Talking Scared

64 – Kim Newman and Truly Universal Monsters


Listen Later

Send us a text

Halloween is over for another year but there are still plenty of monsters to go around.

Our guest this week is Kim Newman, the writer, critic and encyclopaedic authority on horror, pulp and the dark recesses of cinematic history. You may know him as the author of the Anno Dracula series, but that’s only the tip of his imaginative iceberg.

Kim’s new novel, Something More than Night, takes all of that arcane knowledge and puts it to use – transporting us back to the Hollywood of the 1930s when fascism is on the rise and it’s hard to tell the movie monsters from the real madmen. Cue the pairing of horror-icon Boris Karloff and gumshoe writer Raymond Chandler, who unite to confront some very strange goings on behind the scenes.

In between educating me on the finer points of Hollywood history, Kim talks about the enduring legacy of Frankenstein, imitating Chandler’s unique style, writing novels in a connected universe  - and we realise just how similar he is to Quention Tarantino. 

This one is an absolute blast.

Enjoy! 

Something More than Night was published on November 2nd by Titan Books.

Other books mentioned in this episode include:

  • Anno Dracula (1992), by Kim Newman
  • Anno Dracula 1999: Daikaiju (1999), by Kim Newman
  • Nightmare Movies: Horror on Screen Since the 1960s (1988) by Kim Newman. (latest expanded edition, 2011)
  • The Dark Country (1982), by Dennis Etchison
  • Hollywood the Haunted House (1967), by Paul Mayersberg
  • An Illustrated History of the Horror Film (1967), by Carlos Clarens

    Support the show on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TalkingScaredPod

    Come talk books on Twitter @talkscaredpod, on Instagram, or email direct to [email protected].

    Download Novellic on Google Play or Apple Store.

    Support the show

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Talking ScaredBy Neil McRobert

    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9

    4.9

    264 ratings


    More shows like Talking Scared

    View all
    Faculty of Horror by Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West

    Faculty of Horror

    1,067 Listeners

    This Is Horror Podcast by Michael David Wilson and Bob Pastorella

    This Is Horror Podcast

    166 Listeners

    Nightmare on Film Street - A Horror Movie Podcast by Kimberley Elizabeth & Jonathan Dehaan

    Nightmare on Film Street - A Horror Movie Podcast

    953 Listeners

    The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast by Bloody FM

    The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast

    1,220 Listeners

    Reading Glasses by Brea Grant and Mallory O'Meara

    Reading Glasses

    1,728 Listeners

    The Evolution of Horror by Mike Muncer

    The Evolution of Horror

    798 Listeners

    Books in the Freezer - A Horror Fiction Podcast by Stephanie Gagnon

    Books in the Freezer - A Horror Fiction Podcast

    292 Listeners

    Halloweenies: A Horror Franchise Podcast by Bloody FM

    Halloweenies: A Horror Franchise Podcast

    966 Listeners

    The Movies That Made Me by SpectreVision Radio

    The Movies That Made Me

    550 Listeners

    Horror Queers by Bloody FM

    Horror Queers

    788 Listeners

    Colors of the Dark by FANGORIA Podcast Network

    Colors of the Dark

    470 Listeners

    She Wore Black by Agatha Andrews

    She Wore Black

    62 Listeners

    The Year of Underrated Stephen King by Kim C.

    The Year of Underrated Stephen King

    55 Listeners

    The Kingcast by FANGORIA Podcast Network

    The Kingcast

    898 Listeners

    Just King Things by Ranged Touch

    Just King Things

    633 Listeners