What do you think?
Rate this book
The Fragment Color, Darkly
339 pages, Paperback
Published May 23, 2025
About the author
Jason Daniel Chaplin
4 books10 followersJason Daniel Chaplin (b. 1990, Mission, Texas) is an American journalist and author known for his raw, unfiltered prose and bold storytelling. He made his literary debut in 2012 with A Rocky Existence, a semi-autobiographical satire that delves into the drug culture of the Missouri Ozarks in the late 2000s. With its outlaw spirit and unapologetic honesty, the novel quickly gained attention in online literary circles.
In 2016, Chaplin released his second book, The Savage Romantics, an epic, apocalyptic tale published fittingly on Halloween. His most recent work, The Fragment Color, Darkly (2025), is a collection of speculative science fiction short stories that explore themes of memory, identity, and collapse.
Though deeply rooted in the Ozarks, Chaplin has also lived in Texas, Colorado, and New Hampshire. In 2022, he dedicated his life to Christ and is an active member of the Independent Christian Church. He is also a vocal advocate for both gun safety and Second Amendment rights.
A distant relative of literary legends Herman Melville and Ernest Hemingway, Chaplin carries forward a tradition of fearless American storytelling—gritty, reflective, and distinctly his own.
In 2016, Chaplin released his second book, The Savage Romantics, an epic, apocalyptic tale published fittingly on Halloween. His most recent work, The Fragment Color, Darkly (2025), is a collection of speculative science fiction short stories that explore themes of memory, identity, and collapse.
Though deeply rooted in the Ozarks, Chaplin has also lived in Texas, Colorado, and New Hampshire. In 2022, he dedicated his life to Christ and is an active member of the Independent Christian Church. He is also a vocal advocate for both gun safety and Second Amendment rights.
A distant relative of literary legends Herman Melville and Ernest Hemingway, Chaplin carries forward a tradition of fearless American storytelling—gritty, reflective, and distinctly his own.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 14, 2025
The undisputed king of underground fiction is back and better than ever!
What can be said about The Fragment Color, Darkly?Definitely different from Chaplin’s other books. 10 dark science fiction stories, all of them dabble in surrealism, social commentary, and existentialism. This new book by the King is super polished and slick compared to his earlier works (which makes sense due to how long we’ve waited! This book was due out back in 2018!)
Regardless, Chaplin has earned respect for the depth of his philosophical insight, his creative and poetic phrasing, his insanely gifted imagination and imagery, and the sharp edge to his tone and voice. His writing is outlaw, sharp, edgy, and witty. We’re in the midst of his exodus from being a fringe, immature, indie novelist with an extreme amount of promise to being in the presence of an absolute master at the height of his powers.
The book consists of 10 stories:
Life Proceedings of a Mask: This story takes place in the future where pollution is so bad that people have to wear masks to keep from dying horrific deaths. The masks have become peoples’ identities, and also a mark of status. The wealthier people have nicer masks for example. This story is a commentary on fragmented identities, society’s obsession with the new, how nature is neglected, and about the isolation of alienation of men. This story is a masterpiece on the level of Harrison Bergeron which definitely appears to be an influence. It also reminds me quite a bit of the videogame, Fallout.
Joy Permanently: This is a story about an incel loser/loner who’s crush has just recently committed suicide. The main character becomes more obsessed with his crush after she dies and stumbles upon an underground society. This is another surreal sci-fi horror story about the loneliness and alienation of men, and hints at the shallowness of modern women. This story is also wonderful, and is something Tim Burton could making into a film.
Sharp Blue Water: Apparently Chaplin is a Christian now. This work lays on heavy religious themes. It’s about a group of teenagers who live in a kind of Mennonite/Mormon rural community in the future. The community then becomes enamored by a UFO lingering above their fields, as their crops begin to fail. It’s about the fragility of society in the wake of certain events, it’s also about the awkwardness of being a teenager. I really liked it, but the pro-Christian themes are layered on pretty thick.
Doing Hard Time: One of the most hilarious dark satire science fiction works I’ve ever read. Chaplin definitely lays on the Vonnegut influence pretty thick. This is about a drug addict who is stuck in time 5 minutes behind the rest of the world (Hard Time) because he used drugs left after an alien invasion. The drugs are in the form of glass tubes filled with invisible gas. The drugs make time speed up for the drug taker - giving them super human speed and energy but the hangover is that you’re stuck 5 minutes behind (or more depending on how much you used). They also prolong your lifespan by hundred of years. Just like in A Rocky Existence, Chaplin understands drug addicts and alcoholics extremely well. And the main character is very well drawn. This story left me pondering for hours after I read it and it’s still stuck with me. This is one of the best in the collection.
The Lies People Tell: Not so much science fiction as it could be considered cosmic, Eldritch horror. This one is most similar to Stranger Things. It’s another story about teenagers exploring the unknown and it takes place in Chaplin’s enigmatic St. Jerome City - the setting for his epic novel, The Savage Romantics. This is another great story. Incredibly eerie.
An October July: This is another cosmic/Eldritch horror about an young engineer who is being visited by a strange interdimensional traveler in order to steal otherworldly technology for sinister purposes. Probably the weakest story in terms of substance, but it is a pure display of writing prowess. I could also pick out the Kafkaesque nature of the industrial work environment.
She Wore a Weary Wind: By far the weirdest story of them all, and that’s saying a lot. It’s about an old man who works for a mail service where one writes letters in the voice, style, and tone of dead people to their surviving family members which is considered in the story, a form of therapy. I feel like Chaplin just jammed as much as he possibly could into this story. It’s also his saddest, and I could see some people crying their eyes out at this story. In this story, Chaplin’s psychological depth really shines. It is truly the mark of a genius to be able to reach so deeply into the human condition and pull out descriptions of valuable psychology, philosophy, and critique, and to write it so poetically. Just simply amazing stuff. This is the reason I consider him The King.
The Blame Seed: Another hilarious story about a “gigalo” in a future dominated by women and feminism. Chaplin really shows off his gift for world building in this one. The future world in this story has a completely unique stratosphere of religions, political parties, an economy, and social classes, and a magic system based on technology. And it’s also a brilliant commentary on feminism, and role of males in society. I think this is one that could be studied in school. Chaplin is a huge thinker, and his understanding and synthesis of so many different topics is simply astonishing.
I Shall Return: Another story that reminds me a bit of Fallout. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where earth has either been abandoned or millions of people have just died. And most of the remaining population is addicted to cyberspace based simulated realities. In this story, the main character longs for a simple life away from all the drama, busyness, laziness, and greed of society. There’s also the concept of “designer diseases” which absolutely blew me away. This story is terrific.
The One to End Them All: Another hilarious story about a genius android (artificial human) inventor and designer, and about how he’s ousted from his own company. There’s a little Count of Monte Cristo influence in this one. Chaplin does a thing where all of this characters start out hugely flawed, suffer, and come out all the better for it. This trope is as old as time, but it’s a working formula for Mr. Chaplin.
The Fragment Color, Darkly is not just a collection of stories; it's a testament to Chaplin’s growth as a writer. He’s no longer the outsider with potential; he’s now a master of his craft, and this book proves it. The King has truly returned—better, sharper, and more refined than ever
What can be said about The Fragment Color, Darkly?Definitely different from Chaplin’s other books. 10 dark science fiction stories, all of them dabble in surrealism, social commentary, and existentialism. This new book by the King is super polished and slick compared to his earlier works (which makes sense due to how long we’ve waited! This book was due out back in 2018!)
Regardless, Chaplin has earned respect for the depth of his philosophical insight, his creative and poetic phrasing, his insanely gifted imagination and imagery, and the sharp edge to his tone and voice. His writing is outlaw, sharp, edgy, and witty. We’re in the midst of his exodus from being a fringe, immature, indie novelist with an extreme amount of promise to being in the presence of an absolute master at the height of his powers.
The book consists of 10 stories:
Life Proceedings of a Mask: This story takes place in the future where pollution is so bad that people have to wear masks to keep from dying horrific deaths. The masks have become peoples’ identities, and also a mark of status. The wealthier people have nicer masks for example. This story is a commentary on fragmented identities, society’s obsession with the new, how nature is neglected, and about the isolation of alienation of men. This story is a masterpiece on the level of Harrison Bergeron which definitely appears to be an influence. It also reminds me quite a bit of the videogame, Fallout.
Joy Permanently: This is a story about an incel loser/loner who’s crush has just recently committed suicide. The main character becomes more obsessed with his crush after she dies and stumbles upon an underground society. This is another surreal sci-fi horror story about the loneliness and alienation of men, and hints at the shallowness of modern women. This story is also wonderful, and is something Tim Burton could making into a film.
Sharp Blue Water: Apparently Chaplin is a Christian now. This work lays on heavy religious themes. It’s about a group of teenagers who live in a kind of Mennonite/Mormon rural community in the future. The community then becomes enamored by a UFO lingering above their fields, as their crops begin to fail. It’s about the fragility of society in the wake of certain events, it’s also about the awkwardness of being a teenager. I really liked it, but the pro-Christian themes are layered on pretty thick.
Doing Hard Time: One of the most hilarious dark satire science fiction works I’ve ever read. Chaplin definitely lays on the Vonnegut influence pretty thick. This is about a drug addict who is stuck in time 5 minutes behind the rest of the world (Hard Time) because he used drugs left after an alien invasion. The drugs are in the form of glass tubes filled with invisible gas. The drugs make time speed up for the drug taker - giving them super human speed and energy but the hangover is that you’re stuck 5 minutes behind (or more depending on how much you used). They also prolong your lifespan by hundred of years. Just like in A Rocky Existence, Chaplin understands drug addicts and alcoholics extremely well. And the main character is very well drawn. This story left me pondering for hours after I read it and it’s still stuck with me. This is one of the best in the collection.
The Lies People Tell: Not so much science fiction as it could be considered cosmic, Eldritch horror. This one is most similar to Stranger Things. It’s another story about teenagers exploring the unknown and it takes place in Chaplin’s enigmatic St. Jerome City - the setting for his epic novel, The Savage Romantics. This is another great story. Incredibly eerie.
An October July: This is another cosmic/Eldritch horror about an young engineer who is being visited by a strange interdimensional traveler in order to steal otherworldly technology for sinister purposes. Probably the weakest story in terms of substance, but it is a pure display of writing prowess. I could also pick out the Kafkaesque nature of the industrial work environment.
She Wore a Weary Wind: By far the weirdest story of them all, and that’s saying a lot. It’s about an old man who works for a mail service where one writes letters in the voice, style, and tone of dead people to their surviving family members which is considered in the story, a form of therapy. I feel like Chaplin just jammed as much as he possibly could into this story. It’s also his saddest, and I could see some people crying their eyes out at this story. In this story, Chaplin’s psychological depth really shines. It is truly the mark of a genius to be able to reach so deeply into the human condition and pull out descriptions of valuable psychology, philosophy, and critique, and to write it so poetically. Just simply amazing stuff. This is the reason I consider him The King.
The Blame Seed: Another hilarious story about a “gigalo” in a future dominated by women and feminism. Chaplin really shows off his gift for world building in this one. The future world in this story has a completely unique stratosphere of religions, political parties, an economy, and social classes, and a magic system based on technology. And it’s also a brilliant commentary on feminism, and role of males in society. I think this is one that could be studied in school. Chaplin is a huge thinker, and his understanding and synthesis of so many different topics is simply astonishing.
I Shall Return: Another story that reminds me a bit of Fallout. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where earth has either been abandoned or millions of people have just died. And most of the remaining population is addicted to cyberspace based simulated realities. In this story, the main character longs for a simple life away from all the drama, busyness, laziness, and greed of society. There’s also the concept of “designer diseases” which absolutely blew me away. This story is terrific.
The One to End Them All: Another hilarious story about a genius android (artificial human) inventor and designer, and about how he’s ousted from his own company. There’s a little Count of Monte Cristo influence in this one. Chaplin does a thing where all of this characters start out hugely flawed, suffer, and come out all the better for it. This trope is as old as time, but it’s a working formula for Mr. Chaplin.
The Fragment Color, Darkly is not just a collection of stories; it's a testament to Chaplin’s growth as a writer. He’s no longer the outsider with potential; he’s now a master of his craft, and this book proves it. The King has truly returned—better, sharper, and more refined than ever
Displaying 1 of 1 review