Shawn M. Klimek is a speculative fiction author and poet whose work spans science fiction, fantasy, horror, and humorous verse. With dozens of published short stories and poems appearing in anthologies and magazines across multiple continents, he writes with equal comfort in the darkly macabre and the delightfully absurd.
He is currently at work on two short story collections — a science fiction anthology and a fantasy anthology — both forthcoming under Jot in the Dark Publishing.
His work has appeared in publications by Black Hare Press, Clarendon House, Zombie Pirate Publishing, Spillwords Press, NewMyths, and many others. He has also won recognition in the Winning Writers Wergle Flomp Humorous Poetry Contest.
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A dark fantasy story told in five poems — Hungry Thing follows the fate of a young girl named Gladys in a tale that is by turns lyrical, eerie, and unforgettable. This debut collection is a collaboration between word and image unlike any other.
"The perfect collaboration between writer and artist."James Bates · Amazon
"You'd think poetry was his first language."Patt O'Neil · Amazon
"Whimsy abounds, yet never strays far from the specter of darkness."Sharon Frame Gay · Amazon
"More a work of art to treasure than simply a book to read."Denise · Goodreads
"This book really is a hungry thing, as it pulls you in and in."Julie Eger · Goodreads
A dark fantasy story told in five poems — Hungry Thing follows the fate of a young girl named Gladys in a tale that is by turns lyrical, eerie, and unforgettable. This collection is a collaboration between word and image unlike any other.
Five poems · Twenty original illustrations · Second edition (2026)
"It's extremely rare to read a book of any kind in which the sentences, the phrases, sing — but Hungry Thing does just that."
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Publishing news, writing reflections, and dispatches from the creative life.
"The End of Winter" — from Hungry Thing
Original illustration & December 2024 five-year anniversary colorization by Norbert Somosi
"The Hungry Thing" illustrated in color by Norbert Somosi