December 28, 2021

72 – State of the Horror Nation II, with Emily Hughes and Sadie Hartmann

1 hour 55 minutes

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Well, we made it to the end of this nightmare of a year. And though there has been plenty of horrific stuff along the way – war, plague, corruption … literal armed insurrection, at least the fictional horror has been fun.

To commemorate a special year in horror, I’m getting the band back together. Sadie Hartmann, AKA Mother Horror, and Emily Hughes of Tor Nightfire (and various other parishes) join me to talk about the stuff they have loved from the second half** of 2021.

**if you missed our coverage of Jan-June, you can find it in episode 46.

We pick the books that really stood out for us, plus many more that we enjoyed. We discuss the TV and movies that have shaken and stirred us since July, and we look ahead to the bright (dead)lights of horror to come in the New Year.

We also pick apart some thorny issues plaguing the genre, like the ridiculousness of rating books by stars, and my own irritation at everything being compared to Get Out.

Each of the books we mention is listed below, including an episode number if it has been previously featured on Talking Scared. Don’t look at that yet though; it’ll spoil the surprise.

Enjoy, and well done for getting through the year.

Books picked

My Heart is a Chainsaw (2021), by Stephen Graham Jones **ep 54

Revelator (2021), by Daryl Gregory

When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson (2021), ed. by Ellen Datlow **ep 66

Cackle (2021), by Rachel Harrison

When the Reckoning Comes (2021), by Latanya McQueen

The Spirit Engineer (2021), by A.J West **ep 71

Come With Me (2021), by Ronald Malfi **ep 49

The Deer Kings (2021), by Wendy N. Wagner **ep 69

Chasing the Boogeyman (2021), by Richard Chizmar **ep 52

Coming soon

Manhunt (Feb 2022), by Gretchen Felker-Martin

Such a Pretty Smile (Jan 2022), by Krist DeMeester

All the White Spaces (Jan 2022), by Ally Wilkes

Other books mentioned

Reprieve (2021), by James Han Mattson

Lunar Park (2005), by Bret Easton Ellis

A Touch of Jen (2021), by Beth Morgan

Flowers for the Sea (2021) , by Zin E. Rocklyn

Nightbitch (2021), by Rachel Yoder

The Last House on Needless Street (2021), by Catriona Ward **ep30

Certain Dark Things (2021), by Silvia Moreno Garcia

Nothing But Blackened Teeth (2021), by Cassandra Khaw **ep 61

The Death of Jane Lawrence (2021), by Caitlin Starling **ep 60

Queen of the Cicadas (2021), by V. Castro ** ep 42

The Book of Accidents (2021), by Chuck Wendig **ep 48

Rovers (2021), by Richard Lange

The Turnout (2021), by Megan Abbott

Comfort Me with Apples (2021), by Catherynne M. Valente ** ep 62

The Glassy Burning Floor of Hell (2021), by Brian Evenson **ep 51

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By Neil McRobert

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