Donald Firesmith

year in books

Donald Firesmith’s Followers (363)

member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
Shedevi...
29,822 books | 3,941 friends

J. Schl...
588 books | 2,068 friends

Khurram
2,918 books | 4,249 friends

William...
26,689 books | 1,991 friends

Andrew ...
420 books | 1,777 friends

Lori Byrd
54,028 books | 238 friends

Jerry M...
8,384 books | 227 friends

Shereen...
114 books | 169 friends

More friends…

Donald Firesmith

Goodreads Author


Born
in The United States
Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences

Member Since
April 2014


Donald Firesmith is a multi-award-winning author of speculative fiction including science fiction (alien invasion), fantasy (magical wands), modern urban paranormal novels, and horror short stories and poetry.

Before retiring in 2020 to devote himself full-time to his novels, Donald Firesmith earned an international reputation as a distinguished engineer, authoring seven system/software engineering books based on his 40+ years spent developing large, complex software-intensive systems.

He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, his daughter Sera, and varying numbers of dogs and cats.

You can learn more about the author by visiting his personal website:
http://donaldfiresmith.com

His magical wands and autographed copies of his book
...more

To ask Donald Firesmith questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Donald Firesmith I actually don't have a summer reading list. I have about 40 books on my Kindle Fire, and I just pick whichever one sounds be to read next.…moreI actually don't have a summer reading list. I have about 40 books on my Kindle Fire, and I just pick whichever one sounds be to read next.(less)
Donald Firesmith Start writing on another project or reading. Forcing myself to write if I haven't written in several days.…moreStart writing on another project or reading. Forcing myself to write if I haven't written in several days.(less)
Average rating: 4.44 · 1,069 ratings · 599 reviews · 31 distinct worksSimilar authors
What Lurks Below (Hell Hole...

3.88 avg rating — 225 ratings — published 2015 — 11 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
A Slave's Revenge (Hell Hol...

4.92 avg rating — 157 ratings6 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Secrets of Hawthorne House

4.23 avg rating — 173 ratings6 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Adventures of Periwinkl...

4.84 avg rating — 127 ratings3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Demons on the Dalton (Hell ...

4.31 avg rating — 93 ratings6 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
More Future Dreams and Nigh...

4.85 avg rating — 66 ratings3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
A Cauldron of Uncanny Dreams

4.33 avg rating — 67 ratings5 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Future Dreams and Nightmares

4.44 avg rating — 41 ratings3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Foundling: Heir to Ash ...

4.79 avg rating — 34 ratings2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
To Hell and Back (Hell Hole...

4.70 avg rating — 33 ratings4 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
More books by Donald Firesmith…

Pittsburgh ComiCon 2025

I will be at the ComiCon the Saturday and Sunday (June 7-8). If you're there, find me in the dealers' room and we can discuss books.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on June 05, 2025 19:00
What Lurks Below Demons on the Dalton To Hell and Back A Slave's Revenge
(4 books)
by
4.33 avg rating — 508 ratings

Iris
Donald Firesmith is currently reading
by Andrew Gates (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating

 
The Silk Roads: A...
Rate this book
Clear rating

 
The Sandman: Act I
Donald Firesmith is currently reading
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating

 

Donald’s Recent Updates

Donald Firesmith rated a book it was amazing
A Harmony of Hells by Yves Fey
Rate this book
Clear rating
A Harmony of Hells is a hauntingly beautiful plunge into the dark, decadent heart of Belle Époque Paris and the watery embrace of Venice. The settings are so well written that it is easy to feel like you’ve been teleported across time and space. I lo ...more
Future Dreams and Nightmares by Donald Firesmith
"Future Dreams and Nightmares is a captivating journey through imaginative futures, some wondrous, some unsettling, all unforgettable. Firesmith’s gift for weaving suspense with thoughtful commentary makes every story feel like an instant classic. Fan" Read more of this review »
The Foundling by Donald Firesmith
"From its opening pages, The Foundling: Heir of Ash and Blood hooked me with its raw, unflinching look at a society built on the brutal lie that some lives matter more than others. Firesmith takes a familiar dystopian premise, a rigid caste system and" Read more of this review »
The Foundling by Donald Firesmith
"Ash Bottom is one of the invisible, the bottom of society structure, living on hard floors and eating food found in trash. In a city built on a caste system he will live like that forever with no hope on self improvement. That is until one day throug" Read more of this review »
Donald Firesmith rated a book really liked it
Apothecary Inc. by Eric  Gibson
Apothecary Inc.
by Eric Gibson (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
This is a fun book to read, enjoyable for anyone interested in medieval humor. The author does a great job with detailed world-building, and I enjoyed the characters, especially the main character, Wilmot. The comedy is often quite funny.

On the othe
...more
Donald Firesmith rated a book really liked it
Desiderata by M P Desmarais
Rate this book
Clear rating
Great foundation, but the implementation could have used one more revision to address the weaknesses.

This is an ambitious epic fantasy with impressive world-building and thematic/philosophical scope. It includes a nice ensemble cast of distinctive an
...more
Donald Firesmith rated a book really liked it
The Captivating Flames of Madness by Jeff Parsons
Rate this book
Clear rating
It was pretty good, but it could have been much better.

A collection of 22 short, creepy stories aimed at those who enjoy horror stories, a genre in which I've also published a collection.

First, what I liked about the book. I especially liked how the
...more
Donald Firesmith made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians GroupRatings disappearance topic
" The Foundling: Heir to Ash and Blood

Earlier today, my book had 66 ratings and 65 reviews. Now, it only has 35 ratings and 65 reviews. What happened to
...more "
Donald Firesmith rated a book it was amazing
The Price of Rebellion by Michael C. Bland
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Price of Rebellion is a dystopian sci-fi novel that excels in the following four areas:
• Very good world-building with plausible technology
• Lots of relatively non-stop, fast-paced action
• Well-developed characters that the reader can empathize
...more
More of Donald's books…
Quotes by Donald Firesmith  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“He leaned towards me, and I did what any reasonable person would do when facing imminent death by being eaten alive. I screamed.”
Donald G. Firesmith, Demons on the Dalton

“Nothing seems to tempt fate more than mentioning the possibility of something bad happening.”
Donald G. Firesmith, Demons on the Dalton

“They prefer their meals alive and terrified, for fear is their favorite sauce.”
Donald G. Firesmith, Demons on the Dalton

“Software bugs are like cockroaches; there are probably dozens hiding in difficult to reach places for every one you find and fix.”
Donald G. Firesmith

“Nothing seems to tempt fate more than mentioning the possibility of something bad happening.”
Donald G. Firesmith, Demons on the Dalton

“One only truly fails to succeed if one fails to try. Anything more, no matter how small it might seem, is a partial success”
Donald Firesmith, A Slave's Revenge

26989 Goodreads Authors/Readers — 55694 members — last activity 5 hours, 20 min ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more
220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 304751 members — last activity 15 minutes ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
209881 Author Portal - #B2BCyCon 2017 — 159 members — last activity Apr 03, 2017 11:34AM
Welcome to theB2BCyCon Author Portal! This is a private group reserved only for those who have registered and/or volunteered for Brain to Books Cybe ...more
31471 THE Group for Authors! — 12945 members — last activity Dec 24, 2025 08:11PM
This is a group for authors to discuss their craft, as well as publishing and book marketing.
967 Apocalypse Whenever — 13845 members — last activity 1 hour, 29 min ago
The most active group for apocalyptic and dystopian stories! Join a monthly book discussion, get recommendations, or just tell us if you like canned p ...more
154267 Brain to Books Cyber Convention (FAIRGROUNDS) — 830 members — last activity Mar 05, 2019 07:10AM
Welcome to CyCon! Find more at HTTP://WWW.B2BCYCON.COM We meet "LIVE at The McKinley" April 2019! ...more
99123 Indie Authors Monthly Magazine For Authors and Readers — 5536 members — last activity 20 hours, 25 min ago
This Is A Group for Readers,Writers and Reviewers of All Different Genres. Let US Take Your Book To New Heights! Our Goals Are To Help Promote Authors ...more
50920 Beta Reader Group — 29925 members — last activity 3 hours, 45 min ago
A place to connect writers with beta readers. Sometimes writers get so involved in the plot they can't see the wood for the trees. Hang on a sec'--th ...more
53198 Indie Cover Art — 165 members — last activity Apr 14, 2022 07:47AM
This is a place for Indie Authors to discuss their cover art woes, show it off or find some help if needed.
101129 ~Readers Sharing Reviews~ — 1156 members — last activity 11 hours, 11 min ago
For most of us, writing reviews on Goodreads is a labor of love. We would like to offer some love back to the laborer. It's all about books, that's fo ...more
More of Donald’s groups…
No comments have been added yet.