Thomas Ligotti, dark academia, mysterious author, 40yo, bespectacled, messy black hair, pale skin, worn denim jacket, white shirt, black trousers, holding a book, standing in front of, the Red Tower, gothic architecture, intricate stone carvings, crimson-red bricks, tall spires, overcast sky, misty atmosphere, dim warm lighting, eerie ambiance, 3/4 composition, shallow depth of field.