The Dead Tree Society Podcast

Author Saratoga Schaefer is back on the show to talk about their sophomore novel, Trad Wife (now available from Crooked Lane Press in the U.S.). With host Trevor, they talk about the novel, about trad wifing as a social media trend, about cognitive mapping, and how social media contributes or detracts from our happiness.

You can find more about Saratoga Schaefer at their website, saratogaschaefer.com, and you can get Trad Wife from Crooked Lane Press on February 10 from your local library or your favorite book retailer.

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In this interview, author L.M. Chilton joins with show host Trevor to talk about his new novel, Everyone in the Group Chat Dies, available now from Gallery/Scout Press. They talk about classical detection novels, about how Everyone in the Group Chat Dies addresses new digital spaces and how they can fit into traditional detective novels, as well as broader issues of how to discern the fidelity of information in a digital world and how novels of detection accentuate our need for a connection to and relationship with the truth.

You can find L.M. Chilton at lmchilton.com, and you can get Everyone in the Group Chat Dies and his other work at your favorite book retailer or your local library.

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Johnny Compton, Bram Stoker award-winning author of The Spite House and Devils Kill Devils, visits the show to talk about his new book Dead First, available February 10, 2026 from Putnam. Alongside host Trevor, he talks about Texas lore, about private investigators and code-switching, about the need for cultural literacy, and a whole lot more.

You can catch more from Johnny at his website, johnnycompton.com. Dead First is available for pre-order or for purchase from your favorite book retailer, or you can request a copy at your local library.

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Author C.J. Cooke joins the show to talk about her latest novel, The Last Witch, available now from publisher Berkley. With Trevor, she talks about the origins of her novel in the 15th century, about authenticity in writing fiction, and about how fiction serves to assist us in clarifying the historic record while preserving what remains important to the context of its moment and ours.

You can find more about C.J. Cooke online at carolynjesscooke.com, and you can find her novels at your local library or at your favorite book retailer.

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In this episode, best-selling author Simone St. James comes to talk about her new book, A Box Full of Darkness, available January 20 in the US through publisher Berkley. She talks with Trevor about her Gothic stories, about writing complicated characters, and the effect of trauma on personal relationships.

You can find more Simone St. James at simonestjames.com, and you can find A Box Full of Darkness and her other novels at your local library or your favorite book retailer.

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In this episode, author Ryan James Black visits to talk about his book The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham, which is now available in the U.S. and other countries. Together with Trevor, he talks about the craft of hope in fiction for children, and about the craft of hope as an exercise in looking at the world.

You can find more about Ryan James Black at ryanjamesblack.com and you can get his novel at your favorite book retailer or your local library.

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Author P. Djèlí Clark visits to celebrate the paperback release of Ring Shout, now available from Tor Nightfire. He breaks down the importance of the Shout to culture and Black heritage, the evolution and importance of media and its messaging for good and for bad, and the natures of hate and justice.

You can find more from P. Djèlí Clark at his website, pdjeliclark.com, and you can find Ring Shout and his other fictions at your local library or your favorite book retailer.

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Trevor is joined by writer and book reviewer Amanda Bernat, the owner of Her Infinite Archive, to discuss their 2025 superlative fiction.

For more information about Amanda Bernat, you can follow her on socials @ohtinybibliophile or at her blog https://herinfinitearchive.blogspot.com/.

Our 2025 Superlatives:

Most Gripping

(Amanda) TILT by Emma Pattee

(Trevor) VOLATILE MEMORY by Seth Haddon

Most Unique

(Amanda) HOW TO FAKE A HAUNTING by Christa Carmen

(Trevor) CATHEDRAL OF THE DROWNED by Nathan Ballingrud

Most Visceral

(Amanda) CARRION CROW by Heather Parry

(Trevor) THE LIBRARY AT HELLEBORE by Cassandra Khaw

Most Resonant

(Amanda) THE HOUNDING by Xenobe Purvis

(Trevor) THE INCANDESCENT by Emily Tesh

Most Unforgettable

(Amanda) THE REDEMPTION OF MORGAN BRIGHT by Chris Panatier

(Trevor) DAEDALUS IS DEAD by Seamus Sullivan

Most Uplifting

(Amanda) DEATH OF A CLOWN by Catherine McCarthy

(Trevor) LUCKY DAY by Chuck Tingle

Most Satisfying

(Amanda) WHY I LOVE HORROR ed. by Becky Siegel Spratford

(Trevor) COLD ETERNITY by S.A. Barnes

Most Cathartic

(Amanda) ON SUNDAYS SHE PICKED FLOWERS by Yah Yah Scholfield

(Trevor) SALTCROP by Yume Kitasei

Most Awe-Inspiring

(Amanda) YOU DID NOTHING WRONG by CG Drews

(Trevor) ANGEL DOWN by Daniel Kraus

Best Reading Experience

(Amanda) NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

(Trevor) MYSTERY JAMES DIGS HER OWN GRAVE by Ally Russell

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In this exclusive audio production, Sley House presents "Fishing for Charlie," a short ghost story by author David Corse.

David Corse is a weird horror and dark fantasy writer from Ohio. You can find more of his work at his website, davidcorseauthor.com, and you can find him on TikTok, Instagram, and Threads @itsmedavidcorse, and on Bluesky @itsmedavidcorse.bsky.social.

Today's audio production was narrated and produced by Trevor Williamson through Sley House Presents. Background music was sourced from human creators at Pixabay.

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Veteran sci-fi and fantasy author Kate Elliott visits the show to talk about her latest novel duology, The Witch Roads. Along with Trevor, she explores the story's origins for her, the power and place of art in her life, and how writing is about embodying feeling and processing thought.

You can find more about Kate Elliott at imakeupworlds.com, and you can get The Witch Roads at your favorite bookseller or your local library, available from Tor today.

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