The ARC Party

So many podcasts!

I thought I could make one podcast episode where I talked to some folks who podcast about horror, and it would be a one-stop-shop for folks looking for a new favorite commute time killer (hmm. commute-time killer? commute time-killer?)

Well, as is often the case, it wasn’t until I was in the middle of it that I realized two things:

* There are so many podcasts talking about horror books.

* Podcasters love to talk - so my 15-20 minute target often ended up going way longer than that.

* (I know I said two, but heck this deserves a bullet) There’s a ton of podcasts where the only topic is Stephen King and his books.

Episode One

This is now part one of what I’m guessing/hoping will be a series about horror podcasts. For this first installment, You’ll hear from Stephanie Gagnon from BOOKS IN THE FREEZER, followed by Michael David Wilson from THIS IS HORROR.

The Guests

Books In The Freezer - Stephanie Gagnon

This is Books in the Freezer, a podcast dedicated to the deliciously disturbing world of horror fiction. Our topical, bi-weekly episodes will cover those scary books that you might want to put in the freezer. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any of our recommendations!

This Is Horror - Michael David Wilson

The This Is Horror Podcast is a weekly show for readers, writers, and creators hosted by Michael David Wilson and Bob Pastorella. We interview writers, artists, publishers, editors, and creatives every week. We have interviewed over 100 creatives including Chuck Palahniuk, Joe Hill, Joe R. Lansdale, Charlaine Harris, Ellen Datlow, David Moody, Jennifer Lynch, Gemma Files, and Josh Malerman.

Episode Two

Neil McRobert kicks off the second episode, talking about his well respected podcast TALKING SCARED. Max Booth III follows, always fun to talk to Max, and we get into the various podcast projects they have going on. Finally, I included myself in this series - not out of vanity, but rather, in case a listener came to these episodes from an outside audience, I thought they might be curious about what I get up to at the ARC PARTY, so I brought in backup to interview me about this humble effort.

The Guests

Talking Scared - Neil McRobert

Conversations with the biggest names in horror fiction. A podcast for horror readers who want to know where their favorite stories came from ... and what frightens the people who wrote them.

Ghoulish & Dog Ears - Max Booth III

GHOULISH is a weekly comedy podcast celebrating all things spooky, hosted by Max Booth III.

DOG EARS is a podcast about publishing, writing, and dogs.

The ARC Party - Robb Olson (with Ryan McRae interviewing)

Your first look at upcoming books!

My goal with the ARC Party is to connect readers with books before they release! Much of the success of a new book is connected to pre-orders and early sales numbers, but sometimes people don't hear about a book until long after it's been released.

An episode typically consists of an author giving a quick description of their book, followed by a spoiler free discussion about it. We often talk about themes, characters, settings, etc.

But I'm careful to not talk about anything that would ruin the reading experience!

Hungry for more?

I asked the internet for recommendations of podcasts that they like that talk about horror books, and here is a giant list of their responses. (descriptions borrowed and sometimes shortened from their websites)

NOTE: I tried to focus on currently active podcasts and exclude any that seemed defunct, and I can’t be 100% sure that all of these are still publishing episodes.

* Behind Your Face There Is A Place: Host Johnny Compton has conversations with creative guests, broadly, but not strictly about one of three possible subjects: I LOVED THIS!, Author's Commentary, Studying the Scares.

* Bleeding Page: A bi-weekly podcast wherein authors Chad Lutzke & Jason Brant discuss self-publishing dark fiction and the craft of writing with special guests.

* Fearmongers: Bestselling author Clay McLeod Chapman hosts FEARMONGERS, featuring interviews with and readings by horror fiction's biggest stars.

Produced in cooperation with Verso Studios at the Westport Library.

* Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy is a podcast hosted by science fiction author David Barr Kirtley. The show features conversations about fantasy & science fiction in books, movies, games, and comics, as well as related subjects such as science, history, and critical thinking.

* Killer Mediums: Horror Podcast hosted by author William Sterling, examining how horror tropes manifest across different mediums of entertainment. Let'ss Get Spooky!

* Lifewriting: Authors and screenwriters Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due (and guests!) on writing, the writer's life, Hollywood, the work/family balance and relationships - the tools writers need to make themselves the heroes/heroines of their own story.

* Lovecraft E-Zine: A friendly horror podcast. Panelists are Bridgette Brenmark, Matthew Carpenter, Pete Rawlik, John Langan, Benjamin Handelman, Melissa Walsh, Michael DaBronzo, Stephen Mark Rainey, Alan Hughes, and Mike Davis.

* Postcards From A Dying World: Postcards from a Dying has been my blog for the last decade with more than 1,000 book reviews to promotional bonuses for my fiction. This podcast feed collections all the audio bonus materials for the blog, interviews and will include a monthly digest of my book reviews.

* She Wore Black: A gothic, mystery, and horror podcast.

* Sley House Presents: Sley House Presents is a podcast offered by Sley House Publishing. Our episodes are dedicated to discussing the best in genre literature, interviewing notable professionals in the field, reviewing movies, producing radio dramas based on your favorite classic and new short stories, and deep dives into your favorite horror topics.

And here are the ones that are, ostensibly, entirely focused on Stephen King and his writing:

* Chat Sematary: Chat Sematary will dive into the works and adaptations of the King of Horror, Stephen King. Hosted by Deanna Chapman.

* Dark Tower Palaver: Join hosts Tadd and Peter for in-depth discussion and analysis of Stephen King's Magnum Opus The Dark Tower series. Explore the Novels, comics, upcoming film/TV adaptations, and all things Dark Tower. Join in on both the Round Table Discussions covering the entire series, as well as the Book Club where each book is systematically read, analyzed and discussed in order from the first line to the last. Come let's Palaver Gunslinger!

* Derry Public Radio: Welcome to the basement of the Derry Civic Center. Pay no mind to the strange sounds coming from behind the Unfound Door. It's just your ka-tet, who are here to provide you with a variety of perspectives on Stephen King's work - ranging from the comfortably familiar to the frighteningly fanatic. Derry Public Radio is here to keep you up-to-date with all that's happening in Derry, Maine and "beyond."

* Just King Things: is a monthly podcast about reading the books of Stephen King in publication order. Join hosts Michael and Cameron, two cultural critics and horror fans who literally grew up reading this stuff, as they embark upon a quest to revisit and review a vast body of work spanning five decades, reading one book a month for… only ten years or so

* Kingcast: is a Stephen King podcast for Stephen King obsessives hosted by former film bloggers and rabid horror fans Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler. Each week, the pair welcome a notable guest to the show to discuss the King adaptation (or unadapted novel/short story) of their choice. It’s an unpredictable show, one that can turn on a dime between being legitimately emotional and outright hilarious, and always approaches the work of its legendary namesake with the love, respect, and top-shelf nerdery that it deserves.

* Loser’s Club: Founded in 2017, The Losers’ Club® is an award-winning weekly series that chronologically digs through the work of Stephen King with humor, irreverence, and a critical eye. Each episode, the Losers gather together to read between the iconic pages and share the latest in King’s Dominion, whether it’s the author’s oft-controversial tweets, the boldest Hollywood headlines, or his endless forthcoming projects. The series also regularly features special guests. In the past, the Losers have spoken to Mike Flanagan, Thomas Jane, Tananarive Due, Chapo Trap House, Owen Teague, Mick Garris, Mary Lambert, Jerry O’Connell, Wil Wheaton, Joe Bob Briggs, and even King himself. Suitable for readers both Constant and casual. King says check us out.

* The Constant Reader Podcast: Everything Stephen King, from Carrie to The Institute, from the novels to the short stories, from the small screen to the big screen. Each month we take a deep dive into one book from the bibliography of the King of horror fiction, while also charting the byways of King's forays into other genres (The Dark Tower series, On Writing etc) and also casting an eye on the many TV and film adaptations of King's work.Recorded live from the UEA media suite, Richard Sheppard interviews writers, academics, superfans and anyone with a passion for the work of Stephen King.

* The Year of Underrated Stephen King: This is a one-woman, (lecture style) Stephen King podcast that analyzes Stephen King's lesser-known novels and short stories in depth and explores why Stephen King is the greatest fiction writer alive!

Applying what I teach my Fiction students, in this podcast we will examine: Strong Writing, Storytelling Principles, Genre, Literary Analysis, Stephen King Universe Nerdery and the Constant Reader Community at Large!

* Tower Junkies: A podcast celebrating the work of Stephen King with an occasional focus on his magnum opus, The Dark Tower series.

For those of you who prefer YouTube: