The ARC Party

It’s been a big year for the Stephen Graham Jones fans out there. It started with a couple of new novels, and then it was a reissue. Then it was five more reissues. Then there was that short story on Tor. And it just kept going.

So, I convened the SGJ nerd triumvirate to talk about all of the goings on in 2024… and beyond.

Presented more or less chronologically, we cover the deep dive episodes we’ve done, all of the releases this year, SGJ Day, the Scare Up The Vote stream, and Greg’s trip to Texas Tech to view the collected papers of Stephen.

It’s all about sharing the story

We’re big fans, and we collect stuff, and we search online, and we share things, and we talk and talk and talk. And maybe that could seem like it doesn’t amount to much. And hell, to some people it probably doesn’t.

But as we talk about in this episode, sometimes great things come from the fandom and the talking and the research and…

And just doing the thing. I knew that this was a different kind of year in the SGJ universe. So did Jesse. So did Greg. And out of that hatched SGJ Day, which got tons of attention. And next thing you know, we’re in Fangoria and Publisher’s Weekly.

And then as things are dying down a text leads to a call leads to oh shit me and Greg are running Tech for Scare Up The Vote.

So yeah. My big squishy message about everything that’s happened for me in the book world recently is that if there’s something you care about, do something with it. It’s not likely that someone is going to come along and give you permission to do the thing. Just go for it, and maybe something cool with result.

Finally I’ll say that you better get your wallets ready, because 2025 is looking like it’s going to be just as wild of a ride for the SGJ fans of the world.

For those of you who are into the YouTube thing:

I’m not going to give a beat by beat, but I want to start by sharing how I got involved with Scare Up The Vote.

I am driving in highway traffic when I get a text from Becky Spratford. It just says: “Can you talk. It’s big. Call when you can.”

I never thought of myself as an awfulizer, but a vague text like that gets me nervous. So I immediately called back Becky and when she answered I asked the obvious question “Big good, or big bad?”

I’d seen Tananarive tweeting about how there should be a horror community stream for Harris/Walz, and in my mind I agreed. Horror is a great community, and can really come together for a cause, because horror people care.

A few days after Becky’s text I was sitting in the parking lot of a book store, on a phone call with Tananarive Due talking about how to put on a live stream. There were some vague ideas and a lot of positive energy. I told her I would love to be involved in tech in whatever capacity, and when we hung up I got started researching.

From there, I was the tech team for this stream. Tananarive had pulled together a committee to run the event, including Linda Addison, Christopher Golden, Maxwell Ian Gold, and Cynthia Pelayo.

And we had two weeks to go live time.

That two weeks is a blur of Zoom calls, emails, advice from respected peers, nerves, successes, and a very minor amount of failures. It was all momentum and enthusiasm, and practice practice practice.

The guest list blossomed from a dozen or so awesome names to over twenty. The tech team responded in kind. I brought on someone who brought on several other someones. Tananarive brought in several amazing folks who had experience with cons and streams and who are brilliantly talented.

Everyone contributed their skills, experience and knowledge to make this stream something I was terrified to say for fear of jinxing everything (until we finally ended the stream): a huge fucking success!

Folks, if that stream looked nearly flawless, and felt like we really knew what we were doing, it’s because it was and we did. This team that got pulled together in the small window of time that we had executed essentially perfectly.

Some of them didn’t get added to the team until the day of the stream!

The guest speakers similarly crushed it.

Spooky writers telling scary stories, entertaining, informing, inspiring. Folks of all variety of backgrounds and experiences, coming together because sometimes the scariest story is real life.

But as Rachel Harrison said, we will be battered, bloody, crawling through the dirt wielding whatever weapon we can find - and the weapon we have now is our vote.

I think another weapon we have is each other. And the more we talk about it, and come together, and make noise, the more power we will see that we truly have.

The “me” of this election cycle is starting to feel a lot like “us”, which gives me hope.

But back to the stream.

Stream day was me sitting at a desk for 13 hours, consistently communicating with the team, guest speakers, etc. Skipping lunch, drinking way too much coffee, and generally feeling anxious. Fearing the worst.

But the worst never came, and fifteen minutes before the scheduled launch, I started pre-roll. Nearly three hours later, twenty six (I think) passionate folks had spoken their mind, and aside from a muted mic in the beginning and shifting two guest spots, more than 1,300 people had watched, and our little operation raised over $21,000.

Thanks are due to all of the committee and volunteers. Everyone worked hard, and it wouldn’t be the production it was without everyone’s effort. I’m especially grateful for my friend Greg Greene, who I asked to hop on a call for some advice running a stream. Not only did he join the team, his organizational and planning skills were crucial to the flow of the event. He also brought on Jason Ragosta to do a lot of the art, and Amber Reu to run the green room.

There are countless beautiful moments in the stream. One of my personal favorites, as a massive fan of the TV show Hannibal, was Bryan Fuller’s rebuke of Trump on the topic of Hannibal Lecter. Chef’s kiss, Bryan.

Order your copy here!

The ages-old tradition. The last night as a free man. Some of us have participated in this tradition. Some, more than others. Usually it’s going to include some booze, some lewd behavior, some macho nonsense, and maybe the drunken utterance “I’d die for you, man.”

But. Would they?

In this book, Dan Howarth marries (heh) the concept of a bachelor/stag party with a fabricated small town’s generations-old tradition of a new groom earning his nuptials by hunting and killing a prize. The twist? The hunted are another stag party.

And it’s great! It’s a twisted, rural, dirty, nasty race to a gruesome end, and along the way, this terrified group of hunted groomsmen fight to survive while old cracks and fissures in their friendships threaten to sabotage their chances.

I highly suggest picking this book up, and especially using the direct link here, to buy it from Dan himself.

For those of you who prefer YouTube:

THE DEVIL BY NAME

I know, I know. You’re wondering why I’m posting an interview with Keith Rosson after the book is already available. Sometimes in life, plans change. In this case I was originally planning to talk to Keith several weeks earlier, but circumstances changed plans, and as we’re busy important folks, it took us a while to get a new date on the books. But there was no way I was going to miss a chance to talk about this book just because the timing doesn’t fit my usual format. So here we are.

During this conversation I hit on a point with Keith that is resonating with me. He is doing something that I really don’t see other people doing. FEVER HOUSE and THE DEVIL BY NAME are an epic horror stew of rock n roll, zombies, supernatural entities, crime, secret government agencies, and lots of evil. It’s not a wonder that Stephen King has been raving about them.

So it’s easy for me to encourage you folks who haven’t checked out these books yet to do so at your earliest convenience. They are well-told, entertaining stories, and under all that gristle is a hearty amount of heart, humanity, and hope.

SGJ Day

At the time of writing, it’s a little less than two weeks from #SGJDAY! What’s that? Well, it’s the day that Open Road Media is releasing five reissued books by Stephen Graham Jones. All five books are long out of print, and their return is a boon for fans of Jones. These include extremely rare books such as IT CAME FROM DEL RIO, and THE LONG TRIAL OF NOLAN DUGATTI.

Celebrate SGJ Day by picking up these books, and follow the SGJDAY hashtag on social media for other exciting things such as limited edition button sets, giveaways, and more.

For the folks who prefer YouTube:

PREORDER REST STOP

Nat Cassidy was kind enough to join me once more on the podcast to talk about his upcoming novella, out on Shortwave, called REST STOP (preorder link above the cover image).

While REST STOP is a quick read, and pretty chock-full of violence and creepy crawlies, we managed to get pretty deep into a conversation about generational trauma and survival - themes that are present throughout this depraved story.

We also talked about Nat’s upcoming novel from Tor Nightfire, WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME, out on April 22nd of 2025, and a little bit about Nat’s two chapbooks that he also released through Shortwave, which you should absolutely go buy immediately.

Coming soon on the podcast: Keith Rosson returns to talk about the closing title in his FEVER HOUSE duology - THE DEVIL BY NAME. Later, I’ll be talking to Tim Waggoner about his novelization of Ti West’s X trilogy, of which I’ve read X and it’s fan-fucking-tastic.

For folks that prefer YouTube:

Pre-Order HERE

Content Warning: In this episode, we discuss suicide, depression, and self harm

Sofia Ajram joined me to talk about COUP DE GRÂCE, her upcoming novella, an intense, personal, existential, liminal nightmare that will make you think deeply about what life is all about.

In our talk, we cover myriad topics including liminal spaces and stories and how things like depression can be liminal, we talk about book covers and the creative process, I compliment the dense and poetic use of language in the book, the Elevator Game, body horror, and a lot more. It’s a lot of talk for a book that’s 130 pages.

I feel like we both went to some personal places in the conversation, and got vulnerable, and I feel like I needed to talk about things like how someone’s story can make you feel seen or understood. So, if you like when people get vulnerable and real, this is going to work out for you, I think.

We also talked about the COUP DE GRÂCE book trailer, which is fantastic and you should watch right now!

Sofia reading from COUP DE GRÂCE

AFTERPARTY!

This episode did spin off an Afterparty discussion which, if you’d like to hear it, you’ll need to be a paid subscriber (any amount) here on my Substack.

The paywall is my way of protecting people from hearing spoilers they maybe didn’t intent to hear. If you make it to an Afterparty, you had to do some work to get there.

It should go without saying, but the afterparty episode does contain spoilers for the book, but it was an amazing conversation and I really hope you choose to listen.

Finally, here’s the YouTube version of the main episode, for you YouTube lovers:

David James Keaton is a brilliant and hilarious author. He’s put out a hefty stack of books, and created some of the most entertaining podcast moments I’ve captured in the thirteen years I’ve been doing this.

For this episode, we’re looking at his upcoming release, SHALLOW ENDS, which may or may not ask “what would you do if you were on the back of a fire truck party bus and you realized that this bus has no plans to stop?”

Is there even an answer to this question?

The book switches between a night of ill-fated revelry, and flashbacks to the partygoers’ early lives, stories that challenge our sympathy for their plight in the current day. From shark people to prison crank calls, bar heists to assembly line mishaps. SHALLOW ENDS is jammed with wild stories and ridiculous situations, all anchored by Keaton’s ability to write stories that we all deeply relate to.

We also talk about a movie that is an influence on the book even though he wrote the book before learning the story even existed. It’s a film called THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY? Which has also been a book, and I believe a play. It’s about the dancing marathons that happened back in the post-depression era. Wildly exploitative, dangerous, and cruel never-ending events of misery.

I highly encourage you all to order SHALLOW ENDS now, and once you’re hooked on DJK, THE LAST PROJECTOR is an epic experience not to be missed!

Finally, I’ll be posting an Afterparty episode here on the website, which will be available for paid subscribers at any level. In it, we take a walk down memory lane, and talk about some of the writers we’ve known and readings we’ve attended over the years.

For the folks that prefer YouTube:

So many podcasts!

I thought I could make one podcast episode where I talked to some folks who podcast about horror, and it would be a one-stop-shop for folks looking for a new favorite commute time killer (hmm. commute-time killer? commute time-killer?)

Well, as is often the case, it wasn’t until I was in the middle of it that I realized two things:

* There are so many podcasts talking about horror books.

* Podcasters love to talk - so my 15-20 minute target often ended up going way longer than that.

* (I know I said two, but heck this deserves a bullet) There’s a ton of podcasts where the only topic is Stephen King and his books.

Episode One

Click above to check out the first episode, if you haven’t already. For this first installment, You’ll hear from Stephanie Gagnon from BOOKS IN THE FREEZER, followed by Michael David Wilson from THIS IS HORROR.

The Guests

Books In The Freezer - Stephanie Gagnon

This is Books in the Freezer, a podcast dedicated to the deliciously disturbing world of horror fiction. Our topical, bi-weekly episodes will cover those scary books that you might want to put in the freezer. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any of our recommendations!

This Is Horror - Michael David Wilson

The This Is Horror Podcast is a weekly show for readers, writers, and creators hosted by Michael David Wilson and Bob Pastorella. We interview writers, artists, publishers, editors, and creatives every week. We have interviewed over 100 creatives including Chuck Palahniuk, Joe Hill, Joe R. Lansdale, Charlaine Harris, Ellen Datlow, David Moody, Jennifer Lynch, Gemma Files, and Josh Malerman.

Episode Two

Neil McRobert kicks off the second episode, talking about his well respected podcast TALKING SCARED. Max Booth III follows, always fun to talk to Max, and we get into the various podcast projects they have going on. Finally, I included myself in this series - not out of vanity, but rather, in case a listener came to these episodes from an outside audience, I thought they might be curious about what I get up to at the ARC PARTY, so I brought in backup to interview me about this humble effort.

The Guests

Talking Scared - Neil McRobert

Conversations with the biggest names in horror fiction. A podcast for horror readers who want to know where their favorite stories came from ... and what frightens the people who wrote them.

Ghoulish & Dog Ears - Max Booth III

GHOULISH is a weekly comedy podcast celebrating all things spooky, hosted by Max Booth III.

DOG EARS is a podcast about publishing, writing, and dogs.

The ARC Party - Robb Olson (with Ryan McRae interviewing)

Your first look at upcoming books!

My goal with the ARC Party is to connect readers with books before they release! Much of the success of a new book is connected to pre-orders and early sales numbers, but sometimes people don't hear about a book until long after it's been released.

An episode typically consists of an author giving a quick description of their book, followed by a spoiler free discussion about it. We often talk about themes, characters, settings, etc.

But I'm careful to not talk about anything that would ruin the reading experience!

Subscribed

Hungry for more?

I asked the internet for recommendations of podcasts that they like that talk about horror books, and here is a giant list of their responses. (descriptions borrowed and sometimes shortened from their websites)

NOTE: I tried to focus on currently active podcasts and exclude any that seemed defunct, and I can’t be 100% sure that all of these are still publishing episodes.

* Behind Your Face There Is A Place: Host Johnny Compton has conversations with creative guests, broadly, but not strictly about one of three possible subjects: I LOVED THIS!, Author's Commentary, Studying the Scares.

* Bleeding Page: A bi-weekly podcast wherein authors Chad Lutzke & Jason Brant discuss self-publishing dark fiction and the craft of writing with special guests.

* Fearmongers: Bestselling author Clay McLeod Chapman hosts FEARMONGERS, featuring interviews with and readings by horror fiction's biggest stars.

Produced in cooperation with Verso Studios at the Westport Library.

* Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy is a podcast hosted by science fiction author David Barr Kirtley. The show features conversations about fantasy & science fiction in books, movies, games, and comics, as well as related subjects such as science, history, and critical thinking.

* Killer Mediums: Horror Podcast hosted by author William Sterling, examining how horror tropes manifest across different mediums of entertainment. Let'ss Get Spooky!

* Lifewriting: Authors and screenwriters Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due (and guests!) on writing, the writer's life, Hollywood, the work/family balance and relationships - the tools writers need to make themselves the heroes/heroines of their own story.

* Lovecraft E-Zine: A friendly horror podcast. Panelists are Bridgette Brenmark, Matthew Carpenter, Pete Rawlik, John Langan, Benjamin Handelman, Melissa Walsh, Michael DaBronzo, Stephen Mark Rainey, Alan Hughes, and Mike Davis.

* Postcards From A Dying World: Postcards from a Dying has been my blog for the last decade with more than 1,000 book reviews to promotional bonuses for my fiction. This podcast feed collections all the audio bonus materials for the blog, interviews and will include a monthly digest of my book reviews.

* She Wore Black: A gothic, mystery, and horror podcast.

* Sley House Presents: Sley House Presents is a podcast offered by Sley House Publishing. Our episodes are dedicated to discussing the best in genre literature, interviewing notable professionals in the field, reviewing movies, producing radio dramas based on your favorite classic and new short stories, and deep dives into your favorite horror topics.

And here are the ones that are, ostensibly, entirely focused on Stephen King and his writing:

* Chat Sematary: Chat Sematary will dive into the works and adaptations of the King of Horror, Stephen King. Hosted by Deanna Chapman.

* Dark Tower Palaver: Join hosts Tadd and Peter for in-depth discussion and analysis of Stephen King's Magnum Opus The Dark Tower series. Explore the Novels, comics, upcoming film/TV adaptations, and all things Dark Tower. Join in on both the Round Table Discussions covering the entire series, as well as the Book Club where each book is systematically read, analyzed and discussed in order from the first line to the last. Come let's Palaver Gunslinger!

* Derry Public Radio: Welcome to the basement of the Derry Civic Center. Pay no mind to the strange sounds coming from behind the Unfound Door. It's just your ka-tet, who are here to provide you with a variety of perspectives on Stephen King's work - ranging from the comfortably familiar to the frighteningly fanatic. Derry Public Radio is here to keep you up-to-date with all that's happening in Derry, Maine and "beyond."

* Just King Things: is a monthly podcast about reading the books of Stephen King in publication order. Join hosts Michael and Cameron, two cultural critics and horror fans who literally grew up reading this stuff, as they embark upon a quest to revisit and review a vast body of work spanning five decades, reading one book a month for… only ten years or so

* Kingcast: is a Stephen King podcast for Stephen King obsessives hosted by former film bloggers and rabid horror fans Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler. Each week, the pair welcome a notable guest to the show to discuss the King adaptation (or unadapted novel/short story) of their choice. It’s an unpredictable show, one that can turn on a dime between being legitimately emotional and outright hilarious, and always approaches the work of its legendary namesake with the love, respect, and top-shelf nerdery that it deserves.

* Loser’s Club: Founded in 2017, The Losers’ Club® is an award-winning weekly series that chronologically digs through the work of Stephen King with humor, irreverence, and a critical eye. Each episode, the Losers gather together to read between the iconic pages and share the latest in King’s Dominion, whether it’s the author’s oft-controversial tweets, the boldest Hollywood headlines, or his endless forthcoming projects. The series also regularly features special guests. In the past, the Losers have spoken to Mike Flanagan, Thomas Jane, Tananarive Due, Chapo Trap House, Owen Teague, Mick Garris, Mary Lambert, Jerry O’Connell, Wil Wheaton, Joe Bob Briggs, and even King himself. Suitable for readers both Constant and casual. King says check us out.

* The Constant Reader Podcast: Everything Stephen King, from Carrie to The Institute, from the novels to the short stories, from the small screen to the big screen. Each month we take a deep dive into one book from the bibliography of the King of horror fiction, while also charting the byways of King's forays into other genres (The Dark Tower series, On Writing etc) and also casting an eye on the many TV and film adaptations of King's work.Recorded live from the UEA media suite, Richard Sheppard interviews writers, academics, superfans and anyone with a passion for the work of Stephen King.

* The Year of Underrated Stephen King: This is a one-woman, (lecture style) Stephen King podcast that analyzes Stephen King's lesser-known novels and short stories in depth and explores why Stephen King is the greatest fiction writer alive!

Applying what I teach my Fiction students, in this podcast we will examine: Strong Writing, Storytelling Principles, Genre, Literary Analysis, Stephen King Universe Nerdery and the Constant Reader Community at Large!

* Tower Junkies: A podcast celebrating the work of Stephen King with an occasional focus on his magnum opus, The Dark Tower series.

Subscribed

For those of you who prefer YouTube:

So many podcasts!

I thought I could make one podcast episode where I talked to some folks who podcast about horror, and it would be a one-stop-shop for folks looking for a new favorite commute time killer (hmm. commute-time killer? commute time-killer?)

Well, as is often the case, it wasn’t until I was in the middle of it that I realized two things:

* There are so many podcasts talking about horror books.

* Podcasters love to talk - so my 15-20 minute target often ended up going way longer than that.

* (I know I said two, but heck this deserves a bullet) There’s a ton of podcasts where the only topic is Stephen King and his books.

Episode One

This is now part one of what I’m guessing/hoping will be a series about horror podcasts. For this first installment, You’ll hear from Stephanie Gagnon from BOOKS IN THE FREEZER, followed by Michael David Wilson from THIS IS HORROR.

The Guests

Books In The Freezer - Stephanie Gagnon

This is Books in the Freezer, a podcast dedicated to the deliciously disturbing world of horror fiction. Our topical, bi-weekly episodes will cover those scary books that you might want to put in the freezer. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any of our recommendations!

This Is Horror - Michael David Wilson

The This Is Horror Podcast is a weekly show for readers, writers, and creators hosted by Michael David Wilson and Bob Pastorella. We interview writers, artists, publishers, editors, and creatives every week. We have interviewed over 100 creatives including Chuck Palahniuk, Joe Hill, Joe R. Lansdale, Charlaine Harris, Ellen Datlow, David Moody, Jennifer Lynch, Gemma Files, and Josh Malerman.

Episode Two

Neil McRobert kicks off the second episode, talking about his well respected podcast TALKING SCARED. Max Booth III follows, always fun to talk to Max, and we get into the various podcast projects they have going on. Finally, I included myself in this series - not out of vanity, but rather, in case a listener came to these episodes from an outside audience, I thought they might be curious about what I get up to at the ARC PARTY, so I brought in backup to interview me about this humble effort.

The Guests

Talking Scared - Neil McRobert

Conversations with the biggest names in horror fiction. A podcast for horror readers who want to know where their favorite stories came from ... and what frightens the people who wrote them.

Ghoulish & Dog Ears - Max Booth III

GHOULISH is a weekly comedy podcast celebrating all things spooky, hosted by Max Booth III.

DOG EARS is a podcast about publishing, writing, and dogs.

The ARC Party - Robb Olson (with Ryan McRae interviewing)

Your first look at upcoming books!

My goal with the ARC Party is to connect readers with books before they release! Much of the success of a new book is connected to pre-orders and early sales numbers, but sometimes people don't hear about a book until long after it's been released.

An episode typically consists of an author giving a quick description of their book, followed by a spoiler free discussion about it. We often talk about themes, characters, settings, etc.

But I'm careful to not talk about anything that would ruin the reading experience!

Hungry for more?

I asked the internet for recommendations of podcasts that they like that talk about horror books, and here is a giant list of their responses. (descriptions borrowed and sometimes shortened from their websites)

NOTE: I tried to focus on currently active podcasts and exclude any that seemed defunct, and I can’t be 100% sure that all of these are still publishing episodes.

* Behind Your Face There Is A Place: Host Johnny Compton has conversations with creative guests, broadly, but not strictly about one of three possible subjects: I LOVED THIS!, Author's Commentary, Studying the Scares.

* Bleeding Page: A bi-weekly podcast wherein authors Chad Lutzke & Jason Brant discuss self-publishing dark fiction and the craft of writing with special guests.

* Fearmongers: Bestselling author Clay McLeod Chapman hosts FEARMONGERS, featuring interviews with and readings by horror fiction's biggest stars.

Produced in cooperation with Verso Studios at the Westport Library.

* Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy is a podcast hosted by science fiction author David Barr Kirtley. The show features conversations about fantasy & science fiction in books, movies, games, and comics, as well as related subjects such as science, history, and critical thinking.

* Killer Mediums: Horror Podcast hosted by author William Sterling, examining how horror tropes manifest across different mediums of entertainment. Let'ss Get Spooky!

* Lifewriting: Authors and screenwriters Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due (and guests!) on writing, the writer's life, Hollywood, the work/family balance and relationships - the tools writers need to make themselves the heroes/heroines of their own story.

* Lovecraft E-Zine: A friendly horror podcast. Panelists are Bridgette Brenmark, Matthew Carpenter, Pete Rawlik, John Langan, Benjamin Handelman, Melissa Walsh, Michael DaBronzo, Stephen Mark Rainey, Alan Hughes, and Mike Davis.

* Postcards From A Dying World: Postcards from a Dying has been my blog for the last decade with more than 1,000 book reviews to promotional bonuses for my fiction. This podcast feed collections all the audio bonus materials for the blog, interviews and will include a monthly digest of my book reviews.

* She Wore Black: A gothic, mystery, and horror podcast.

* Sley House Presents: Sley House Presents is a podcast offered by Sley House Publishing. Our episodes are dedicated to discussing the best in genre literature, interviewing notable professionals in the field, reviewing movies, producing radio dramas based on your favorite classic and new short stories, and deep dives into your favorite horror topics.

And here are the ones that are, ostensibly, entirely focused on Stephen King and his writing:

* Chat Sematary: Chat Sematary will dive into the works and adaptations of the King of Horror, Stephen King. Hosted by Deanna Chapman.

* Dark Tower Palaver: Join hosts Tadd and Peter for in-depth discussion and analysis of Stephen King's Magnum Opus The Dark Tower series. Explore the Novels, comics, upcoming film/TV adaptations, and all things Dark Tower. Join in on both the Round Table Discussions covering the entire series, as well as the Book Club where each book is systematically read, analyzed and discussed in order from the first line to the last. Come let's Palaver Gunslinger!

* Derry Public Radio: Welcome to the basement of the Derry Civic Center. Pay no mind to the strange sounds coming from behind the Unfound Door. It's just your ka-tet, who are here to provide you with a variety of perspectives on Stephen King's work - ranging from the comfortably familiar to the frighteningly fanatic. Derry Public Radio is here to keep you up-to-date with all that's happening in Derry, Maine and "beyond."

* Just King Things: is a monthly podcast about reading the books of Stephen King in publication order. Join hosts Michael and Cameron, two cultural critics and horror fans who literally grew up reading this stuff, as they embark upon a quest to revisit and review a vast body of work spanning five decades, reading one book a month for… only ten years or so

* Kingcast: is a Stephen King podcast for Stephen King obsessives hosted by former film bloggers and rabid horror fans Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler. Each week, the pair welcome a notable guest to the show to discuss the King adaptation (or unadapted novel/short story) of their choice. It’s an unpredictable show, one that can turn on a dime between being legitimately emotional and outright hilarious, and always approaches the work of its legendary namesake with the love, respect, and top-shelf nerdery that it deserves.

* Loser’s Club: Founded in 2017, The Losers’ Club® is an award-winning weekly series that chronologically digs through the work of Stephen King with humor, irreverence, and a critical eye. Each episode, the Losers gather together to read between the iconic pages and share the latest in King’s Dominion, whether it’s the author’s oft-controversial tweets, the boldest Hollywood headlines, or his endless forthcoming projects. The series also regularly features special guests. In the past, the Losers have spoken to Mike Flanagan, Thomas Jane, Tananarive Due, Chapo Trap House, Owen Teague, Mick Garris, Mary Lambert, Jerry O’Connell, Wil Wheaton, Joe Bob Briggs, and even King himself. Suitable for readers both Constant and casual. King says check us out.

* The Constant Reader Podcast: Everything Stephen King, from Carrie to The Institute, from the novels to the short stories, from the small screen to the big screen. Each month we take a deep dive into one book from the bibliography of the King of horror fiction, while also charting the byways of King's forays into other genres (The Dark Tower series, On Writing etc) and also casting an eye on the many TV and film adaptations of King's work.Recorded live from the UEA media suite, Richard Sheppard interviews writers, academics, superfans and anyone with a passion for the work of Stephen King.

* The Year of Underrated Stephen King: This is a one-woman, (lecture style) Stephen King podcast that analyzes Stephen King's lesser-known novels and short stories in depth and explores why Stephen King is the greatest fiction writer alive!

Applying what I teach my Fiction students, in this podcast we will examine: Strong Writing, Storytelling Principles, Genre, Literary Analysis, Stephen King Universe Nerdery and the Constant Reader Community at Large!

* Tower Junkies: A podcast celebrating the work of Stephen King with an occasional focus on his magnum opus, The Dark Tower series.

For those of you who prefer YouTube:

Pre-Order HERE

I say it in the episode, and I’ll repeat it now. I’ve been ride-or-die for Zoje’s writing career since I read BABY TEETH in 2018. I think Zoje’s writing voice is so charming and consequential and relatable. At some level, I’d always hoped to hear what’s been going on with Hanna since BABY TEETH, but I never pushed it into he arena of hope. I guess Zoje has been so good at making all of her books as unique and powerful that I didn’t know if it was even a thought in her head.

Thankfully, it was. DEAR HANNA is a follow-up to BABY TEETH that takes place a good 15 or so year after the end of BT. Zoje wrote it in a way that it can be read on its own without having read BABY TEETH, which removes a big barrier to entry for readers that are new to Stage’s work. But it still does make references to the first book, and references things that happened in the interim between books, so there’s plenty to be had for a lover of BABY TEETH as well.

In this interview, I mention another book of Zoje’s which I truly and deeply love, and I really hope people read. It’s a dark fairy tale about a tween girl who is confronted with becoming a woman. It’s scary and sad and wonderful and hopeful and heartbreaking, and I can’t say enough good about it. It’s THE GIRL WHO OUTGREW THE WORLD, and I think you need to go get it immediately.

Another moment in this conversation that I loved was when we were talking about the idea of people being good or bad, and how it seems the more we define people as “other” than us, the easier it is to do horrible things to them. Or conversely, the optimistic way I choose to approach life, the more we are able to see ourselves in other people, the better we will be to all people. It was a validating and uplifting conversation, for sure!

Buy DEAR HANNA, buy THE GIRL WHO OUTGREW THE WORLD, and please do something to see the commonalities we all have, so we can love more and live more.

For you YouTube watchers: