, 2021

Greetings Everyone!

I am going to be a guest on the After Hours AM paranormal talk show on Thursday night, January 7, 2021, 10 PM- 11 PM Eastern Time. 

My host, Joel Sturgis, & I will be talking about my new book, Aliens, Robots & Virtual Reality Idols in the Science Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov and William Gibson.  Naturally, we will also cover a delightful range of other topics.

Both my host & myself  love speculating about things that defy the normal perceptions of reality- the paranormal, ghosts, aliens, bigfoot, space, time, parallel universes, alternate dimensions ; I hope we can hit as many of these fun topics as possible!

JLS 

 https://www.blogtalkradio.com/afterhoursam#



Monday, January 4, 2021

January 4, 2021

 

Greetings Everyone!

Sunday night, I did one of my best interviews ever  on the Paranormal Soup Webcast; also, my longest interview – two & a half hours! 

Host Jason Bland & I talked about my new book, and also, about a vast array of topics: life, the afterlife, and the uncanny ability of science fiction writers & filmmakers to read current cultural trends & patterns and then predict what will be happening in the future!

Please watch the interview on YouTube using the link below!

JLS

Paranormal Soup Ep 253- Guest John L. Steadman

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkAP_IkY2tE&feature=youtu.be

 

Friday, January 1, 2021

January 1, 2021

Happy New Year Everyone!

This coming Sunday night, 1/3/21, starting 11:25 ET pm, I will be on Paranormal Soup, a live Webcast that runs every Sunday night 8 pm- 11 pm PT; 10 pm-1 am CT ; and 11 pm-2 am ET on Facebook & YouTube.

The Show is hosted by  paranormal investigator Jason Bland; you can join the discussion livestream on the shows  Facebook page & YouTube Channel.

Here are the links:

https://www.facebook.com/1584344708520347/posts/2831050797183059/?d=n

https://youtu.be/GkAP_IkY2tE

I’ll be talking about my new book Aliens, Robots & Virtual Reality Idols in the Science Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov and William Gibson. This book is a “very interesting work of creative nonfiction,” as it has been described, which “defies the normal perceptions of reality”!

Please tune in on Sunday night- it’s a great way to usher in the New Year!

JLS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkAP_IkY2tE&feature=youtu.be