Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 3, 2026

Josh Viola

Joshua "Josh" Viola is a science fiction/fantasy/horror writer and producer best known for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise and his companies Hex Publishers and Bit Bot Media.

Last revised
Jul 3, 2026
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Joshua Viola
Born (1983-07-23) July 23, 1983
Pen nameJ.V. Kyle, Jay Vee and Trevor Jones
OccupationWriter, Artist, Producer
GenreScience fiction, horror and fantasy
Notable worksLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise
Website
www.joshuaviola.com

Joshua "Josh" Viola (born July 23, 1983) is a science fiction/fantasy/horror writer and producer best known for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise and his companies Hex Publishers and Bit Bot Media.1

Background

Viola is Vice President of Frontière Natural Meats, a meat processing business worth over $55 million, co-founded and owned by his father, James.23

Viola co-wrote novels The Bane of Yoto with Nicholas Karpuk4 and Blackstar with Keith Ferrell, both published by Klayton's media imprint, FiXT. He directed the animated music video for Klayton's "Unshakeable".5

Using funds from Frontière Natural Meats, Viola co-founded the Hex Publishers imprint with Dean Wyant in 2014.36 He self-published anthologies Nightmares Unhinged78 and Cyber World (co-edited with Jason Heller),910 and the slasher comic book series True Believers, co-written with Stephen Graham Jones.11 He and co-editors Carina Bisset and Hillary Dodge shared a 2022 Colorado Book Award for the Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas anthology.12 In 2021, Hex partnered with StokerCon to produce the souvenir anthology for the Horror Writers Association's first online convention, with Viola acting as editor.13 In 2022, Hex partnered with startup Random Games to launch the blockchain-based Unioverse videogame franchise, with Viola in the role of Creative Director of Novelization and Comics.14 Unioverse closed in 2026, citing funding struggles.15 Viola was also credited as an executive producer on a 2025 reboot of sword and sorcery film Deathstalker,16 and horror film Shelby Oaks.

In 2024, Viola and Klayton co-founded multimedia company Bit Bot Media, and released an official video game adaptation of The Rocky Horror Show.17 The same year, they partnered with video game developer Crystal Dynamics to produce Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise, a graphic novel based on the Legacy of Kain series, which received $1.5 million via a Kickstarter campaign.18 Viola co-wrote The Dead Shall Rise with Angie Hodapp, and acted as creative director, producer and lead game designer on its video game adaptation, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, both of which were critically panned.1920

Published works

As writer

Novels

  • The Bane of Yoto with Nicholas Karpuk (FiXT, 2012)
  • Blackstar with Keith Ferrell (FiXT, 2015)
  • Denver Moon: The Minds of Mars (novella) with Warren Hammond (Hex Publishers, 2018)
  • Denver Moon: The Saint of Mars (novella) with Warren Hammond (Hex Publishers, 2019)
  • Denver Moon: The Thirteen of Mars (novella) with Warren Hammond (Hex Publishers, 2022)
  • Stolen Pallor (novella) with Sean Eads (Blood Bound Books, 2024)21

Comic books

  • Tooth and Claw with Angie Hodapp and Aaron Lovett22 (Hex Publishers, 2017)
  • Denver Moon with Warren Hammond and Aaron Lovett (Hex Publishers, 2018)
  • Unioverse with Angie Hodapp and Ben Matsuya (Hex Publishers/Random Games, 2023)23
  • True Believers with Stephen Graham Jones and Ben Matsuya (Hex Publishers/Metal X Entertainment, 2023)
  • Shrapnel Volume One ("Game Over") with James Aquilone and Juan Samu (Metal X Entertainment, 2024)
  • Terror in the Corn: The Wells Twins with Sean Eads and Juan Samu (Metal X Entertainment/Anderson Farms, 2024)
  • Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise with Angie Hodapp and Juan Samu (Bit Bot Media/Crystal Dynamics, 2024)
  • Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – Fallen Brothers with Preston Asevedo (Limited Run Games/Bit Bot Media/Crystal Dynamics, 2024)24

Children's books

  • Boomer and Friends! with Lindsey Bell and Aaron Lovett25 (JAM Publishers, 2017)

Collections

  • Midnight Vintage with Sean Eads (Crystal Lake Entertainment, 2025)26

Video games

  • Legacy of Kain: Ascendance (Creative Director, Producer, Lead Game Design, Assistant Voice Director, Art Director, Story, Writing & Dialogue, Special Creative Contributor)27

As editor

  • Nightmares Unhinged28 (Hex Publishers, 2015)
  • Cyber World with Jason Heller29 (Hex Publishers, 2016)
  • Georgetown Haunts and Mysteries with Jeanne Stein30 (Hex Publishers & Ghost Town Writers Retreat, 2017)
  • Blood Business: Crime Stories from this World and Beyond with Mario Acevedo31 (Hex Publishers, 2017)
  • Psi-Wars: Classified Cases of Psychic Phenomena32 (Hex Publishers, 2020)
  • It Came From The Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers33 (Hex Publishers & Colorado Festival of Horror, 2020)
  • StokerCon™ 2021 Souvenir Anthology: The Phantom Denver Edition34 (Hex Publishers/Horror Writers Association, 2021)
  • Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas with Carina Bissett and Hillary Dodge35 (Hex Publishers, 2021)
  • Unioverse: Stories of the Reconvergence with Angie Hodapp36 (Hex Publishers/Random Games, 2023)

As producer

Films

  • Deathstalker (film) 2024 (Executive Producer)16
  • Deathgasm II: Goremageddon (Executive Producer)
  • Shrine of Abominations (Executive Producer)
  • Aliens Expanded (Associate Producer)
  • The Thing Expanded (Associate Producer)
  • Shelby Oaks (Associate Producer)
  • TerrorBytes (Associate Producer)

Video games

References

References

  1. "Book Review: 'The Bane of Yoto' by Joshua Viola", Burkart, Gregory, for FEARnet, 15 August 2012, retrieved 14 March 2013
  2. Rusch, Emilie (2015-12-15). "Denver's Frontière making its name in natural meats". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2026-05-01.
  3. Wenzel, John. "Erie-based Horror publisher uses unlikely way to bankroll, empower writers", The Denver Post, 4 September 2015. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
  4. Johnston, Rich. "Could The Bane Of Yoto Herald In A New Look For Digital Comics?", Bleeding Cool, 5 March 2012. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
  5. Crane, Matt. "Celldweller Releases Music Video for Unshakeable", Alternative Press, 10 December 2013. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
  6. Siebrase, Jamie. "Hex Publishers, a New Local Press, Plans to Release a Dark, Twisted Anthology", Westword, 9 February 2015. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
  7. Jules, Damnetha. "Nightmares Unhinged (Book Review)", Horror Palace, 5 September 2015. Retrieved on 14 October 2015.
  8. Barkan, Jonathan. "Witness The Unveiling Of Nightmares Unhinged (Exclusive)", Bloody Disgusting, 9 July 2015. Retrieved on 16 July 2015.
  9. Wenzel, John. "“Cyber World” anthology brings darkly alluring sci-fi back to the future", The Denver Post, 26 October 2016. Retrieved on 16 July 2015.
  10. Colorado Humanities. "“2017 Colorado Book Award Finalists", Colorado Humanities. Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
  11. Schedeen, Jesse. "Jamie Lee Curtis to Guest Star in Horror Comic True Believers", IGN, 2 April 2024. Retrieved on 15 July 2024.
  12. "2022 Colorado Book Award Winners", Locus Magazine, 27 June 2022, retrieved 10 October 2022
  13. StokerCon™. "Souvenir Book - StokerCon™ 2020"
  14. https://random.games/team.php Random Games Team
  15. Crichton-Stuart, Eliza (2026-03-03). "Unioverse Is Officially Shutting Down". GAMES.GG. Retrieved 2026-05-01.
  16. Ramachandran, Naman. "Roger Corman Reboot ‘Deathstalker,’ Exec Produced by Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Unveils First Look, Raven Banner Launches Sales at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)", Variety (magazine), 18 May 2024. Retrieved on 2 June 2024.
  17. Jonathan, James. "Exclusive: Klayton (Celldweller) and Joshua Viola Form Bit Bot Media and Announce Strategic Partnerships with Raven Banner Entertainment and FreakZone Games", Daily Dead, 6 June 2024. Retrieved on 15 July 2024.
  18. Schedeen, Jesse. "Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Returns In New Prequel Graphic Novel", IGN, 30 June 2024. Retrieved on 15 July 2024.
  19. Brown, Fraser (2026-03-31). "We deserve better than Legacy of Kain: Ascendance". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2026-05-01.
  20. "Legacy of Kain: Ascendance Reviews". OpenCritic. 2026-04-02. Retrieved 2026-05-01.
  21. Blood Bound Books. "Stolen Pallor", Blood Bound Books, 2024. Retrieved on 2 June 2024.
  22. Hex Publishers. "Tooth and Claw", Hex Publishers. Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
  23. Hex Publishers. [1], Hex Publishers, 2022. Retrieved on 24 October 2022.
  24. Limited Run Games. [2], Limited Run Games, 2025. Retrieved on 25 January 2025.
  25. Wenzel, John. "The Secret Ingredients to a Great Children's Book", Denver Post, 4 August 2017. Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
  26. Crystal Lake Publishing. "First project signed for 2025!", Crystal Lake Publishing, 2024. Retrieved on 2 June 2024.
  27. "Legacy of Kain: Ascendance credits (PlayStation 5, 2026)". MobyGames. 2026-03-31. Retrieved 2026-05-01.
  28. Froyd, Susan. "Nightmares Unhinged Launch Party", Westword, 9 September 2015. Retrieved on 16 July 2015.
  29. Wheeler, Isaac. "Cyber World Demonstrates the Future of the Cyberpunk Genre", Neon Dystopia, 11 November 2016. Retrieved on 19 December 2016.
  30. Kirkus Reviews. "Georgetown Haunts and Mysteries", Kirkus Reviews, 9 August 2017. Retrieved on 12 September 2017.
  31. Kirkus Reviews. "Blood Business", Kirkus Reviews, 26 September 2017. Retrieved on 28 November 2017.
  32. Kirkus Reviews. ", Kirkus Reviews, 13 April 2020. Retrieved on 16 April 2020.
  33. Facebook. ", Facebook, 17 January 2020. Retrieved on 16 April 2020.
  34. StokerCon. [3], StokerCon, 2021. Retrieved on 31 May 2021.
  35. Hex Publishers. [4], Hex Publishers, 2021. Retrieved on 31 May 2021.
  36. Glyfe. [5], Glyfe,19 October 2022. Retrieved on 24 October 2022.
  37. Roe, Mike. "‘Rocky Horror’ Returns in New Video Game | Exclusive Trailer", The Wrap, 26 September 2024. Retrieved on 22 October 2024.
  38. James, Jonathan. "Exclusive: “Can You Survive the Night?” — Watch the Trailer for the TERROR IN THE CORN Video Game, Daily Dead, 7 October 2024. Retrieved on 22 October 2024.