JOSEPH CILLO, JR. writes edgy Catholic fiction in a variety of genres. Whether it's a supernatural thriller like his graphic novel, Blind Prophet or a comedy like the 2019 Illumination Book Award Bronze Medal winner, Merry Friggin' Christmas: An Edgy Christmas Comedy, his work features unexpected plot twists, unique characters, and the highest of stakes. The added dimension of the supernatural infuses his work with stakes that go beyond life and death, and into the eternal. There is a basic, Catholic moral viewpoint behind his work that gives a solid foundation to what might otherwise be seen as purely fantastical. The reading experience can at times be unnerving, as the reader is drawn to consider whether the mystical nature of his tales is nearer to reality than the plainly material experiences of life. The eternal consequences of choices made by characters and spiritual dimensions of actions made clearly visible are mind-bending and thought-provoking. Joseph Cillo, Jr. classifies his writing as Edgy Catholic Fiction. Edgy Catholic Fiction is generally written for adult audiences, at minimum teens and up. The grouping crosses genres and includes a perspective that is generally consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church, which may include rather dramatic supernatural elements, as in the horror movie, The Exorcist, or other less dramatic religious elements, which could be as simple as characters relying on prayer. The religious elements may not be overt and could well lie only in the author's general perspective or a character's perspective that there is a God, and a moral, immutable foundation to the universe. For more information, please check out www.edgycatholic.comExamples of Edgy Catholic literature lie strewn throughout genres which no one has grouped together. Literary masters such as Graham Greene, Flannery O'Connor, J.R.R. Tolkien, and even, C.S. Lewis, who though not Catholic, was consistent with the Catholic perspective in his fiction, wrote works that fall into the Edgy Catholic domain. Dean Koontz, whose supernatural and suspense thrillers are written from a Catholic perspective and are quite edgy, is a more contemporary example of an Edgy Catholic author.Joseph Cillo, Jr. is the fourth of seven children, born within a year of his older sister in a most unplanned and yet welcome way. Having the great blessings of a loving family, however, did not prevent his drift into a sort of foolhardy extended adolescence for many years, broken only by suffering and illness, in a rather miraculous fashion. He now lives a life of quiet prayer and diligent work.
