The Scares That Shaped Us

By Matthew Jackson

A podcast about horror writers and the stories that made them. Join host Matthew Jackson as he talks to some of the biggest names in horror about the scary stories that built their imaginations, fr

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4.9

1313 ratings

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FAQs about The Scares That Shaped Us:

How many episodes does The Scares That Shaped Us have?

The podcast currently has 65 episodes available.

The Scares That Shaped Us episodes:

September 03, 2025 Episode 45: "The Night We Buried Road Dog" with John Langan
Bram Stoker Award-winning legend John Langan joins the show this week! We talk about his new collection, Lost in the Dark and Other Excursions, crafting short fiction, building a story over years, and more. We also dig deep into an excellent Jack Cady story, "The Night We Buried Road Dog." It's a great way to kick off Spooky Season!
- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness!
- Check out John's blog!
- 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
...more
1h 4min
August 27, 2025 Episode 44: Skeleton Crew with Clay McLeod Chapman
It's our one-year anniversary! To celebrate, we brought back our original guest, Clay McLeod Chapman, to talk about his new short story collection Acquired Taste! We dig into why short fiction appeals to Clay, how he works to craft shorter works, and we dig into Stephen King's classic collection, Skeleton Crew! Plus, Matthew makes an announcement!
- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness!
- Follow Clay on BlueSky and Instagram!
- 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
...more
1h 15min
August 20, 2025 Episode 43: The Others with Isabel Cañas
Celebrated historical horror author Isabel Cañas joins the show this week to talk about her new novel, The Possession of Alba Diaz. We talk about the book's origins, Isabel's fascination with history, and more, and then we dive into an exploration of 2002's The Others!
- Check out Isabel's website and sign up for her newsletter!
- 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
...more
1h 12min
August 13, 2025 Episode 42: The Stand with Christopher Golden and Brian Keene
It's our first-ever double-bill on the podcast! Christopher Golden and Brian Keene are on the show this week to talk all things The Stand, from their first encounters with Stephen King's epic to their work editing the massive new anthology The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand! Strap in, Constant Readers, it's a fun ride.
- Be sure to find Christopher and Brian on social media, and pre-order The End of the World as We Know It!
- 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
...more
1h 14min
August 06, 2025 Episode 41: The Last Unicorn with Gretchen Felker-Martin
Gretchen Felker-Martin, the celebrated author of Manhunt and Cuckoo, joins the show this week! We talk about her new novel Black Flame, suppressed film history, writing about fascism in a time of fascism, and more. Then, we dig into the influence of The Last Unicorn on Gretchen's life and work. What's a fantasy movie doing on a horror podcast? You're about to find out!
- Be sure to find Gretchen on BlueSky and Instagram, and check out her Patreon!
- 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
...more
52min
July 30, 2025 Episode 40: Creepshow with Daniel Kraus
Daniel Kraus, celebrated author of books like Whalefall and much more, returns to the show this week in celebration of his new novel Angel Down! We talk about the book's unique style, writing World War I, and much more before pivoting to a discussion of the classic collaboration between George A. Romero and Stephen King, 1982's Creepshow!

- Check out Daniel's website for updates on everything he has coming up, including Angel Down events!
- 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

...more
1h 11min
July 23, 2025 Episode 39: "The Raft" with Wendy N. Wagner
Author and Nightmare magazine editor Wendy N. Wagner joins the show this week to talk about her new novel Girl in the Creek, and to dive into one of Stephen King's most famous short stories, "The Raft." We talk about what Wendy looks for in short fiction, our shared rural childhoods, the inherent spookiness of lakes, and much more! Plus, Matthew's got a story up at Fangoria!
- Check out Wendy's website and be sure to follow her on socials!
- 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
...more
1h 13min
July 16, 2025 Episode 38: Quatermass and the Pit with Paul Tremblay
Paul Tremblay, the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts, Horror Movie, and more, joins the show this week to talk about his new middle-grade horror novel, Another! We discuss the horror of kids in crisis, why teaching during the pandemic drove this novel, and of course, we dive deep into the Hammer Horror classic Quatermass and the PIt!

- Check out Paul's website and be sure to follow him on socials!
- 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
...more
1h 5min
July 09, 2025 Episode 37: "A Fish Story" with Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones returns for his third visit to the show! We talk about Stephen's latest double-feature book release, Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives, along with writing short fiction, what Stephen does when he's stuck on a project, and of course, Gene Wolfe's haunting "A Fish Story."
It's also possible that the Mothman interrupted our communications at one point. We love cryptids.
- Check out Stephen's website for everything he's got going on.
- Check out Matthew's original short story on Ko-fi, with all proceeds going to the Transgender Law Center!
- 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
...more
1h 7min
June 25, 2025 Episode 36: Splatterhouse with Valkyrie Loughcrewe
Valkyrie Loughcrewe, one of horror's most exciting rising voices, joins us this week to talk about their new books Decrepit Ritual and Puppet's Banquet, and to dig into Splatterhouse, an '80s arcade game with a surprising amount of lore attached. Plus, we talk about tarot, music, gore, and much more!
SHOW NOTES:
- Find Val on Instagram!
- Check out Matthew's original short story on Ko-fi, with all proceeds going to the Transgender Law Center!
- 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
...more
55min

FAQs about The Scares That Shaped Us:

How many episodes does The Scares That Shaped Us have?

The podcast currently has 65 episodes available.

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