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Sean O'Leary
168 ratings | 132 reviews | avg rating:4.58

Sean’s Year In Books

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Sean’s 2025 Year in Books
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Sean O'Leary’s Followers (8)

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Sean’s Bookshelves

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currently-reading (1)
read (171)
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Nina Hita
Nina Hita
3 books | 2,748 friends

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2,363 books | 112 friends

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A.M. Morrell
88 books | 216 friends

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91 books | 35 friends


Sean O'Leary

Goodreads Author


Born
in Brooklyn, The United States
Website

Genre
Science Fiction, Children's, Fantasy

Member Since
March 2023

URL


Local Utah author Sean O’Leary is an electrical engineer and storyteller originally from Brooklyn, New York. Blending imagination, technology, history, and human emotion, his work explores worlds both familiar and unsettling where ordinary people are pushed into extraordinary circumstances.
His books range from dystopian thrillers and speculative fiction to children’s stories and photographic works, including Dan Tesson, The Princess and Scruffy, and The Road of Blood: Buchenwald. He is also the co-creator of The Rating Game series with author Em Green, a layered exploration of publishing, ambition, algorithms, and survival in a rapidly changing creative world.
Drawing inspiration from travel, engineering, philosophy, and the unknown, O’Leary ...more

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Ask the Author

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Popular Answered Questions

In your novel, Dan Tesson navigates a world forever altered by cataclysmic events, displaying resilience and complexity. As an author, what was the most challenging ethical dilemma you faced while writing his story, and how did it shape the narrative? How do you hope readers will grapple with the moral questions presented in Dan's journey, and what impact do you aim for this to have on their view of our current world?
Sean O'Leary The most challenging ethical dilemma was that of free choice. Dan, the main character, was disturbed by the many injustices he saw in society and whis…moreThe most challenging ethical dilemma was that of free choice. Dan, the main character, was disturbed by the many injustices he saw in society and whished he could make a positive difference. In this he is not unlike most readers of the book. However, unlike us, he found the power to do anything he wanted. He really could change the world. What I had the character do was to come back again and again to the struggle of wanting to make a difference and not wanting to force people to do what he thought was right. When a character, or person, falls into the trap of thinking it is acceptable to force others to do what they perceive as right, they become part of the problem.

As an engineer, I found that before I could solve a problem, I needed to understand the problem. With social issues, we often jump to the problem-solving phase before we have really understood the problem. One of the best ways to understand, and eventually solve, a social problem is to communicate with the different groups involved. Talking and listening is paramount. Dan faces so many of the problems we face in our own world. I hope people leave Dan’s world with a better understanding of how complex our society is and that the solutions are never simple but that working toward making the world a better place is worth the effort.(less)
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What are you currently working on?
Sean O'Leary I am currently working on a full length novel and am about half way through the story. In this book, the main character is upset about the injustices …moreI am currently working on a full length novel and am about half way through the story. In this book, the main character is upset about the injustices in the world. A tragedy occurs in his life and he develops abilities that would allow him to correct many of the injustices. He must decide what he should do with these abilities. A camping trip turns into a man hunt that starts on the west coast and ends on the east coast.(less)
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See all 10 answers from Sean O'Leary…

Combine Editions

Average rating: 4.88 · 17 ratings · 7 reviews · 3 distinct works
Princess and Scruffy
by
4.86 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2023 — 12 editions
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The Road of Blood: Buchenwald
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
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Dan Tesson: A Thriller
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 6 editions
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Sean is Currently Reading

Children of Time
Sean O'Leary is currently reading
by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Jun 01, 2026 10:19AM

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Sean’s Recent Updates

Sean O'Leary made a comment in the group Nothing But Reading Challenges — Dan Tesson: A Thriller by local Utah author Sean O'Leary topic
" This is my first sci-fi/fantasy novel. I wrote it over 20+ years ago when I was a defense contractor. Life is stranger than fiction because a few year ...more "
Jun 01, 2026 05:53PM
Sean O'Leary is now following Uinta County Library's reviews
23629675
Jun 01, 2026 05:44PM  · 
Sean O'Leary rated a book it was amazing
The Fires of Merlin by T.A. Barron
The Fires of Merlin
by T.A. Barron (Goodreads Author)
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This was a fun read. It is more toward young adult, but it offers a fun view of Merlin as a teenager or just young wizard. He got accused of killing some dragon eggs and had his powers stolen. We went on an adventure where he tried to get a special t ...more
Jun 01, 2026 10:19AM  ·   · see review ·  preview book
Sean O'Leary is currently reading
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Children of Time (Children of Time, #1)
by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Goodreads Author)
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Jun 01, 2026 10:19AM  ·   ·  preview book
Sean O'Leary rated a book it was amazing
The Fires of Merlin by T.A. Barron
The Fires of Merlin
by T.A. Barron (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
This was a fun read. It is more toward young adult, but it offers a fun view of Merlin as a teenager or just young wizard. He got accused of killing some dragon eggs and had his powers stolen. We went on an adventure where he tried to get a special t ...more
Jun 01, 2026 10:17AM  ·   · see review ·  preview book
Sean O'Leary joined the groups Salt Lake City Public Library and Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library
120558 527
May 30, 2026 07:26AM
Sean O'Leary rated a book it was amazing
Hearts, Keys, and Puppetry by Neil Gaiman
Hearts, Keys, and Puppetry
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author)
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This was a story similar to Alice and the looking glass. It was a cute story but I find stories that are all allegory, talking about something entirely different from the story to be a bit tedious to read. Sam is a young girl who is put in a difficul ...more
May 27, 2026 09:39AM  ·   · see review
Sean O'Leary is currently reading
The Fires of Merlin by T.A. Barron
The Fires of Merlin
by T.A. Barron (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
May 27, 2026 09:38AM  ·   ·  preview book
Sean O'Leary rated a book it was amazing
Hearts, Keys, and Puppetry by Neil Gaiman
Hearts, Keys, and Puppetry
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
This was a story similar to Alice and the looking glass. It was a cute story but I find stories that are all allegory, talking about something entirely different from the story to be a bit tedious to read. Sam is a young girl who is put in a difficul ...more
May 27, 2026 09:35AM  ·   · see review
More of Sean's books…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Aussie Lovers of...: Annual 2021 A-Z Author Challenge 151 72 Dec 30, 2021 07:21PM  
Aussie Lovers of...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Currently Reading/Just Finished 2021 1764 139 Dec 31, 2021 07:35AM  
Aussie Lovers of...: Annual Challenge 2022 - A - Z Characters 180 79 Dec 30, 2022 09:05PM  
Aussie Lovers of...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Currently Reading/Just Finished 2022 1673 132 Dec 31, 2022 04:12AM  
Pulp Fiction: Just finished - and a few thoughts 673 252 Aug 06, 2024 03:00AM  

Sean’s Quotes

Maya Angelou
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.”
― Maya Angelou
tags: character, consistency, courage, determination, essence, ethos, fortitude, goodness, inspiration, life-lessons, persistence, resolve, self-reliance, strength, virtue, virtues
7625 likes

Arthur C. Clarke
“I'm sure the universe is full of intelligent life. It's just been too intelligent to come here.”
― Arthur C. Clarke
tags: extraterrestrials, humor, intelligent-life, life, science, universe
4061 likes

Neil deGrasse Tyson
“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.”
― Neil deGrasse Tyson
2754 likes

Carl Sagan
“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.”
― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
tags: cosmology, delusion, knowledge, religion, science, truth, understanding
1827 likes

Maya Angelou
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
tags: 1970, inspirational, stories, writing
31588 likes

recent posts
Sean’s Groups

220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 326135 members — last activity 1 minute ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
26989 Goodreads Authors/Readers — 56765 members — last activity 58 minutes 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
35559 Nothing But Reading Challenges — 26985 members — last activity 0 minutes ago
(click on image to go to discussion) We believe reading is fun and find unique and challenging ways to spread the love of reading. The ...more
527 Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library — 3670 members — last activity May 30, 2026 06:58AM
Add your science-fiction or fantasy books to the list, but make sure it's not already there. . .no need for duplicate entries. ...more
125763 Salt Lake Fantasy Book Club — 72 members — last activity May 30, 2026 11:29AM
Its a book club. We meet in person more then we use this Goodreads group. Check out Meetup.com if interested.
1218 The Next Best Book Club — 26194 members — last activity 3 hours, 54 min ago
Are you searching for the NEXT best book? Are you willing to kiss all your spare cash goodbye? Are you easily distracted by independent bookshops, bi ...more
1193063 Booktok & Bookstagram ✿ — 24840 members — last activity 9 hours, 27 min ago
Everyone is welcome to join the discussion and share their thoughts on books and reading. It’s always enjoyable to discover new stories, exchange opin ...more
1193460 A Court of Fantasy and Fiction — 22258 members — last activity May 29, 2026 10:08PM
This group is for those who dream of other lands. We devour heavy plots with extensive world-building and our libraries are littered with supernatural ...more
120558 Salt Lake City Public Library — 347 members — last activity Dec 02, 2016 08:20AM
The City Library's Goodreads Group is intended as a persistent online presence for Book Club discussions, as well as to facilitate the creation and ma ...more
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