It's Christmas time! C. Robert Cargill returns! Based on a brief conversation we had back during Fantastic Fest, Cargill was kind enough to stop by for the second time this year to talk Black Phone 2 spoilers and to unpack a fascinating take he has on 1980's Christmas Evil! It's killer Santa time on The Scares That Shaped Us!

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- Black Phone 2 is available now!

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Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

It's Clay McLeod Chapman time once again! Our friend of the show returns for his fourth (!!!) visit to talk about his new book Shiny Happy People, everything he's got coming up in 2026, and of course, we dig deep into 1978's amazing Invasion of the Body Snatchers!

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- Shiny Happy People is available now wherever books are sold!

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- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: [email protected]

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

It's our first two-story episode! Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman, writers and directors behind the new horror film Man Finds Tape, join the show this week. We talk about making a fake documentary horror film, Texas inspirations, playing with found footage, and much more. Plus, we dig into Rob Reiner's Stand By Me and James Cameron's Aliens!

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- Man Finds Tape is in select theaters and on VOD December 5!

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Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Chris Panatier, author of The Redemption of Morgan Bright, joins the show this week to talk about his new book, Shitshow, and we dig into the festive madness that is Gremlins, as well as the stealth masterpiece that is Gremlins 2: The New Batch. We also talk about Dublin Dr. Pepper, because Central Texas boys know.

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- Pick up Shitshow from Sobelo Books!

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- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: [email protected]

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Jess Hagemann, who wrote one of the best horror novels of the year with Mother-Eating: A Documentary, joins the show this week to talk about her book and the historical deep dive that inspired it. Then we dig deep into the surreal, often disturbing short films of the great Jan Svankmajer!

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- Pick up Mother-Eating from Ghoulish Books!

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- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: [email protected]

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Bram Stoker-winning writer and editor Jonathan Maberry joins the show this week! We talk about his NecroTek and Joe Ledger series, blending genres, editing Weird Tales, and more as we dive into a discussion of Richard Matheson's post-apocalyptic classic I Am Legend.

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- Visit Jonathan's website for updates on everything he's doing.

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- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: [email protected]

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Nathan Ballingrud, author of North American Lake Monsters and The Lunar Gothic Trilogy, joins the show this week! We talk about Nathan's latest book, Cathedral of the Drowned, the importance of taking notes in his writing process, taking inspiration from classic pulp artists, and much more while we dive into one of Clive Barker's best short stories, "Dread."

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- Cathedral of the Drowned is available now!

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- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: [email protected]

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Trevor Henderson, legendary internet monster-maker and creator of the Scarewaves series, joins the show for our Halloween episode! We talk about Trevor's many creature designs, writing for a middle grade audience, and much more while digging into the classic syndicated TV series Monsters!

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- Check out Trevor's Linktree to find him all over the web!

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Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Ally Malinenko, author of middle-grade horror novels like Ghost Girl and This Appearing House, joins the show this week! We talk about her new novel Broken Dolls, writing for young readers, approaching horror as children, and of course, Edgar Allan Poe's legendary short story, "The Tell-Tale Heart"!

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- Broken Dolls is available now!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: [email protected]

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

This Is Horror co-host Bob Pastorella joins the show this week to talk about his new vampire novel The Small Hours! We talk Texas horror, Dracula, merging the crime and horror genres, and much more as we dive into Bob's work and its connection to a 1970s vampire classic, Let's Scare Jessica to Death!

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- The Small Hours is available now from Ghoulish Books!

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- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: [email protected]

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin