Jackie and Rachel interview Gerardo Sámano Córdova, whose debut novel 'Monstrilio' was released on March 7, 2023. 'Monstrilio' is, per the LA Times book review, "an unearthly hybrid that’s part horror, part literary meditation on grief, part wildly entertaining tale." And, well, they were right! But it's also about so much more - a love story, an LGBT coming-of-age story, and an unsolvable philosophical puzzle, to name a few. Conversation topics include the merits of embodied cognition, how old is too old to start an MFA program, volunteering to be cannibalized, things made up by society to trap women, little monster guys, goop, what makes a human, mommy issues, daddy issues, Hereditary, The Babadook, houses with personalities, skeleton wind chimes, life in Mexico City, Berlin, and America, Frankenstein, young authors, the importance of following one's calling, and of course a respectable serving of hot goss about the book's many interesting characters.

Grab your copy of Monstrilio wherever you get your books - and feel good about it, knowing its author is genuinely a super nice person who does NOT deserve to be immediately canceled.

HUGE CONTENT WARNING: Detailed discussion of grief, loss of a child, gore, and cannibalism