About

Hello there! I am author based out of Austin, TX. I usually write speculative fiction with either a literary or comedic bent to it.

I usually publish under the names Jonathan K. Webb (my main pen name, reserved for more dramatic fiction, and general branding), Kyle J. Webb (for more comedic fiction), or my imprint name, QuadrantNine (for business & publishing updates, in which my newsletter is under). Confusing, I know. But the one thing I’ve learned from being a part of the indie publishing scene is that the algorithm controls everything, and the best way to appease it is to have different names and accounts for your different interests. However, for all intents and purposes, Jonathan K. Webb can be seen as my “main” pen name and the pen name I use to represent myself in all things writing & reading, from public appearances to social media. The rest exists just to not confuse the almighty algorithm.

Themes I like to explore are: existentialism, identity, and meaning & meaninglessness (and the gray areas between); just dressed in different genres. Most of my writing philosophy stems from the idea of “things happen, and people deal with it.” So I tend to focus less on why something is happening, and more on how people react to it. The specific mechanisms behind the cause for the story is less interesting to me. I also like to explore these topics in both comedic and dramatic lenses, as I believe that both are just two different angles to look at the same thing. Also, sometimes I just want to write something funny, and other times something more sober.

Outside of writing & reading I’m a big fitness nut and am usually doing some form of exercise on a daily basis. I also have a wonderful wife & two very loving dogs. My day job is in public utilities, formerly on the engineering side but recently switched to project management.

I am also left handed and I like to joke that all of my main characters are canonically left handed too, unless otherwise stated. (If it’s an ensemble cast then the character I relate to most is the lefty).

You can check out my books (under all pen names) here. If you’re looking for a taste of my writing, I have plenty of short stories you can read for free here.

If you’re looking for book recommendations, my favorite books are:

  • Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer – This is my absolute favorite book of all time. Vandermeer’s writing inspires me to always be improving as an author, and has fundamentally changed what kinds of books I like to read ever since I read it in 2017. There are just so many things this book does that I love: from the nameless protagonist, to Vandermeer’s vivid descriptions, the somber and reflective atmosphere and prose, and being the epitome of the “things happen, and people deal with it” style of storytelling. I reread Annihilation once a year just to experience it again. I cannot recommend this book, and the rest of The Southern Reach Series, enough.
  • Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami – This is a book that took me by surprise. I never thought that contemporary-Japanese-women’s-literary-fiction would be a genre I’d ever read. But when I began writing I began following the advice of reading outside of your preferred genre. This book crossed my radar when I joined an online book club in 2020, and I’m happy it did! Kawakami’s prose is some of the most beautiful prose I’ve ever read. Every paragraph reads like a painting. I’ve since read all of her English translated books. I just can’t get enough of her writing.
  • The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins – Leaning more towards my love of absurdity and dark comedy, The Library at Mount Char is a fun read about a woman from the suburbs trying to usurp her father, who also is in fact the god of all creation. Lots of insane world building, grind house levels of horror and violence, and a dark comedic tone.
  • Bunny by Mona Awad – Also more on the absurdist side, but less comedic. Once this book gets going it gets going, taking the reader on a psychedelic journey. I think I read this book in like two days, which is a record for me since I’m not the fastest reader.
  • The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch – This is the most recent addition to my favorite books list. So perfectly atmospheric and with one of the more unique time travel mechanics I’ve seen in fiction (you can only travel forward in time and back to when you left, and you only travel forward to one of the infinite possible futures from that point). It’s one of those books that has just stuck with me since I read it.

I also co-run a small indie author group based in Austin, TX. So here are some honorable shout-outs to the authors in the group with links to their books on Amazon. They are (in no particular order):