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Ianic Mathieu

Catalyst

A Dark Descent into Delirium

Catalyst delves into the chilling descent into madness through the perspective of Dr. Novak, a deeply troubled man tasked with reviewing recorded therapy sessions. Step into this unsettling world of psychotherapy, told through a mix of newspaper articles, frustrated notes from a secretary, unapologetic letters, audio tapes, and a one-of-a-kind "Descent into Delirium" journal.


Profile

Genre Psychological Thriller
Pages 293
Style Atypical novel
Status: Available

Found Documents

Once you open the pages of Catalyst, you step into a world unlike anything you've experienced before. Each page is uniquely designed, featuring audio recording transcriptions, letters, post-it notes, newspaper clippings, and entries from Dr. Novak's personal journal.
Document 1
AUDIO TRANSCRIPTIONS
Document 2
CORRESPONDENCE
Document 3
SKETCHES

Handdrawn Sketches

Each sketch was originally hand-drawn in a sketchbook, then scanned into digital form and later enhanced or redrawn using a digital tablet and various digital tools.

A Psychological evaluation

Dear academia,
While sifting through Dr. Novak’s belongings after his… well, what was it exactly? Suicide? Internment at the Royal State Psychiatric Hospital? An arrest? Let’s just call it a sad and unfortunate ordeal. In any case, tucked away in his desk, behind a signed copy of Dr. Pokorny’s The Hidden Persona, we discovered a peculiar puzzle book.
The book is a patchwork of torn pages, cryptic notes, unsettling sketches, mazes, and a series of bizarre tests and questionnaires—typed up on his typewriter (or perhaps he forced Mrs. Ruzicka to type it all up). Strangely enough, it seems Dr. Novak was attempting to create his own unique psychological tool to evaluate patients. Or rather, a twisted, deranged version of one.
We all remember his dark descent into delirium.
To further investigate this unsettling matter, we have chosen to share his disturbing creation with you. Perhaps you can make sense of it. Dr. Novak seemed to believe this book functioned as some sort of psychological test for his patients, but the truth remains unclear. In the name of science and the ongoing research into mental illness and dementia, we present this book to you unaltered. However, to protect the innocent, we urge you to proceed with caution.
We are still unsure of the effects a book like this might have on the general population… or on a mind like yours.
Document 1
QUESTIONABLE QUESTIONNAIRES
Document 2
CLASSIC PUZZLES
Document 3
AND MORE WEIRD STUFF

Released Books

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The Mailing List

Want a closer look at the strange stories I’m building? Join my mailing list to receive The Atypical Pages — a newsletter filled with behind-the-scenes glimpses, dark sketches, unique book concepts, and updates on upcoming releases. If you enjoy books that defy the norm and embrace unconventional storytelling, you’ll feel right at home.

Experience

2023–Present

Writer

Working on the novelization of three of my interactive video games.
(Breacher Story, Catalyst, Tales of the Black Death).
Also working on an epic cyberpunk novel.

2016–2022

Founder, Writer, Narrative Designer (Doubleon Game Studio)

2022 - Vintage Records from Hell
2021 - Doomsday Room
2020 - Tales of the Black Death
2018 - Catalyst
2017 - Breacher Story
2016 - Life in Helsinki
All these games are available on STEAM

2010–2013

Writer, unpublished French manuscripts

Le Jardin de la Paix - Roman inédit - 152 pages.

Quel mystère se cache dans la vie du jeune Maxime? À travers ce roman nous retraçons ses pas. De son enfance à l’âge adulte, nous vivons avec lui son premier amour et la perte d’un ami, sa migration de la campagne vers la ville. Nous découvrons l’isolement, la beauté et la littérature, la vie, la mort, la séparation et pour terminer… les singes aquatiques. Mais une ombre tourne autour du tableau, là, juste de l’autre côté de la rive, quelqu’un l’observe.

La femme du pêcheur noyé - Roman inédit - 221 pages.

L’histoire se déroule au nord de l’Allemagne à la fin des années 50. Helena Himmel, infirmière en chef à hôpital psychiatrique de Hambourg voit tout son univers changer à la venue d’un nouvel administrateur. Elle se retrouve face à une décision de taille : prendre sa retraite ou servir de taxi à une nouvelle patiente. À travers un suspense mettant en scène les pêcheurs d’une petite ile de la mer du Nord, Helena ira-t-elle jusqu’au bout du mystère entourant la mort d’un de ses habitants?

Cartouches de Sel - Roman inédit - 330 pages.

Subdury, 1970. Deux frères se font mettre à la porte par une compagnie exploitant le nickel au nord de l’Ontario. L’ouvrage fait place à l’amertume et les blessures encore fraiches d’un passé difficile refont surface. Sous la forme de suspense, l’histoire tourne à la déchéance et amène les hommes vers la destruction et le chaos.

French Manuscripts

2002–2010

Writer / Director - Short films

Der treibende Fischer (2011) - SYLT - GERMANY
The Last Day of Industria In the Mind of a Flower (2008) - MONTREAL - CANADA
Le verre vert (2008) - MONTREAL - CANADA
Sur écoute (2008) - MONTREAL - CANADA
A quoi tu penses? (2007) - NOGENT LE RETROU - FRANCE
La fontaine (2007) - CHINON - FRANCE
Íslenskt veður (2007) REYKAVIK - ISLAND
Louve SS (2007) - MONTREAL - CANADA
Reykja Vik (2007) - REYKAVIK - ISLAND
A Cleaning Tale(2007) VIENNA - OSTERREICH
Die Memoiren der 17 - VIENNA OSTERREICH
Nachbarn - VIENNE - OSTERREICH
La corriveau (2006) - ANIMATION - MONTREAL - CANADA
Demain, à la une! (2006) BRUSSELS - BELGIUM
EVE (2006) MONTREAL - CANADA
Fais-le pour toi Robert (2006) MONTREAL - CANADA
La femme invisible (2006) BRUSSELS - BELGIQUE
Insomnex Beta Testing (2006) - QUEBEC - CANADA
La malédiction de Sarah (2006) MONTREAL - CANADA
Relapse (2006) SYDNEY AUSTRALIA
Triste est l'amour (2006) MONTREAL - CANADA
Breath (2005) MANCHESTER - UK
Die Brücke (2005) HAMBURG - GERMANY
Clockwork Orange - Remake (2005) HAMBURG - GERMANY
Craie (2005) MONTREAL - CANADA
Debt Clearance (2005) MANCHESTER - GERMANY
La dernière obsession d'Émilie (2005) MONTREAL - CANADA
La Fuite (2005) MONTREAL - CANADA
Polaroid (2005) BERLIN - GERMANY
Saving the Planet (2005) BERLIN - GERMANY
Simply Your Departure (2005) MANCHESTER - UK
Traffic (2005) BERLIN - GERMANY
Androlide (2004) MONTREAL - CANADA
Baby Junkie (2004) MONTREAL - CANADA
Dilué par le temps (2004) MONTREAL - CANADA
Le photographe (2004) MONTREAL - CANADA
Treize (2004) MONTREAL - CANADA L'éléphant bat de l'aile (2003) MONTREAL - CANADA
Gabrielle n'a pas d'ange (2003) MONTREAL - CANADA
Lundi... juste avant la fin du programme (2003) MONTREAL - CANADA
Passé le Last-Call (2003) MONTREAL - CANADA
Sale temps pour faire le clown (2003) MONTREAL - CANADA
Entre l'amour et le beau temps (2002) MONTREAL - CANADA
Johnny et Chanel, la tragédie (2002) MONTREAL - CANADA
Motel 1102 (2002) MONTREAL - CANADA

1998–2002

Songwriter, musician

Local Concerts, solo demo album


About me

Contact Portrait
Ianic Mathieu is an author, narrative designer, and filmmaker (writer and director) with decades of experience crafting stories across a variety of formats, including short films, interactive video games (narrative design, world-building), novels, songs, short stories, and even a musical waiting to come to life. His work spans a remarkable range of themes and eras: from psychological dramas set in the 1950s (The Fisherman’s Wife and Catalyst), to the sweeping devastation of the plague across Italy, France, and England (Tales of the Black Death), to the gritty realities of Sudbury’s 1970s mining era (Salt Bullets). He also explores the techno-thrilling realms of hacking and Breacher Story series, set to be published in a near future.

LOCATION
Montreal, Québec

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