Introducing our new contributor, J.S. Harman!
I'm J.S. Harman (also go by JSH online!) a social worker turned author who writes spooky sci-fi adventures, with intentions of adding fantasy to the catalogue.
On the surface, my work tackles many classic science fiction themes, such as existentialism, evolution, and our place in the universe, but on a deeper level, it explores the experience of anxiety, trauma and self-alienation that many of us go through. I write about imperfect characters in dangerous settings, love a well-constructed cliffhanger and an ending that makes you think!
Since launching my debut in 2025, I’ve received the honour of a finalist place in the widely-respected Aurealis Awards (Best Science Fiction Novel 2025) and First Place in the BookFest awards. Closer to home, I received second place in the 2025 Geelong Writers Competition and was a finalist in the 2025 Verandah E40 Journal and 2025 @IGWriter Awards.
This year, I took the leap into independently publishing full time, and share much of the highs and lows of this journey via social media – particularly Instagram! I write five days a week, and typically attend events and markets on the other two – so you could say I live and breathe this job, and I’ve never been happier. Prior to this career change, I worked for years in acute mental health, homelessness and disability spaces, and have maintained a passion for contributing to my community. I have been a passionate reader and writer since my earliest years, completing my first story at age 10, and spend my spare time playing video games, completing puzzles, assembling LEGO, and wishing I lived somewhere up in the mountains by a lake.
I’ll be sharing various parts of the independent publishing process with the Cereal, please let me know what things you’d most like to learn about!
If you’d like to check out my books, you can find them on my website, here:
https://jsharman.com.au
Or on Amazon, here:
My best social media platform is Instagram - @j.s.harman.author, but I also keep the lights on over on Facebook and Tiktok, under the same handle.