The ARC Party

Yes, I know that this is a long episode, but I promise that it’s worth the time. Bitter Karella is an impressive author, a hilarious social media personality, and a really interesting person.

I want to emphasize that Quaint Folk is a seriously entertaining story. It’s imaginative, funny, engaging, propulsive, and cool. I want to emphasize that because for nearly an hour of our conversation, we talk about gender and sexuality and how messy it can be to navigate those topics and more so messy to write about them. It’s good and necessary discussion, but I worry it could give the impression that this book is stuffed with the topic. I’m here to assure you that it’s not. It is in there, but it is amongst the witchcraft, British cheekery, and strange goings-on.

I’m also very excited for Bitter’s upcoming novella Monoceros, and the fact that She’ll be launching it in Chicago in November. All you Chicago locals should join me in Oak Park for the event.

Quaint Folk releases Tuesday October 6th, so just a few days after this episode posts. There’s still time to preorder, or if you aren’t a day-one listener, it’s likely available to buy now. Check it out, it’s a fantastic book!

For the YouTube folks:

It’s that time again, time to bless you with some titles we are dying to check out. For October, my good friend and horror aficionado Greg Greene joined me to sing the praises of some amazing upcoming books.

You probably know Greg best for the amazing shirts that he creates, themed on contemporary horror novels. His “Jade Daniels Is My Final Girl” shirt is such a cultural phenomenon that it’s been written into multiple horror novels. If you want to see what kinds of shirts he’s got, check out his store at Threadsofdread.com.

In this episode, Greg also shares information about his upcoming magazine - Rough Beast, which will be available at the same website. Exciting times for horror!

In this episode, we cover a dozen sizzling October titles. I asked Greg to join me specifically because I know how excited he is for the release of the new Stephen Graham Jones book Off The Reservation, and also the hotly anticipated sequel from Brian Evenson - Phantom Limb, a follow-up to his most popular novel Last Days.

Check out the episode for all the titles we’re jazzed for, and hit the link below to order them all!

For the YouTube folk:

Horror podcaster and journalist Matthew Jackson from The Scares That Shaped Us was nice enough to help me carry the huge burden of curating a list of September releases to talk about.

Matthew’s podcast has a fun theme where he interviews authors about their upcoming books, and as part of the discussion they talk about a story (a book, a movie, poems, etc.) that was foundational to them and their relationship with horror. It’s a cool way to conduct a conversation and has led to dozens of very entertaining episodes, which I recommend you check out by clicking the button below.

In this episode we covered twenty of the most exciting horror books releasing in September. It’s not all of them by far. On Emily Hughes’ amazing website, she lists 85 titles! So it’s fair to say there are many more amazing books than what we discuss. They are out there for you to discover. We chose ones we’re particularly drawn to, and for the sake of time we had to cut it off somewhere. I heavily encourage everyone to make Emily’s website a primary tool in your book shopping process. It’s a real gift.

Please enjoy this list, preorder the books, and let me know on social media what you’re looking forward to!

For the folks who prefer YouTube:

I believe it was Clay McLeod Chapman that recently said to me that if you’re going to do vampires in your story, you have to find an original way to do it. Which admittedly in this day and age is a challenge. There are scant possibilities that have yet to be picked clean in books, film, etc.

In The Instruction Manual to Being a Vampire, Craig took care to get it right, and do it his way. In this interview, he explains his process for arriving at including vampires in his story, and how to make them in a way that services the plot. Craig’s take is very grounded and interesting. I think he made Clay proud.

It’s a great book, and we talk about it at great length in this chonky interview. I know it’s a long one, but me and Craig go back 15 years, so there’s going to be some nostalgia, yeah?

That nostalgia took shape as a reflection on an anthology that Craig was in called Warmed and Bound, and also the anthology I published - The Booked. Anthology. We look at the powerhouse lineup that Warmed and Bound had, and ruminate on the good old days.

For those of you who are new to Craig Wallwork, he has a fantastic trilogy of dark detective novels that I loved and you should check those out as well. I’ve gathered a list of books by Craig you can buy on my Bookshop page.

For the folks who prefer YouTube:

The Girl in the Video by Michael David Wilson releases on August 25th

Friend of the podcast Michael David Wilson of This Is Horror has a new edition of his breakout novella The Girl In The Video coming out soon, and it was a terrific excuse to get together and talk once again. It’s always the best time talking to Michael, and especially when there’s some good horror to cover.

In this episode, we talk about Michael’s long history contributing to the horror community in many ways. This Is Horror the website has provided comprehensive coverage of horror for over 15 years. The This Is Horror podcast is approaching 700 episodes, including interviews with top names in horror books, film, and beyond. And Michael’s own writing has been piling up over the years. Many short stories published, and several novels and novellas in print as well.

We also talk about The Girl in the Video’s second edition - now expanded with a bonus short story, and an afterward explaining the journey the book has been on since it was first conceived. We also get into the film adaptation situation, and talking about options, adapting, and movie agents.

I don’t want to forget that we did talk some shop about publishers, advanced copies of books, and the ups and downs of trying to schedule time with authors. It’s especially helpful for folks starting out podcasting or reviewing, but interesting even if that’s not something you’re into.

As a bonus, I dug up the original review and interview episodes that I posted on my previous podcast, Booked. I gave them a listen, and it’s cool to see how different the conversation was then vs. now. Here they are if you want to give them a listen:

Original review on Booked. Podcast:

Interview with Michael on Booked. Podcast:

For the YouTube loving folk:

Premium chapbook magnate Mitch Hull joined me in this episode to talk about all the crazy good books that are releasing this month. It’s The ARC Party’s Horror TBR series, and in it we talk about twelve amazing August releases.

In the episode we also talk about Mitch’s recent announcement for his partnership with Shortwave Publishing. Starting in 2027, Shortwave will add Rapture Trade as an imprint of their company, and all trade paperbacks that Mitch acquires will be published via Rapture Trade, which will benefit from Shortwave’s recent distribution deal with Simon & Schuster - putting Rapture Trade books on shelves in bookstores in a way that isn’t usually possible for a young company like Rapture.

We also talked about what Rapture has coming out for chapbooks for the rest of the year, and the roster is pretty insane. Otessa Moshfegh? Holy crap.

Definitely check out Rapture’s website for what they have going on, and get in on these chapbooks. They’re so worth it.

I hope you enjoy this TBR, and remember to use the button above to preorder the books in this episode that you’re excited for!

For the folks who want to watch on YouTube:

StokerCon 2026 took place in Pittsburgh at the beginning of June, and this year I was part of the programming team. Me and my good pal Greg Greene were tasked with managing the virtual panels for the con, which was an honor and a lot of fun!

We pulled together a couple dozen virtual panels that were incredible, including my own panel where me and some rock star panelists asked and answered the question: Is horror having a moment, and if so, why?

This episode, I’m happy to share with you the panel in its entirety. The roster of panelists is crazy. Ellen Datlow, Becky Spratford, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Yah Yah Schofield, and George Dunn all contributed their amazing experience and perspective and it was a great time.

If you enjoyed this, maybe consider StokerCon 2027 virtual programming! You have the option to pay just for the Virtual Con which gives you access to all of the new panels as well as panels from previous years. We’re talking hundreds of panels you can only see by getting the Virtual con access. If you are planning to attend StokerCon 2027, you can add virtual to your in-person access. It’s a great value and we’re hoping to go even bigger for 2027.

Also, please support all of the wonderful panelists that joined me. They’re doing great work and deserve as much support and recognition as possible!

* Ellen Datlow

* Becky Spratford

* Jeremy Robert Johnson

* Yah Yah Schofield

* George Dunn

For those who prefer YouTube:

New to the ARC Party?

If you’re new here, I’ll explain why this episode is so cool. Every six months, I get together with two of the most informed and well-read people in the horror book world…

Becky Spratford: Becky Spratford [MLIS] is a Librarian in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All, writes reviews for Booklist and a Horror review column for Library Journal. Becky has been an elected Library Trustee and a former Board member for both the Reaching Across Illinois Library System and the Illinois Library Association. Known for her work with Horror readers. Becky is the author of three text books for library workers and the Locus Award nominated and Bram Stoker Award winning Why I Love Horror [Saga Press, 2025]. Becky was named one of the Chicago Tribune’s Chicagoans of the Year in 2025. She is on the Shirley Jackson Award Advisory Board and is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association, currently serving as the Association’s Secretary and Co-Chair of their Libraries Committee.

and

Emily Hughes: Emily C. Hughes (she/her) is the Bram Stoker Award®-winning author of Horror For Weenies: Everything You Need to Know About the Films You’re Too Scared to Watch and the co-founder of Darker Times, a worker-owned magazine about horror and culture. You can find her writing elsewhere in the New York Times Book Review, Vulture, Slate, Reactor Magazine, Electric Literature, Nightmare Magazine, Thrillist, and more. Emily lives in crunchy western Massachusetts with her husband and four idiot cats.

… and we spend a couple of hours talking about books that we’re super excited to read in the coming six months. We each choose two books per month, and go around sharing what we know about them. It’s a ton of fun, and it gives us an opportunity to talk up dozens of books.

To date we have highlighted 219 books! That’s a lotta reads. And remember, books don’t have an expiration date, so feel free to go back in my YouTube playlist at the end of this entry, and get some recommendations from 2024 and 2025 as well!

Don’t forget to support your hosts!

* Keep coming back for my monthly Horror TBR list episodes!

* Becky’s book won multiple Bram Stoker Awards at this year’s StokerCon!

* Subscribe to Emily’s new horror magazine: Darker Times

The Books!

July

Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle

The Red Sacrament by Sara Hinkley

Home Sick by Rhiannon Grist

Carry Me To My Grave by Christopher Golden

The Flayed Man by Chloe Lauter

Caught in the In-Between by Alyson Hasson

August

A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young

The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson

Calamities by Chuck Wendig

The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen

The Burn Line by Jonathan Sims

Arson By Design by Tyler Jones

September

Kiss, Slay, Replay by Rachel Harrison

Blacktail by Scott Hawkins

Something of a Calling by Zoje Stage

Mazywood bt Tananarieve Due

American Nightmare by Kelly McWilliams

The Nudge by Joseph Fink

We Turn Gruesome at Night by Eric LaRocca

Incarnate by Alma Katsu

Something Followed Us Home ed. by Cynthia Pelayo

Never Whistle At Night II: Back for Blood ed. Shane Hawk and Theodore C Van Alst

Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm

The Ship of Death by Kyle Winkler

Observer by Nicholas Russell

Crone by Keith Rosson

The Rouse by China Miéville

Worry Box by Chris Panatier

Pictures of You by Josh Malerman

October

Off The Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones

Carrying by Samantha Josephs

Savage Lake by Nick Medina

Milk Teeth by Caitlin Starling

The Unhaunting by Micaiah Johnson

Find Me Where It Ends by Cassandra Khaw

November

Depth Charge by Tyler Jones

Annex of the Obscure vol. 1 by Mo Moshaty

Welcome Home Miriam by Sanchita Mitra

There Used To Be People Here by Kennedy Cole

December

Dive by Allison Mick

Motherfucking Sharks by Brian Allen Carr

Vampire Menstrual Syndrome by SC Hunter

See ALL of our recommendations from over the years on my YouTube Playlist:

Horror Preview Playlist: 219 Horror Books from 2024 to 2026!

For those who prefer YouTube:

As you are about to hear, my Paul Tremblay story goes a long way back. I’ve read almost every book he’s written, and in that time some titles have stood out to me as being extra special. THE PALLBEARER’S CLUB is one of those books, and now DEAD BUT DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP too.

At the risk of being hyperbolic, Paul took a damn swing with this book, and he connected. That is to say that he wrote a Paul Tremblay book with all the trappings you would expect to find, and somehow deftly wove such a strong and exciting FUCK YOU to AI into the story that, man, deserves all the praise.

I don’t want to say too much as to spoil the way Paul worked his magic, but holy hell i’m impressed and excited, and really just think everyone needs to read it. It’s metatextual in such a specific and targeted way. Absolute chef’s kiss.

But to put people at ease, it’s not JUST a book that stands on business. It’s a really touching story about someone discovering their life and its assorted tragedies. It’s about someone who seems to not care too much about anything being thrust into a situation where they face truly horrific consequences of their actions. It’s about Weekend at Bernie’s-ing a dude across the country while quoting The Big Lebowski - like you do.

So yeah, I’m biased about Paul, but you don’t become a NYT Bestseller and have multiple films adapted from your books because of what I say. I wish I had that kinda gravity.

Buy the book!

It’s a great book, friends, and great books deserve huge releases. What you can do is get preorders in. Ask your library to buy it. Leave reviews if you got an ARC.

Don’t Support AI

And you know what else you can do? Cut it out with the AI. Your brain and your soul will thank you.

For those folks who like a little video avec their audio:

Joshua Millican was first introduced to me through his novella TELEPORTASM, part of Shortwave Publishing’s great series Killer VHS.

What became immediately clear about Josh from reading TELEPORTASM is that he is talented. He knows writing, he’s skilled at storytelling, and he can take something as absurd as euphoric teleportation and take it to hilarious, compelling, emotional, or existentially terrifying places. His talent shines through.

This is the case for DOPEFOOT, a story about a college dropout who goes to work on a Northern California weed farm that might be a cult, in a region where there may be killer clowns, cryptids, and militant Lithuanians.

DOPEFOOT is a serious, funny, frightening look at an untamed and perhaps untame-able region of the United States. It’s a romp, it’s a ride, and you won’t see the end coming.

I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did, and please be sure to preorder DOPEFOOT today!

For the folks who prefer the YouTube experience: