José Mª Palazón
< Writer · Full Stack Developer · AI Engineer />
Two worlds, one shared obsession with precision. Twenty years turning ideas into code. Two published novels — science fiction and dark humour — with more on the way. IT technician in Alcantarilla, and a writer when the code takes a break.
Words are just another kind of architecture. Twenty years building systems, yet the stories always found their way out. Two novels published in the silence of the night: speculative science fiction and dark humour without a safety net. Because the best worlds — real or imagined — are born from obsessions well told.
Professional Experience
IT Technician
Alcantarilla Town Council
October 2024 - Present Alcantarilla, MurciaAI Quality Auditor
Scale AI
October 2024 - Present RemoteDeputy Coordinator, Work Placements Dept.
UNIVERSAE
June 2024 - October 2024 MurciaManagement and coordination of professional work placements at national and international level. Negotiation and signing of agreements with major companies such as Capgemini, AtSistemas and Hawkers, among others.
Work Placement Company Manager
UNIVERSAE
July 2022 - October 2024 MurciaManagement of professional work placements at national and international level. Negotiation and signing of agreements with major companies such as Capgemini, AtSistemas and Hawkers, among others.
Branch Sales Manager
DKV Seguros
May 2021 - February 2022 Murcia and JaénManager of the DKV Seguros sales branch. Leading the office team and field sales staff. Acquisition of major accounts and recruitment processes.
Project Manager
MARNYS - Martínez Nieto, S.A.
September 2019 - March 2021 CartagenaProject management and monitoring. Management of inter-departmental organisation. Development of the employee training portal. Implementation of OpenProject for project management.
General Manager
Vector Capital S.L.U (Grupo Bankia)
January 2017 - November 2018 Madrid, Murcia, Granada, Palma de MallorcaDirection of a company specialising in administrative services and qualified project management, working with the Organisation, Quality and Human Resources departments.
General Manager
Sernostrum, S.L.U (Grupo BMN)
September 2010 - January 2017 Madrid, Murcia, Granada, Palma de MallorcaManagement of administrative services, project direction and management of the Bem Murcia agency network and the BMNAcredito consumer finance arm.
Coordinator
Sernostrum, S.L.U
May 2008 - September 2010 MurciaHR management, planning control, warehouse management, supplier negotiation and development of IT solutions.
Sales Assistant
MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group
January 2007 - May 2008 MurciaSales assistant at "Saturn", Thader shopping centre (Software and Discs section)
Education
Higher National Diploma in Networked Computer Systems Administration
Cesur
2024 - 2026 9,53PHP Programming
Fundación Integra digital
April 2025HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. Level 2
Fundación Integra digital
April 2025HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. Level 1
Fundación Integra digital
March 2025Master's in Big Data and Business Intelligence + Digital Business
Universidad Isabel I
2024 - 2025 Grade: 9.2A training programme combining data analysis and corporate digital transformation, providing a deep understanding of the technologies and tools needed to manage large volumes of data effectively and to lead digital transformation projects.
Specialisation Diploma in Innovation and Project Management
ENEB
December 2024Internet and Web Browsing Security
Fundación Integra digital
October 2024Project Management Essentials
Coursera
March 2024Professional Web Development Course
Códigofacilito
November 2023Professional Python Course
Códigofacilito
November 2023Object-Oriented Programming Course
Códigofacilito
November 2023Oracle Professional, JAVA SE 7 Programmer
OnTech Innovation
2020 - 2021University Expert in Recruitment, Training and Occupational Risk Prevention
Universidad Isabel I
2019INCOOVA PROJECT
CROEM
2019A comprehensive pre-incubation programme to develop entrepreneurial talent, covering life and career planning, innovation and new product development, and the acquisition of managerial skills.
Project Management with Agile Methodologies and Lean Approaches
Fundación Telefónica
2019University Expert in Advertising, Marketing and Social Media
Universidad Isabel I
2017 - 2018Google Advanced Mobile Web Specialist track
Udacity
2017 - 2018 Google Developer Challenge ScholarshipBusiness English Program Certificate
ENEB
November 2017English Level B2 Course - Course 1
SEF
August 2015Fundamentals of Microeconomics Course
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
March 2015Master's in Human Resources Management
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
2013 - 2014CROEM Business Training
CROEM
2010 - 2011- Corporate Financial Management (2011)
- Labour Relations for SMEs (Advanced Level) (2011)
- SME Direction and Management (2010)
Teaching Diploma: Physical Education
Universidad de Murcia
2004 - 2008Intensive Course in Portuguese Language and Culture for Foreigners
Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e de Educação Física da Universidade Do Porto
Octubre 2005Technical Skills
Development & Technology
Python
PHP
Excel & Macros
Machine Learning & AI
JavaScript
HTML5 & CSS3
MySQL / SQL
WordPress
Writing & Storytelling
Novel & Fiction
Worldbuilding
Character Development
Storytelling
Editing & Proofreading
Narrative Structure
Featured Projects
Vía Tinta
2026Where manuscripts meet their publishers We connect writers and screenwriters with publishing houses, literary agencies and production companies. Your work always remains in your hands: you authorize every access, each one is logged, and you deal directly with the industry.
Bóveda TOTP
2026TOTP Vault is a free Windows application that generates the two-step verification (TOTP) codes for your accounts without you having to reach for your phone. Import all your accounts from Google Authenticator in a couple of clicks, organize them into folders with custom names and colors, and copy any code to the clipboard with a single click. Everything works offline and nothing ever leaves your computer: your secrets are stored encrypted with AES-256 under a master password, the app locks itself after a few minutes of inactivity, and the clipboard is cleared automatically. No accounts, no cloud, no ads, no tracking.
Project Management Web App
2025A complete web application for end-to-end project management. It includes an interactive Gantt chart, a task summary panel with status tracking (pending, in progress, completed, blocked), budget management with cost and variance tracking, key milestone definition and an alert system. Built with an MVC architecture on native PHP and a MySQL database.
A native Windows desktop application developed in Python. It allows unlimited conversion of PDF documents to Word fully offline, guaranteeing complete data privacy. It includes local history management and custom configuration.
The Impossible Gift
2025The Impossible Gift. Basically an algorithm that hunts down the weirdest, geekiest gifts on the internet for those people who "already have everything" (or for your boss, who is a real pain).
Oxigena Bulk Email Excel
2025Development of an Excel tool for bulk email sending for Oxigena Viajes
Inventory Management Web
2025Web development for inventory management and equipment loans
WordPress Plugin for Alcantarilla Town Council website
2025Development of a custom WordPress plugin for event management
Alcantarilla Town Council Website
2025Reinstallation, server migration and improvements to restore the website's functionality
Various automated Excel tools for UNIVERSAE
2023Development of various Excel tools to automatically calculate work placement durations, bulk email sending, data extraction from Google Maps...
Amazon/Aliexpress and MARNYS website testing
2023Implementation of product listings on Amazon and Aliexpress. Collaboration in testing the national and international websites
Automated Excel for MARNYS Dossiers
2021Development of an automated Excel tool to create dossiers for the Regulatory Department, image selection and PDF printing
Development of automated Excel tools for MARNYS
2021Development of automated Excel tools to create complex documents, including preset text and images
OpenProject Implementation at MARNYS
2020Installation, configuration and management of project management software.
Partido Popular de Alcantarilla Website
2020Web development for Partido Popular de Alcantarilla
Sernostrum S.L.U. Corporate Website
2015Corporate web development for Sernostrum S.L.U.
Cajamurcia Real Estate Web Portal
2014Development of a real estate portal for the sale of properties repossessed by the bank
T4u Tech Ecommerce
2013Development of the T4u technology online store
First IES Francisco Salzillo Website
1998Development of the website for the Francisco Salzillo Secondary School in Alcantarilla
The Writer
I spent twenty years writing code. I learned that a well-written program has structure, rhythm and, if you do it right, the reader never sees the gears.
One day I started writing novels. I discovered it is exactly the same thing, but without a compiler to tell you where the error is.
Blackout Europa was the first: a continent in the dark, no internet, no order. I wrote it in 2025. Months later, Spain really did lose power. Pizza, Twitter y 23 días en el Infierno arrived in 2026, with a protagonist who had haunted me for years: forty-something, a programmer, with more irony than hope.
I am still an IT technician in Alcantarilla. And I am still writing. I do not know which of the two is harder for me.
// Published works
Novels
Pizza, Twitter y 23 días en el Infierno
Dark humour · Survival · Contemporary fictionA forty-something programmer accepts a viral Twitter challenge and ends up stranded in the Namib desert for 23 days. No battery. No signal. No undo button. A survival novel with the sharp cynicism of someone who has spent too many years staring at screens and too few looking at the horizon.
Blackout Europa
Science fiction · Speculative thrillerAll of Europe without power. No internet. No order. A permanent blackout that changes everything: governments, borders, identities. A speculative science fiction novel that anticipated the chaos before the chaos actually happened.
// Media presence
Radio & Press Appearances
Ruth Lorenzo receives a copy of the novel
Murcian singer and artist Ruth Lorenzo, Spain's representative at Eurovision 2014, dropped by the Radio Sintonía studios to introduce her rock band, "RUTH", and their new album "Blacksheep". She received a signed copy of PIZZA, TWITTER y 23 días en el INFIERNO from its author, J.M. Palazón. A morning when two Murcian creators shared a microphone and a book.
Onda Regional de Murcia — Tarde Abierta
Lucía Hernández interviews the author on the Tarde Abierta programme of the regional public radio. José María Palazón talks about his second novel, the writing process and why a forty-something programmer ends up stranded for 23 days in the Namib desert.
Radio Sintonía — Full interview
Full interview on Radio Sintonía Alcantarilla: the novel's creative process, the Namib desert as a setting, dark humour as a narrative tool, and the author's journey since his first novel Blackout Europa.
Mention in the local news
Paco Galera devotes a slot in the Radio Sintonía news bulletin to PIZZA, TWITTER y 23 días en el INFIERNO, with a brief comment from the author himself. Alcantarilla talking about one of its own.
Writer José María Palazón presents his novel
The author's first radio interview: creative process, the influence of technology on contemporary storytelling and literary projects in the works.
Listen on iVoox// Events & Signings
Alcantarilla Book Fair 2026
Meet-and-greet and book signing — Book Fair
On 26 April I took part in the Alcantarilla Book Fair 2026, at the Meet-and-Sign with Authors event in Parque del Acueducto. A day to remember: many books sold, many signings and, above all, many conversations with readers who had already spent 23 days in the desert with me without leaving their sofa. The kind of afternoon that reminds you why it is worth writing.
DevLogs
Blog — Writing & Technology
I wrote a novel about a blackout in Europe before it actually happened
In 2025 I published Blackout Europa. Weeks later, Spain went dark. The story of a coincidence that was not quite a coincidence.
Read articleTech thrillers about blackouts: novels that anticipated the chaos
Fiction that turned into prophecy. The best novels about blackouts, cyberattacks and technological collapse, before and after 28 April.
Read articleBooks similar to The Martian in Spanish: humour, science and survival
Did Andy Weir's The Martian hook you? Spanish novels with the same formula: a resourceful protagonist, dry humour and extreme survival.
Read articleThe best Spanish survival novels in 2026
A selection of survival novels in Spanish: from the dark humour of the Namib desert to thrillers that anticipated real-world chaos.
Read articleProject Hail Mary: the best Andy Weir adaptation, and that is no small thing
Ryan Gosling alone in space, a rock-shaped alien and the screenwriter of The Martian. I went in with the book in my head and left the cinema recommending it to everyone. A spoiler-free review.
Read articleWhat to read if you liked The Martian: the definitive guide
There is a kind of novel that hooks you in a special way. Not because of the suspense over whether the protagonist will die —spoiler: in the best ones, you are not sure until the end— but because of the pleasure of watching someone think out loud while dying. That is what Andy Weir did with The Martian.
Read articleThe best novels about reality shows: fiction that beats television
Reality shows have spent thirty years promising we will see real people in real situations being their real selves. And they have spent thirty years breaking that promise in ever more elaborate ways. What they really are is a live social experiment.
Read articleSpanish dark humour novels: the best of recent years
Dark humour is the hardest genre to write in Spanish. Not because Spanish writers lack cynicism —we have plenty to spare— but because it requires an almost surgical balance: making people laugh with material that, on closer inspection, is not funny at all.
Read articleForty-something protagonists in literature: when the hero is over 40
Literature has a problem with age. Its heroes are almost always young: with boundless energy, productive naivety and the absence of a track record that turns every adventure into a first attempt.
Read articleProtocol: Evasion
// OBJECTIVE: Avoid the red Firewalls. Survive the system. TIP: Double-click to perform a double jump.