Time for a side quest.

Yes, this is the Dark Tower Readalong… you are not mistaken. But there are other worlds, and other books, and some of them have to be read for the fullest, most satisfying experience of Stephen King’s great saga.

In this first (of what will be many) diversions from the Ka-Tet’s quest, Nat, Chris and I turn to The Stand – the titanic tale of two tribes going to war. It’s a big big book, so this had to be a two-part thing. Here in episode one, we introduce Stu, Frannie, Larry and Nick, and discuss all things phlegmy and flu-like, and hint at why this book plays its part in the Dark Tower.

Plus. Rick Astley. Just wait.

Part Two is out next week, or available immediately on Patreon.

M-O-O-N, that spells thank you, to anyone who signs up and supports the show. Laws yes!

Enjoy!

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After we spent last week in the muck and mire, this episode takes us up where skies are blue.

Just watch for the mushroom clouds.

The guest is Scott Carson, pseudonym of thriller writer, Michael Koryta, and author of The Chill (2020), Where They Wait (2021), and last year’s phenomenal Lost Man’s Lane. His new novel, Departure 37 is something totally different – it has Cold-War conspiracy, AI anxiety, tech-terror and nuclear brinkmanship.

Y’know, it’s like the news … but fun!

Scott and I discuss all of that, as well as the aviation mysteries that fascinate us both, and I give a much-deserved nod to the 90s brilliance of Michael Crichton.

Enjoy!

Other books mentioned:

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Daniel Kraus has never lacked for ambition in his fiction – but Angel Down may be the most audacious horror book of the year. It’s the story of broken men and a fallen angel in the trenches of the First World War.

Oh … and it’s told in one long 300 page sentence. Cos

It’s not a gimmick, nor pretentiousness. No, this week,

It’s an inspiring episode.

Enjoy!

Other books mentioned:

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Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch

Come talk books on Bluesky @talkscaredpod.bsky.social

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Back on the trails for a mind-melting trip this week.

Wendy Wagner is in the hot-seat, playing shaman as we discuss The Girl in the Creek – her brand new novel of fungoid-terror, eco-thrills and psychedelic strangeness. It’s a beautiful, bewildering hallucination of a book.

Wendy’s inspirationsrange from cutting edge science to the antics of Scooby Doo and the gang, along with a sprinkle of Lovecraft, and a hint of self-hypnosis. We cover it all, along with a discussion of eco-grief, higher states of consciousness, weird non-fiction obsessions and a little bit of trail running chat – which I promise we make macabre.

Enjoy!

Other books mentioned:

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Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch

Come talk books on Bluesky @talkscaredpod.bsky.social

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This week we’re talking about my Roman Empire. BIGFOOT!!

But this time I have good reason to get geeky – my guest is Giano Cromley, hairy-hominid enthusiast, certified wildlife tracker, and author of the deeply charming American Mythology.

It’s the story of a group of lost souls, joined in their search for the fabled ‘squatch of the North American woods. It’s spooky for sure, but just as concerned with wonder and friendship as it is with fear.

Giano and I talk at length about Bigfoot – our theories, our stance, his personal encounter – as well as the treatment of positive male friendship in the novel, and the role that sceptics and pseudoscience play in our culture.

This one was a blast for me. I hope you enjoy it.

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I’m coming to you from the heatwave from hell – and I’ve never been more burdened by my body.

 And that is exactly the topic that this week’s guest has written all about. Rose Keating is an Irish writer, whose debut collection, Oddbody, presses enquiring fingers deep into the bizarre meat of our lives. These stories are about the inherent disgust of bodies and their processes.

There are women who lay eggs each morning, dads who turn into tapeworms, and ghosts who are toxically obsessed with these meat sacks we’re all carrying around.

Rose and I have a great conversation about fem-gore, surrealism and the mad outer limits of body horror.

Enjoy.

Other books mentioned:

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Time to talk righteous violence!

S.A. Cosby is a writer on a meteoric rise. After the insane success of Razorblade Tears, and the Gothic horrors of All the Sinners Bleed, he’s back with a fresh crime epic of titanic brutality.

King of Ashes is the tale of a family under threat from criminal forces, and the shocking depths they will go to in their fight back. It’s a challenging book, full of unexpected character arcs, Shakespearean intrigue, and a candid exploration of kink.

It’s also bloody, very damn bloody. The crematorium at the story’s centre gets well fed!!

We talk about all of that, as well as the strange commonalities of our small town lives, and the influence of violent men.

Enjoy!

Other books mentioned:

All The Sinners Bleed (2023), by S.A. Cosby

Razorblade Tears (2021), by S.A. Cosby

Blacktop Wasteland (2020), by S.A. Cosby

A Thousand Acres (1991), by Jane Smiley

“The Dog Park,” (1983), by Dennis Etchinson

Darkness, Take My Hand (1996), by Dennis Lehane

Gone, Baby, Gone (1998) by Dennis Lehane

Jar of Hearts (2018), by Jennifer Hillier

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Sometimes monsters are real!

This week’s episode is a foray into non-fiction, but no less scary for it. I’m talking to Pulitzer-winning Caroline Fraser about Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers

This is no grotesque revelling in death and sadism,however. Murderland examines the extreme violence that plagued her native Pacific Northwest in the late 20th century – and posits a link with the environmental damage of heavy industry in the region.

It’s a compelling argument, and a horribly fascinating book. I slip the jokes in where I can (mostly at BTK’s expense), but this one is a chiller!

Enjoy!

Other books mentioned:

Support Talking Scared on Patreon

Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch

Come talk books on Bluesky @talkscaredpod.bsky.social on Instagram/Threads, or email direct to [email protected]

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Vampirism is time travel.

It’s also tragedy and freedom and Queerness, and sex and

We talk about all of these thing with V.E. Schwab, when we sink our teeth into her new epic novel, Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil.

It’s the story of three women who lead complicated, violent, sensual lives across the centuries. The interconnect. They love. They kill.

It wasn’t the book I was expecting…and I loved it. I think you’ll love this conversation too.

Enjoy!

Other books mentioned:

Support Talking Scared on Patreon

Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch

Come talk books on Bluesky @talkscaredpod.bsky.social on Instagram/Threads, or email direct to [email protected]

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The third Let Us Palaver minisode (though this one is not so mini) – in which Nat and I reflect on The Waste Lands in full spoiler mode…and say REALLY mean things about Chris and his hurtful opinions.  

If you’ve been to the Tower before, I hope you dig this. Unless

Support Talking Scared on Patreon

Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch

Come talk books on Bluesky @talkscaredpod.bsky.social on Instagram/Threads, or email direct to [email protected]

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