In this FYIZ Halloween special—which is actually the lost, final episode of SKEERT - A Real Horror Show—beloved guests Bekah Eaton, Jonathan Eaton, and Chris Zaleski pop over to read some spooky stories from a scary collection for kids published in 1980, The Haunted Planet (By DJ Arneson). Hang out with us... IF YOU DARE!

Friend of the show Polly Schattel is back to talk about her darkly comic novella 8:59:29 (Trepidatio Publishing), and we dig into every aspect, from the origins of the idea to the narrative implications. Along the way we ponder whether characters need to be likable (short answer:no), extol the virtues of novellas as a form, and find out what Polly’s working on next. It’s a nerdily analytical and story-obsessed chat, and it pairs well with your favorite morning beverage. For the sake of all humanity, listen! And find all things Polly at pollyschattel.com. 

Find John on Instagram and Twitter @giannidubya!

This episode is an epilogue to Saul Searching, the Better Call Saul (BCS) recap podcast that ended last year (along with the show, which only makes sense). Now that the whole six-season run of BCS is up on Netflix, it's a good time to binge, whether for the first time or as a repeat play. Thus it's also a good time to share this long conversation, recorded last year, that digs into the entirety of the series—psycho-analyzing all the characters, tracing themes and recurring gags, and celebrating the innovative filmmaking and powerful performances on display. Filmmaker and musician Chance Shirley is the only man both cool-headed and chatty enough to co-pilot this steamboat full of tangents, so thank gosh he agreed to it. Follow Chance on Twitter: @notevenchance. Follow John on Twitter and Instagram: @giannidubya.

Prolific author Jeff VanderMeer (The Ambergris Trilogy, Area X, Borne, Hummingbird Salamander) has a knack for creating engrossing and immersive scenarios that straddle the line between a world that is palpably our own and someplace entirely other. In this freewheeling conversation, he discusses his environmental work, his writing habits, and how even his boldest literary experiments are rooted in truth of character.

Barb and Allan Vest make music together under the name doubleVee and have just released a new album full of big hooks and infectious harmonies, Treat Her Strangely. In this overdue appearance on Playing Records with John, they discuss selections from all their releases, the way they came together as partners and bandmates, and how their collaborative songwriting process works. Allan’s background in indie chamber pop heroes Starlight Mints is also covered, as is Barb’s musical upbringing, including the influence of her grandmother, the whimsical and beguiling songwriter Margaret Dove.

Brian Woodbury has a sharp wit and a penchant for tuneful compositions that break genres apart and rebuild them around his often exploratory ideas. Whether he’s trying out new pop music forms, skewering old ones, or blurring the lines between the two, he’s always got something on his mind, and it’s usually pretty funny. Except when it decidedly isn’t! In this career-spanning conversation he unfurls some of the deep thinking and gut instincts that fuel his distinctive body of work.

Follow John on insta/twit: @giannidubya

Follow Brian on insta: @brianwoodburymusic and on twit: @MrBrianWoodbury

Over the course of sixty years and counting of publishing his increasingly potent and idiosyncratic genre fiction, Ramsey Campbell has authored hundreds of short stories and thirty-five novels (with a thirty-sixth due next year). He was kind enough to take a break from all that ink-stained wretchedness in order to chat about his early career start, how important it is to engage a reader’s imagination, and Fellstones, his latest novel, out now from Flame Tree Press. Listen in, check out a few of the man’s works, and find out why none other than Guillermo del Toro calls Ramsey “an absolute master of modern horror.”

Follow John on Instagram and Twitter @giannidubya

Follow Ramsey on Twitter @ramseycampbell1

What a ride! Better Call Saul wraps up a historic run as one of the most consistently thoughtful and well-made television shows ever (there, we said it) with "Saul Gone," a finale written and directed by the man who created the Saul Goodman character, Peter Gould. And we're wrapping up our coverage of this satisfying series with a couple of our favorite guests co-hosts: Bekah and Jonathan Eaton. IT JUST MAKES SENSE. Find out how the story ends, who's left standing, and where they stand—both in terms of plot and in terms of the themes of self-awareness, morality, truth, and consequences that have made this saga so rich. Serve yourself a scoop of mint chocolate chip and enjoy! It won't happen again.

New friend of the show James Brown is here to discuss the penultimate episode of Better Call Saul, but first he reminds you to support the eclectic and long-running Sidewalk Film Festival, which runs from August 22-29 in Birmingham, Alabama—now for its 24th year! Meanwhile, Kim tries to mind her own business but Gene spins further and further out of control. Is the protagonist of this series too self-destructive to root for? How about that Jesse cameo? And what's up with Miracle Whip? Join us in wondering what happens next, for the very last time.

Over in Omaha, Gene's already dysfunctional moral compass has become even less reliable after he received some unhappy news over the phone. He's taking bigger chances and showing less empathy and reminding us more than ever that Saul was always sort of a bastard on Breaking Bad. Naturally this sort of thing has us Jimmy McGill boosters in a panicky state! Bekah Eaton and Jonathan Eaton are back on the show to discuss "Breaking Bad," the latest gut-punchy episode of Better Call Saul, and sift through the wreckage to find any hope for the future of our self-defeating protagonist.