shirley jackson

Back from a too-short break, but ready to delve into the greatest haunted house of them all! Shirley Jackson’s Hill House. The place where the scary things walk alone.

Thankfully, I am not alone. I’m joined by my own group of creepy ghost-hunters: Paul Tremblay (A Head Full of Ghosts, Cabin at the End of the World), Johnny Compton (The Spite House) and Catriona Ward (Last House on Needless Street, Looking Glass Sound). I can think of no better collective to explore the corridors of this book and house.

We get INTO it. The crafted magic of that infamous opening paragraph, the long legacy of creepy houses in American fiction, the choice between the haunted void and hideous, mundane reality. Plus, a raft of film recommendations, and a few brief forays into our favourite real haunted places.

This one was necessary. Hope you enjoy it.

Other books mentioned:

House of Leaves (2000), by Mark Z. Danielewski

Carrie (1974), by Stephen King

‘Salem’s Lot (1975), by Stephen King

The Shining (1977),  by Stephen King

The Spite House (2023), by Johnny Compton

The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers (1983), by John Gardner

The Letters of Shirley Jackson (2021), edited by Laurence Jackson Hyman

When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson (2021), ed. by Ellen Datlow

“Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad” (1904), by M.R. James

Support Talking Scared on Patreon

Visit the Talking Scared site

Come talk books on Twitter @talkscaredpod, on Instagram, or email direct to talkingscaredpod@gmail.com 

Welcome to "Read Before Midnight," your gateway to enigmatic horror tales. Brace yourself for Season 2, delving into Episode 2 - "Romulus" by W.H. Maxwell. Step into the shadows of Romulus, where werewolves, witches, and ancient mysteries converge in a narrative that unfolds like a haunting melody.

🌙 Series Title: Read Before Midnight
🔍 Season: 2
🎙️ Episode Title: Romulus
🖋️ Author: W. H. Maxwell

In this enthralling episode, Old Nan, Hannah, and the enigmatic Roman Argent resurface, weaving a tale of power, betrayal, and supernatural legacies. As Romulus grapples with its secrets, anticipation builds, transporting you into a world where reality and myth intertwine.

🔮 Key Highlights:

Embark on a mysterious journey with Old Nan, Hannah, and Roman Argent.
Uncover the secrets of Romulus, a town cloaked in werewolf folklore and ancient rituals.
Immerse yourself in W.H. Maxwell's captivating storytelling, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

👻 Subscribe Now:
Indulge in the mystique of "Romulus" in Season 2 of "Read Before Midnight." Subscribe to our horror podcast and let the darkness of this sequel to "Witches of Nantahala" consume you.

🌐 Author's Website:
Explore more chilling tales by W. H. Maxwell at www.fictionalpage.com.

🔗 Links: https://fictionalpage.com | @fictionalpage | X the Social Media Formerly Known as Twitter @FictionalPage

Subscribe Now

#HorrorPodcast #Supernatural #Werewolves #Witches #Mystery #Romulus #W.H.Maxwell #Season2 #Nantahala #SuspensefulNarratives #FictionalPage #ReadBeforeMidnight #Top10HorrorAuthors

👂 Listen and Get Spooked:
Tune in to "Read Before Midnight" on your preferred podcast platform. Subscribe, share, and let the horror unfold in your ears. The night conceals secrets—uncover them before midnight. Subscribe now, and let the horror begin!

THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE COLLECTORS EDITION NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.

Gathered from the episodes of the "Read Before Midnight" original horror podcast, comes a collection of tales about survival, the consequences of choices, and the monsters we make of them. Read Before Midnight invites you to question the darkness lurking outside your window and confront the monsters that we create.

Inspired by rural Appalachia, the independent stories weave locations and characters together in a way that builds as the echoes of their shared worlds and divergent timelines begin to overlap. If you are

THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE COLLECTORS EDITION NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.

Gathered from the episodes of the "Read Before Midnight" original horror podcast, comes a collection of tales about survival, the consequences of choices, and the monsters we make of them. Read Before Midnight invites you to question the darkness lurking outside your window and confront the monsters that we create.

Inspired by rural Appalachia, the independent stories weave locations and characters together in a way that builds as the echoes of their shared worlds and divergent timelines begin to overlap. If you are a fan of Stephen King's unnerving prose, Isaac Asimov's brilliant vision of the future, Adam Nevill's bone-chilling horror, Shirley Jackson's haunting mysteries, or Ted Chiang's mind-bending concepts, this collection by W.H. Maxwell is tailor-made for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Read-Before-Midnight-Season-One-ebook/dp/B0CDVLC9PM?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Thank you very much for listening. Your thoughts and time are very valuable, so thank you for choosing to spend some of it here with me.

If you want to support me directly, please consider checking out my other works at www.fictionalpage.com, or become a patron at patreon/fictionalpage. We also have a reddit at r/fictionalpage.

Until next time.

Welcome to "Read Before Midnight," your gateway to enigmatic horror tales. Brace yourself for Season 2, delving into Episode 2 - "Romulus" by W.H. Maxwell. Step into the shadows of Romulus, where werewolves, witches, and ancient mysteries converge in a narrative that unfolds like a haunting melody.

🌙 Series Title: Read Before Midnight
🔍 Season: 2
🎙️ Episode Title: Romulus
🖋️ Author: W. H. Maxwell

In this enthralling episode, Old Nan, Hannah, and the enigmatic Roman Argent resurface, weaving a tale of power, betrayal, and supernatural legacies. As Romulus grapples with its secrets, anticipation builds, transporting you into a world where reality and myth intertwine.

🔮 Key Highlights:

Embark on a mysterious journey with Old Nan, Hannah, and Roman Argent.
Uncover the secrets of Romulus, a town cloaked in werewolf folklore and ancient rituals.
Immerse yourself in W.H. Maxwell's captivating storytelling, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

👻 Subscribe Now:
Indulge in the mystique of "Romulus" in Season 2 of "Read Before Midnight." Subscribe to our horror podcast and let the darkness of this sequel to "Witches of Nantahala" consume you.

🌐 Author's Website:
Explore more chilling tales by W. H. Maxwell at www.fictionalpage.com.

🔗 Links: https://fictionalpage.com | @fictionalpage | X the Social Media Formerly Known as Twitter @FictionalPage

Subscribe Now

#HorrorPodcast #Supernatural #Werewolves #Witches #Mystery #Romulus #W.H.Maxwell #Season2 #Nantahala #SuspensefulNarratives #FictionalPage #ReadBeforeMidnight #Top10HorrorAuthors

👂 Listen and Get Spooked:
Tune in to "Read Before Midnight" on your preferred podcast platform. Subscribe, share, and let the horror unfold in your ears. The night conceals secrets—uncover them before midnight. Subscribe now, and let the horror begin!

THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE COLLECTORS EDITION NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.

Gathered from the episodes of the "Read Before Midnight" original horror podcast, comes a collection of tales about survival, the consequences of choices, and the monsters we make of them. Read Before Midnight invites you to question the darkness lurking outside your window and confront the monsters that we create.

Inspired by rural Appalachia, the independent stories weave locations and characters together in a way that builds as the echoes of their shared worlds and divergent timelines begin to overlap. If you are a fan of Stephen King's unnerving prose, Isaac Asimov's brilliant vision of the future, Adam Nevill's bone-chilling horror, Shirley Jackson's haunting mysteries, or Ted Chiang's mind-bending concepts, this collection by W.H. Maxwell is tailor-made for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Read-Before-Midnight-Season-One-ebook/dp/B0CDVLC9PM?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Thank you very much for listening. Your thoughts and time are very valuable, so thank you for choosing to spend some of it here with me.

If you want to support me directly, please consider checking out my other works at www.fictionalpage.com, or become a patron at patreon/fictionalpage. We also have a reddit at r/fictionalpage.

Until next time.

Email Us:
dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com
will@calpolicycenter.org

Follow Us:
@DavidBahnsen
@WillSwaim
@TheRadioFreeCA

Show Notes:

• Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery”
• Mayor-elect vows 10-year strategy
• Shohei Ohtani turned down Giants’ $700M offer. Buster Posey reflects on team’s ‘free-agent slump’
• California drops sexual harassment suit in $54 million settlement with Activision
• Newsom's administration orders state spending freeze as it braces for big budget problem
• Exodus slams California’s revenues
• Environmentalists investing in Big Oil? Inside the surprising stock portfolios of California lawmakers
• Rep. Porter, Sen. Gillibrand introduce bill to ban government officials from owning stocks
• Capital Record: “NIMBYs and Big Brother”
• David Bahnsen’s forthcoming “Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life"
• Will Swaim, "California’s troubled community college system just got worse"

After reading "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson, Tim reached out to three horror authors to have this discussion about the book. Their insights into the book and Jackson's writing are fascinating and enlightening. Thank you to Doug Ford, Elaine Pascale, and Christina Persaud for having this conversation with us.

The main characters of Midnight Pals, plus a few regular visitors to the campfire, introduce themselves with a series of short skits based on their most popular works. A medley of midnight-snack size tales from Stephen King, Mary Shelley, HP Lovecraft, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Edgar Allan Poe and more.

This is a consolidation of the first eleven short ‘teaser’ mini-episodes that were released prior to season 1. We’ve done this to clean up our feed and make it easier for new listeners to navigate to the full episodes, which will continue to be released weekly on Tuesdays throughout the season. 

Content notes: swearing, sexual references, raised voices, threats of violence, animal death, gory noises, discussion of racism

CAST 

• Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON 
• Mary Shelley — REBECCA D’SOUZA 
• HP Lovecraft/Arthur Conan Doyle — ROBIN JOHNSON 
• Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERRY 
• Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA 
• Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES 

with 

• Anne Rice — JESSICA BERSON 
• Roger Corman — BITTER KARELLA 
• Robert Louis Stevenson — DEXTER HOWARD 
• Shirley Jackson — RAYNA MONTGOMERY 

The script was written by Robin Johnson, based on tweets by Bitter Karella. Production and music by Robin Johnson. Daisy McNamara was an audio consultant. Liselle Nic Giollabháin was a production assistant. 

TIME STAMPS 

• 00:00 — Stephen King (The Tale of the Small Town with a Spooky Secret) 
• 00:55 — Mary Shelley (The Tale of the Hot Monster) 
  • Inspired by Frankenstein, available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41445; also see our full episode The Tale of the Frankenstein 
• 01:45 — HP Lovecraft (The Tale of the Indescribable Eldritch Abomination) 
  • Lovecraft’s works are available at https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/ 
• 02:30 — Dean Koontz 
• 03:10 — Clive Barker (The Tale of the Horny Ghost) 
• 03:55 — Edgar Allan Poe (The Tale of the Black Cat) 
  • Poe’s The Black Cat is included in his collected works at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2148 
• 05:00 — Anne Rice (The Tale of the Sad Vampire and the Devil) 
  • Inspired by Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles series 
• 06:15 — Roger Corman 
  • Read about Roger Corman’s “Edgar Allan Poe’s The Haunted Palace” (1961) at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunted_Palace 
• 08:05 — Robert Louis Stevenson (The Tale of the Bottle Imp) 
  • The Bottle Imp is included in Stevenson’s collection Island Nights’ Entertainments, available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/329 
• 09:35 — Arthur Conan Doyle (The Tale of Sherlock Holmes) 
  • Doyle’s works, including many stories of Sherlock Holmes stories as well as those of Professor Challenger, are available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/69 
• 11:00 — Shirley Jackson (The Tale of the Haunted House) 
  • Inspired by Jackson’s The House on Haunted Hill (1959) 

Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals is created by Bitter Karella © 
All characters are fictitious, especially the real ones. 

Subscribe to Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Cast or wherever you find podcasts. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a rating or a review. Find us at midnightpals.com 

THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE COLLECTORS EDITION NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.

Gathered from the episodes of the "Read Before Midnight" original horror podcast, comes a collection of tales about survival, the consequences of choices, and the monsters we make of them. Read Before Midnight invites you to question the darkness lurking outside your window and confront the monsters that we create.

Inspired by rural Appalachia, the independent stories weave locations and characters together in a way that builds as the echoes of their shared worlds and divergent timelines begin to overlap. If you are a fan of Stephen King's unnerving prose, Isaac Asimov's brilliant vision of the future, Adam Nevill's bone-chilling horror, Shirley Jackson's haunting mysteries, or Ted Chiang's mind-bending concepts, this collection by W.H. Maxwell is tailor-made for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Read-Before-Midnight-Season-One-ebook/dp/B0CDVLC9PM?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Thank you very much for listening. Your thoughts and time are very valuable, so thank you for choosing to spend some of it here with me.

If you want to support me directly, please consider checking out my other works at www.fictionalpage.com, or become a patron at patreon/fictionalpage. We also have a reddit at r/fictionalpage.

Until next time.

Come home!! We have to come home!! The House is calling us. 

Yep, this week we are going back to the most haunted house of all. Hill House. Shirley Jackson’s classic bad place. And we’re going in the company of three-time Shirley Jackson Award Winner, Elizabeth Hand, whose new novel is the first ever sanctioned sequel to Jackson’s classic.

A Haunting on the Hill submits four new unwitting victims to the horrors of Hill House. But that’s where the stories diverge. Liz’s take on this soured ground is a whole different thing, full of witchcraft, theatre-drama and weirdness even Jackson didn’t dream up.

We talk about Jackson’s huge legacy, the pressures and pleasures of playing in her sandbox, treating Hill House as a character and murder ballads. 

Enjoy! Welcome home. 

A Haunting on the Hill was published on October 3rd by Mulholland Books and Sphere

Books mentioned:

• When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson (2021), ed. by Ellen Datlow
• The Shining (1977), by Stephen King
• Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music (2011), by Rob Young
• The Magic Box: Viewing Britain through the Rectangular Window (2021), by Rob Young

Support Talking Scared on Patreon

Come talk books on Twitter @talkscaredpod, on Instagram, or email direct to talkingscaredpod@gmail.com 

In Episode 6 of Our First Fears, novelist and illustrator Ethan M. Aldridge shares their own personal tales of growing up in a supposedly haunted house in Utah. And I chime in with some stories about my own experiences as a haunted pre-teen in north-central New Jersey. We talk about ghosts as metaphor, visit some familiar haunted tropes from favorite fantastical fiction and film, as well as how and why we both ended up connecting so deeply to the horror genre, and hauntings in particular.

This one gets kinda personal, and Ethan was generous enough to go there with me. 

Ethan M. Alrdridge’s best-selling work includes the graphic novels Estranged, Estranged 2: The Changeling King, The Legend of Bright Blade, and most recently, the illustrated gothic novel, Deephaven, about a teen who comes to a mysterious boarding school only to learn that the place is chock-full of the darkest hallways, and secrets, imaginable. Find all their books now at your favorite local bookshop!

Follow the Our First Fears podcast on social media sites @ourfirstfears. And feel free to reach out at ourfirstfears@gmail.com. Also, check out my own socials - @danpoblox on Instagram and @danpoblocki on Twitter/X. Thanks!

If you thought The Last House on Needless Street was tricksy, just wait until you hear about Looking Glass Sound. This is Cat’s ode to the Maine of Stephen King, the enigmatic narrators of Shirley Jackson and… well, a host of other comparisons that I foist upon her in the next hour.

Above all that though – the book is so typically, inimitably Catriona Ward. It’s a destined Gothic classic that takes the genre, crumples it into a ball before rewriting the whole thing. 

We cover the purpose of metafiction in horror, how writing a book is like falling in love, the eeriness of the Maine coast and her fascination with the Neverland Ranch. If that isn’t enough Cat also tells us a ghost story that happened to her just the night before.

Tricksy, very tricksy…as Gollum would say.

Enjoy

Looking Glass Sound was published April 20th by Viper Books in the UK and 22nd August by Tor Nightfire in the US.

Other books mentioned in this episode include: 

• Lunar Park (2005), by Bret Easton Ellis
• The Rules of Attraction (1987), by Bret Easton Ellis
• The Secret History (1992), by Donna Tartt
• My Other Life (1996) by Paul Theroux
• Any Human Heart (2002), by William Boyd
• The Haunting of Hill House (1959), by Shirley Jackson
• Death of a Bookseller (2023), by Alice Slater
• Mrs March (2021), by Virgina Feito 

Support Talking Scared on Patreon

Come talk books on Twitter @talkscaredpod, on Instagram, or email direct to talkingscaredpod@gmail.com 

Read Before Midnight - Episode Ten - "Artificial Fear", by W.H. Maxwell.

A series of scenes shows a change taking place around the world.

The 10th episode and final episode in the 1st season, of the horror and science fiction anthology Read Before Midnight - inspired by the works of Stephen King, Isaac Asimov, Clive Barker, Suzanne Collins, Anne Rice, Michael Crichton and more. 

THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE COLLECTORS EDITION NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.

Gathered from the episodes of the "Read Before Midnight" original horror podcast, comes a collection of tales about survival, the consequences of choices, and the monsters we make of them. Read Before Midnight invites you to question the darkness lurking outside your window and confront the monsters that we create.

Inspired by rural Appalachia, the independent stories weave locations and characters together in a way that builds as the echoes of their shared worlds and divergent timelines begin to overlap. If you are a fan of Stephen King's unnerving prose, Isaac Asimov's brilliant vision of the future, Adam Nevill's bone-chilling horror, Shirley Jackson's haunting mysteries, or Ted Chiang's mind-bending concepts, this collection by W.H. Maxwell is tailor-made for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Read-Before-Midnight-Season-One-ebook/dp/B0CDVLC9PM?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Thank you very much for listening. Your thoughts and time are very valuable, so thank you for choosing to spend some of it here with me.

If you want to support me directly, please consider checking out my other works at www.fictionalpage.com, or become a patron at patreon/fictionalpage. We also have a reddit at r/fictionalpage.

Until next time.

Read Before Midnight - Episode Nine - "HOGS", by W.H. Maxwell.

A group of hunters up north encounter an example of adaptation. 

 The 9th episode and 8th story in the series, of the horror and science fiction anthology Read Before Midnight - inspired by the works of Stephen King, Isaac Asimov, Clive Barker, Suzanne Collins, Anne Rice, Michael Crichton and more. 

THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE COLLECTORS EDITION NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.

Gathered from the episodes of the "Read Before Midnight" original horror podcast, comes a collection of tales about survival, the consequences of choices, and the monsters we make of them. Read Before Midnight invites you to question the darkness lurking outside your window and confront the monsters that we create.

Inspired by rural Appalachia, the independent stories weave locations and characters together in a way that builds as the echoes of their shared worlds and divergent timelines begin to overlap. If you are a fan of Stephen King's unnerving prose, Isaac Asimov's brilliant vision of the future, Adam Nevill's bone-chilling horror, Shirley Jackson's haunting mysteries, or Ted Chiang's mind-bending concepts, this collection by W.H. Maxwell is tailor-made for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Read-Before-Midnight-Season-One-ebook/dp/B0CDVLC9PM?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Thank you very much for listening. Your thoughts and time are very valuable, so thank you for choosing to spend some of it here with me.

If you want to support me directly, please consider checking out my other works at www.fictionalpage.com, or become a patron at patreon/fictionalpage. We also have a reddit at r/fictionalpage.

Until next time.

The Dark Descent episode was originally published in April, 2021. Recently, Tor.com published an article on The Dark Descent (link below). It reminded Ron that he always wanted to revisit the episode to remaster the sound (vocal presence and clarity) and edit it down.  We hope you enjoy this remastered version!

Jake and Ron discuss the seminal horror anthology The Dark Descent, edited by David G. Hartwell.

Dissecting The Dark Descent: Stephen King’s “The Reach,” and Why Reading Order Matters by Sam Reader (Tor.com)

https://www.tor.com/2023/05/23/dissecting-the-dark-descent-stephen-kings-the-reach-and-why-reading-order-matters/

The  Dark Descent edited by David G. Hartwell
Macmillian Publishers/Tor Books Link

Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural edited by Phyllis Cerf Wagner and Herbert Wise (original publication year 1944)
Penguin Random House Link

The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
Macmillan Publishers

The following anthologies are out of print but may be available in the used market:

• Creeps by Night edited by Dashiell Hammett (1944)
• Dark Forces edited by Kirby McCauley (1980)
• Prime Evil edited by Douglas E. Winter (1988)

--
The Wrath of the iOtians

Email: thewrathoftheiotians@gmail.com
Instagram: thewrathoftheiotians
Twitter:  @OfiOtians
Website: https://thewrathoftheiotians.buzzsprout.com/

Music

Land Of The Me-me by Aleksandar Dimitrijevic (TONO)
Licensed under the NEO Sounds Music License Agreement

Hello, horrorphiles. In this episode, we dissect the 1999 film, The Haunting directed by Jan de Bont and based on the Shirley Jackson novel, The Haunting of Hill House. Starring Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson and Lily Taylor.

"A study in fear escalates into a heart-stopping nightmare for a professor and three subjects trapped in a mysterious mansion."

We hope you find it in your cold, black, withered hearts to join our Society of Grotesquery and Loathing and keep our podcast suffering onward:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/dissectinghorror
PayPal one-time donation of any amount: https://paypal.me/dissectinghorror
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dissectinghorror
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dissectinghorror
Kelsey Zukowski: http://kelseyzukowski.com
Steven Aguilera: https://www.stevenaguilera.com

Photo credit: Slevin Mors

Hello, horrorphiles. Here we dissect the classic 1963 film, The Haunting directed by Robert Wise and based on the Shirley Jackson novel, The Haunting of Hill House. Starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn.

“Dr. Markway leads a small group of ghost hunters to a supposedly haunted mansion to conduct experiments to prove the existence of the paranormal. The group consists of Eleanor Lance, a psychologically tortured woman; Theodora, a lesbian clairvoyant who befriends Eleanor; and a hip young cynic, Luke Sanderson, whose family owns the house. The paranormal activity that ensues affects the group differently, leading each to explore his or her own insecurities and leaving viewers wondering whether the real terrors are not contained in the house but exist within the psyches of the characters,” according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

We hope you find it in your cold, black, withered hearts to join our Society of Grotesquery and Loathing and keep our podcast suffering onward:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/dissectinghorror
PayPal one-time donation of any amount: https://paypal.me/dissectinghorror
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dissectinghorror
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dissectinghorror
Kelsey Zukowski: http://kelseyzukowski.com
Steven Aguilera: https://www.stevenaguilera.com

Photo credit: Slevin Mors

Hello, horrorphiles. In our first literary dissection, we examine the 1959 horror novel, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. This classic haunted house book was the basis for The Haunting (1963 and 1999) as well as The Haunting of Hill House series on Netflix.

We hope you find it in your cold, black, withered hearts to join our Society of Grotesquery and Loathing and keep our podcast suffering onward:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/dissectinghorror
PayPal one-time donation of any amount: https://paypal.me/dissectinghorror
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dissectinghorror
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dissectinghorror
Kelsey Zukowski: http://kelseyzukowski.com
Steven Aguilera: https://www.stevenaguilera.com

Photo credit: Slevin Mors

Back to the Island this week! With Rachel Eve Moulton and The Insatiable Volt Sisters.

Rachel sophomore novel is the weirdest island story since Lost, or Brexit. It features a strange family with a stranger secret, curses, killer quarry ponds and the wearing of other people’s skin. And yet you probably still want to visit Fowler Island (I did). 

We talk about working with surrealism, about writing volatile sisters and gendered monsters, and about the wonderful horror-lure of island life. 

It’s worth noting, we also spend time discussing famous suicide hotspots – this seems like something you should know in advance. 

Enjoy!

The Insatiable Volt Sisters was published on April 4th by FSG 

Other books mentioned in this episode include:

• Tinfoil Butterfly (2019), by Rachel Eve Moulton
• Hurricane Girl (2022), by Marcy Dermansky
• Diary (2003), by Chuck Palahniuk
• The House of Dies Drear (1968), by Virginia Hamilton
• “The Raft”, in Skeleton Crew (1985), by Stephen King

Support Talking Scared on Patreon

Come talk books on Twitter @talkscaredpod, on Instagram, or email direct to talkingscaredpod@gmail.com 

The mysteries surrounding the disappearances of five people between 1945-1950 in what is called the Bennington Triangle are both bizarre and terrifying. And their connection to one of the most talented horror writers of the era makes them even more strange.

Music:
- Ghostpocalypse - 6 Crossing the Threshold Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- Awkward Meeting by Kevin MacLeod (paid license).

Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/fabledcollective

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Jordan and Brooke are joined by Slim (The Letterboxd Show, 70MM) for a seasonally appropriate Shirley Jackson double bill. We discuss the enduring queerness of the Hill House (Hill HAUS?!) story through its book and adaptations, perks of letting the audience actually use their imagination in horror, some real life haunted house stories, the wonderful world of Letterboxd, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Prada boots.

Follow us on Twitter! (And Jordan's Letterboxd / Brooke's Letterboxd)
Follow Slim on Twitter and Letterboxd!

This episode is sponsored by Super Yaki! Use code: SUPERQQ for 10% off

The Haunting of Hill House was first published in 1959 by Shirley Jackson and has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It’s the story of four individuals who arrive at the notorious Hill House. This place is so frightening that people who live in the local town won’t even talk about it. The group is brought together by Dr. Montague, an anthropologists and occult scholar. He rents Hill House for a few weeks in the summer to study the hauntings, and invites several people who he’s heard possess psychic abilities or previous encounters with the paranormal. Two young women agree to come - the lively and charming Theodora, and the shy and naïve Eleanor. The owner of the home requires that a relative of the family must be present as part of the lease terms, so she sends her son Luke, who is the future heir of Hill House. The four form an unlikely bond as the horrors of Hill House come to life, nerves start to fray, and forces at work in the house gather to claim one of them for eternity.

Why was each person motivated to come to Hill House? What parallels can be drawn between past inhabitants of the house and the current visitors? Would we spend a week in a haunted house? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 21 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from Shmoop.com and from The Library Ladies → https://www.shmoop.com/the-haunting-of-hill-house/questions.htmlhttps://thelibraryladies.com/2019/01/21/book-club-review-the-haunting-of-hill-house/

Our spooky season music is from a song titled “Horror Background Music” by Lesfm  from Pixabay.

Coming up next: Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341