John Wiswell on the Web

Today I'm proud to present "Open House on Haunted Hill, " one of my favorite stories I've ever written. It follows the lon...

My mom doesn't really like Fantasy and Science Fiction. She barely reads what I write, preferring more grounded dramas like No Country f...

Every Christmas I give my brother a book. Because he's the inspired sort who prods, shakes and holds his wrapped presents to the light t...

"Dad, I’m a fairy princess and I’m off to slay the dragon!" "That sounds exciting. How do you beat a dragon?" ...

I’m thankful for having a genius brother. I could always pass a Math test, but Jasper had ambition, whether it was hot-wiring cars or counti...

There were only my parents left to tell. I rolled up to the house and found Dad on the porch. An extension cord ran through the window to po...

You didn’t have to elope. Okay, your mother never would have given her blessing to you marrying a… one of them. But I would have. You’re my...

I've been swimming to tinker with my health recently, striving to make across the little lake in our area. I was finishing my one a...

“Oh God, can we just leave? I can’t take the stares. It's like I'm meat.” "You look great, honey." "You think?” ...

"Don’t have sons. If they survive childhood, they’ll be drafted off to war, sentencing you to spending every day dreading news. Yo...

Anton sits on his knees before the grave of Anton. For a while, Emil and Yulia's son holds Anton's left hand and does his impression...

Wednesday was not the day I bargained for. The neurologist has no theory on why my legs are losing feeling or motion. Her best advice was to...

I have never encountered an illness like that of the Young Master. What more rational name there is than “illness,” I am unaware, th...

It’s still surprising Mom lived so long. She was a sweet lady, always donated to UNICEF and Make-A-Wish. She worked as a maid at one of the ...

At 12:06 on October 15th, my grandfather passed away. I've been prepared for this for too long, and it's left me with too many thoug...

This absolutely did not happen, and is especially not about me or anything I said to my niece, no matter what anyone tells you. It is e...

“They don't want you to be yourself. And it's not just because deep down people are insecure, scared, misinformed, hungry and horn...

Because they lived near The Z, there were some customs they couldn’t discard. Leaving their uncle to die would only make him wander into...

This is my youngest cousin, Will Corcoran. He’s the only son to Jodi and Bean Corcoran, and brother to three loving sisters.  Will was b...