About The Living Dark
Welcome to The Living Dark
The Living Dark is a space for my work as a writer and thinker. This publication gathers my essays, reflections, research notes, works in progress, and explorations at the intersection of creativity, spirituality, horror, philosophy, and culture.
Entries here may take many forms: finished essays, in-process writings, research notes, and one-off reflections. Topics include the daemon muse and inspiration; nonduality and consciousness; horror, religion, and the sublime; and literature, philosophy, and commentary on books, ideas, and the shifting landscapes of thought and culture.
What Critics Have Said (about my books)
“[A] thinking-man’s book of the macabre.” — Publishers Weekly on Dark Awakenings
“Cardin’s accomplishments as a writer are paralleled by his expertise as a literary critic and theorist.” — Thomas Ligotti
“[A] landmark collection.” — Asimov’s Science Fiction on To Rouse Leviathan
“Informative . . . engaging . . . a pleasure to read.” — Booklist (starred review) on Horror Literature through History
“Fascinating.” — Kirkus Reviews on Horror Literature through History
“Recommended.’ — Library Journal on Mummies around the World
What Readers Have Said
“So happy I found your newsletter. Your insights on the writing process resonated deeply with me.” — Jennifer Sablich
“Your work has very much connected with me, especially the elements covering existential dread, Ligotti (of course!), and how we writers/humans can curate our own ‘meaning’ without coming apart.” — William Grabowski
“I’m so glad I found you, just as I was about to totally give up. Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge.” — V.
“You’re writing some of the freshest stuff on spiritual creativity I’ve seen since Julia Cameron and Natalie Goldberg.” — R. J.
“Your writing has helped me tap into parts of myself I feel very strongly but often struggle to articulate, particularly my relationship to spirituality, creativity, and what it means (or doesn’t mean) to be a person.” — Andrew Sanger
“Thank you for sharing your writing. It has been a tremendous help in shifting how I see creativity and ultimately life itself.” — J. B.
“I went through a challenging relationship with my writing, and your voice is helping me find my way out of that particular dark.” — M. Rickert
About the Author
I’m a writer and educator whose work explores creativity, spirituality, horror, and culture. With a master’s degree in religious studies and a Ph.D. in leadership, my writing spans fiction and nonfiction, focusing on the intersections of horror, religion, and creative inspiration. Beyond writing, I have worked as a professor, college vice president, videographer, media producer, and musician.
Who This Is For
Subscribe if you want to receive updates on my work and posts about creativity, nonduality, the daemon muse, the weird/supernatural, books, culture, and other matters of interest to the strange and spontaneous community of those of us who are drawn to such things.
