R. Thomas Riley profile picture

R. Thomas Riley

Author R. Thomas Riley

About Me

Praise for TTGD

"Truly an excellent writer." - Matt Schwartz of Shocklines

" "Black" is the best horror story I've read this year. Yes, it's THAT GOOD! "Among Us" shows a terrific writer hitting on all cylinders. Yessiree, this right here shows Riley at the top of his writing ability. It's truly a must-read for all fans that enjoy a great horror/noir combination!" - George R. Taylor, shocklines member and author

"You know how you listen to a really good album and think to yourself, "This guy had all the right influences?" R. Thomas Riley is a lot like that. He's a writer that has studied his Rod Serling, channels just the right amount of Edgar Allen Poe's ghost, and taps that same Southern gothic vein that Joe R. Lansdale has been so blissfully strung out on all these years. And in Through the Glass Darkly he showcases an eclectic mix of fourteen short stories that are like literary jazz. He'll play you a bar of psychological horror ("The Radio"), then bridge with some splatterpunk ("Hum," "Ephilates"), and bust out a refrain of sci-fi/fantasy ("Among Us"). So no matter what your particular genre fiction kink, there are stories in this collection you'll tune in to. It's a great value for the money, and a great introduction to a young author who's just getting started. I want R. Thomas Riley to lie to me again, and you will too." - Matt Wallace, author of the sci-fi noir series The Failed Cities Monolgues

"Almost universally the atmosphere of [R. Thomas Riley's] stories is dark and claustrophobic. There are no happy moments in these tales and there is seldom any hint of a happy ending. Riley's descriptions are mostly tight and always evocative. In this area he excels, drawing you in and holding you close to the underbelly of the human race. It's not pretty, but it's very well handled." - James A. Moore, Chaos Bleeds, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Author

"There's a special room reserved for R. Thomas Riley, a place unblemished by hope and adorned in terror. In Through the Glass Darkly he submits a collection of tales that destroys any belief in sanctification of the righteous... best read at night, alone, with minimal light and the doors locked." --John Paul Allen, author of the Stoker recommended Gifted Trust and the highly anticipated Pretzel Logic

"R. Thomas Riley is a shining new voice in the world of small press horror. Through the Glass Darkly is a terror filled ride, that you shouldn't miss. I expect we'll be seeing a lot more from Mr. Riley in the future." -- Eric S. Brown, author of Dying Days, Space Stations and Graveyards


Dating & Relationship Advice
MySpace Layouts

My Interests

Books:

Brittle Bones, Plastic Skin- An Amazon Short

Touching God- An Amazon Short

Heroes:

"It's important your sand castle is knocked down early on in your career. Only when you realize you truly suck can you take steps to unsuck." Karen Koehler

My Blog

Official TOC announced for MONSTROUS* (working title)

MONSTROUS* (working title)Edited by RYAN C. THOMASWith an Introduction by STEVE ALTENPublished by PERMUTED PRESSTOC (in no particular order):Nate Kenyon  Keeping WatchJohn Towler  ScalesR. Thomas Ri...
Posted by R. Thomas Riley on Fri, 09 May 2008 07:00:00 PST

Permuted Press: Robots Beyond Cover Art Revealed!

go here (http://permutedpress.com/smf/index.php?topic=3118.0) to view the amazing cover art.What the editor had to say about my story: " "Surveillance," by R. Thomas Riley, is not your traditional cop...
Posted by R. Thomas Riley on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:51:00 PST

New Home Owner

Well, it's all finalized as of this morning. I'm officially a new home owner. Not sure how I feel about it just yet, but it'll sink in eventually, I'm sure. AND this time, nobody walked out on me j...
Posted by R. Thomas Riley on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:43:00 PST

New interview...

This is my first interview in quite a while, so check it out. Read the interview here and see what I've been up to. www.myspace.com/darkgraffitiThomas
Posted by R. Thomas Riley on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:29:00 PST

Steve Vernon reviews Gratia Placenti-Fearzone.com

On my story, Mr. Vernon had this to say "Only Spirits Cry" by R. Thomas Riley damn near made me cry...Full Review Thomas...
Posted by R. Thomas Riley on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 04:53:00 PST

Huge news for Permuted’s Giant Creature Anthology!

My story, The Locusts Have a King, will be in this: From the Editor, Ryan C. ThomasTwo big developments have occurred of late:1. Marvel Comics artist Jeromy Cox will be painting the cover. His stuff i...
Posted by R. Thomas Riley on Sat, 23 Feb 2008 07:09:00 PST

Back in Print...Soon!

My first collection, "Through the Glass Darkly" is coming back into print! New title, new cover artwork, new publisher, and up to 20,000 words of fresh fiction. Stay tuned....Thomas...
Posted by R. Thomas Riley on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:31:00 PST

Surveillance- New Story Accepted!

From Editor Lane Adamson: " "Surveillance," by R. Thomas Riley, is not your traditional cop story. It's a bleak, dark look into the soul of a robot who would be a man--and by reflection, into the sou...
Posted by R. Thomas Riley on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:37:00 PST

The Locusts Have A King- New Story Accepted!

Just got word my story, "The Locusts Have A King," has been officially accepted in Permuted Press' forthcoming Giant Creatures anthology edited by Ryan C. Thomas. Details about the project can be foun...
Posted by R. Thomas Riley on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:57:00 PST

Horror World Reviews Gratia Placenti...and they dug it, of course!

Full review can be found here: http://www.horrorworld.org/reviews.htmAbout my story: "...This run of truly exceptional short stories is continued with R. Thomas Riley's Only Spirits Cry, another lyric...
Posted by R. Thomas Riley on Sat, 05 Jan 2008 03:00:00 PST