Category: Inspirations

A Blanket of Steel, Climate Fiction, Cold War, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Ltd., Inspirations, Science Fiction, Suspense, TechnoThriller, The Rise of Oceania, Thriller, Timothy S. Johnston, Underwater Thriller, Writing

TSJ’s New Bio

The sixth — and final — book in my series, The Rise of Oceania, is due to publisher Fitzhenry and Whiteside at the end of the month. I’ve been working hard on it for over a year now. There’s a lot of story to wrap up, there are more graphics/schematics than in any of the previous installments, and I want this to be the most gripping conclusion possible. Each book is written as a standalone thriller, but collectively they tell a complete arc from Book 1 to Book 6. I’ve poured my energy into this for so many months now. Here is—

Escapist Entertainment — More Important Than You Might Think

December 12, 2022 • 0 Comments

Escapist Entertainment — More Important Than You Might Think

(Originally published 1 December 2022 at Crime Writers of Canada.)

Remember when your parents complained that you weren’t working hard enough? When they told you to get a job, do your school work, or wash the car? Or they piled pressure on you to get better marks, win awards, and get accepted into university? And while the stress mounted, you could only sit in your room, in the dark, wondering why no one understood that you were on the verge of cracking?

TSJ Talks Inspirations for The War Beneath

April 9, 2022 • 0 Comments

TSJ Talks Inspirations for The War Beneath

When I was a teenager, I read a lot of 1950s Science Fiction. It was the tail end of the “Golden Age of Science Fiction.” Asimov, Pohl, Heinlein, del Rey and more. I fell in love with the genre because of those books. They sparked my imagination and took me to fascinating locations in futuristic settings. The stakes were always huge. It’s those books that really taught me how important YA Science Fiction is. Readers get hooked on the genre early; it’s what happened to me.

My First Book Signing in Ages

April 4, 2022 • 0 Comments

My First Book Signing in Ages

On Sunday, I made the long voyage to Indigo/Chapters London North in London, Ontario for a book signing to promote my newest books, Fatal Depth and An Island of Light. I say this tongue in cheek, because the store is in the same city in which I live: London, Ontario. Usually I’m driving hours to a signing … this time, it was only twenty minutes. It was heaven.

John Carpenter’s Contribution to Speculative and Science Fiction Redux

May 8, 2021 • 0 Comments

John Carpenter’s Contribution to Speculative and Science Fiction Redux*

John Carpenter is my favorite director.

I think that’s pretty obvious if you’re familiar with my blog, Life After Gateway. My post “The Greatest Trifectas in Film History” made it clear that I believe him to be a visionary director whose massive appeal in the SF genre is on par with Cameron, Spielberg, and Abrams.

New Star Trek Film Coming from Paramount in 2023

April 10, 2021 • 0 Comments

New Star Trek Film (Finally) Coming from Paramount in 2023

Yesterday, Paramount Pictures announced a shuffling of their tentpole films on their upcoming slate. Some of the movies include Top Gun 2, Mission Impossible 7, and Dungeons & Dragons. Embedded in the announcement was a mention of an “Untitled Star Trek” film, to be released on June 9, 2023 and produced by JJ Abrams.

The Most Iconic Book Covers in the Thriller/Suspense/SF Genres

March 10, 2021 • 0 Comments

The Most Iconic Book Covers in the Thriller/Suspense/SF Genres

I’ve recently been re-reading some classic novels from my younger days, and I realized that some of their covers might now be considered iconic — some so notable that the movie marketing machines actually copied the book cover, further cementing the image in our minds. Here are some of those books.

Timothy S. Johnston’s Christmas Viewing List

December 17, 2020 • 1 Comment

Article updated December 2024.

This list is likely to change from year to year, so take it with a grain of salt. But if you’re looking for a more grown up slant to your Christmas holiday season, try one or more of these films.

CTV News Article on Timothy S. Johnston

November 16, 2020 • 0 Comments

CTV News Article on Timothy S. Johnston

Last week, CTV News ran an article about me and my love for the Science Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense genres and how they inspire me to write.

Horror/Sci-Fi/Suspense Influences on TSJ Before the Age of Ten

November 12, 2020 • 2 Comments

Horror/Sci-Fi/Suspense Influences on TSJ Before the Age of Ten

I recently published a blog piece celebrating my fiftieth year on the planet. In the article, I wrote about the books I read as a child under the age of ten. The intention was twofold: to inform people about the books that inspired a young boy to take on the monumental goal of writing science fiction thrillers (a task which took decades to achieve), and to implore parents to always buy books for their children.