Photo of me, Zachary Dillon. I'm 39 years old, white, and I have glasses, a beard, and I'm wearing a green sweater. I'm standing in the woods, so there are blurry trees behind me. Oh, and I'm smiling, because I like the woods, not because I like having my picture taken.

I Hear You Watching is a novel I wrote based on my experience with hearing voices and paranoia.

I wrote it because I believe sharing my story has the power to:

  1. Entertain you. It’s horrifying and hilarious—often simultaneously.

  2. Help readers with similar experiences feel less alone. Because you aren’t alone! We are surprisingly many!

  3. Help readers who know someone with similar experiences understand what that person went/is going through.

  4. Destigmatize conversations about mental health. Lift the rock, watch all the creepy crawlies scurry away, and let the stinky, moldy glop underneath get some fresh air and sunlight!

I’m Zachary Dillon, and I’m a fiction author who specializes in stories about the absurd psychedelia of human existence.

I published a collection of flash fiction on the subject, illustrated by artists I admire, called People With Problems.

I Hear You Watching is my debut novel, released in ebook and paperback in 2023. To get the word out about it, I’m posting it here for you to read—for free—a chapter every week.

Start reading here


Review excerpts for I Hear You Watching:

“The honesty of the author's storytelling is disarming, uncomfortable at times, absolutely poetic, and profoundly human.” — Goodreads

“It distills the experience of social anxiety and paranoia in such a harrowing and palpable way.” — Amazon

“A gripping page turner. You won't put it down.” — Amazon

“…this novel is utterly unique and, from a certain perspective, absolutely terrifying.” — Goodreads

“A deep, soul-pulling dive with a satisfying end.” — Amazon


Graphic for Zachary Dillon's interview on the "Happiful: Finding What Works" podcast

I was also a guest on the Happiful: Finding What Works podcast to talk about my experience, recovery, and the novel. You can listen to the episode here.

I’m excited to see what Substack readers think of my book! If you can’t wait for the whole book to post, you can…

Buy the novel in ebook or paperback

Or you can read it here, a chapter a week, for free.

User's avatar

Subscribe to I Hear You Watching

A disturbing, deeply interior psychological suspense novel based on my experience with hearing voices and paranoia.

People

"I Hear You Watching" is a disturbing, deeply interior psychological suspense novel based on my experience with hearing voices and paranoia.