In this episode, host John welcomes back award-winning author Aaron Ryan, creator of The Dissonance Saga and the upcoming Talisman Series. Together, they explore the dark corners of imagination, morality, and survival — from terrifying alien invasions to the power of hope in a collapsing world.
Aaron shares how The Dissonance Saga began as a trilogy and grew into a six-book epic of human endurance against monstrous Gorgons that paralyze their victims with a glance. He reveals the real-life fears and cinematic influences behind his stories — from Clash of the Titans to Lord of the Rings — and how his new Talisman trilogy continues his exploration of faith, redemption, and cosmic bargains.
They dive deep into:
👁️ The terrifying origins of the Gorgons and why fear fuels creativity
🧬 How science fiction can mirror real-world crises like AI and genetic engineering
💀 Why humanity—not monsters—is often its own worst enemy
💫 The importance of hope as the central theme in dark fiction
🎥 The challenges of adapting his novels (Dissonance, Forecast, The End) into award-winning screenplays
Aaron also talks about his creative process, his struggles with writer’s block, and the personal moments that shaped his characters — from flawed heroes to wise mentors like Pastor Rosie, who appears across his connected “Ryanverse.”
“I wanted to reinvent the wheel — something terrifying, but rooted in humanity.”
“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. Without it, everything collapses.”
“AI can’t write emotion. It can’t feel loss or faith — that’s why human stories matter.”
“The Gorgons came from my childhood fear of Medusa. That’s where the nightmares began.”
“Fiction lets us explore moral questions safely — what we could do, and what we shouldn’t.”
Aaron Ryan is the author of The Dissonance Saga, The End, The Phoenix Experiment, and the upcoming Talisman Series. His work blends high-concept science fiction with human emotion, tackling moral dilemmas, faith, and the endurance of hope in apocalyptic worlds. His screenplay adaptations have won multiple festival awards and are currently in development.
📚 Find Aaron at:
🌐 AuthorAaronRyan.com
📘 Facebook Group: Author Aaron Ryan Group for giveaways, sneak peeks, and news.
🛒 Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Smashwords & Google Play.
Join John as he and Aaron venture beyond the paranormal and into the cosmic unknown — where aliens, ethics, and the human heart collide.
🎙️ “The Dissonance Saga is an alien invasion story — but at its core, it’s about us.”
