Horror from the High Desert – Details, episodes & analysis

Time for another The Weirdest Thing crossover with special guest/cohost Amelia Ampuero. She joins Scotty this week to do a deep dive into AMC's adaptation/re-imagining of Anne Rice's classic novel "Interview With the Vampire" (which just finished its second season this summer). Need something to binge over the holidays? You could sure do a lot worse than this series.

WARNING: Spoilers begin at 42:05

Listen to Scotty's original Anne Rice appreciation episode of The Weirdest Thing, "What's Wrong With Suckling Eroticism?!?" (2/10/2022): https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ubCvv74PG6qll6atuOro3?si=42f87bccb5694fd8

Be sure to check out Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. Author Laird Barron will appear live on December 19 at 7 p.m., EST: https://www.facebook.com/events/558650660357949

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Author Belicia Rhea comes onto the podcast to talk to Scotty about influences as diverse as Ray Bradbury, Bruno Schulz, and "House of Leaves," terrible elementary school teachers, amazing college professors, and establishing her own voice in the strange netherworld between surrealism, literary fiction, and horror. And they discuss her short fiction, as well as her debut novella "Voracious" (2024, Dark Matter Ink).

They also spend a few minutes talking about the acclaimed Persian-language indie rockabilly vampire/western "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" (2014), written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour.

You can find Belicia online at https://www.beliciarhea.com

You can buy "Voracious" at https://darkmattermagazine.shop/products/voracious

You can read the short story "Victim 6" in the anthology "Human Monsters_,"_ which is available at https://darkmattermagazine.shop/products/dark-matter-presents-human-monsters

Be sure to check out Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. Author Laird Barron will appear live on December 19 at 7 p.m., EST: https://www.facebook.com/events/558650660357949

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

This week Scotty talks to Christa Carmen about her Bram Stoker Award-winning and Shirley Jackson Award-nominated first novel "The Daughters of Block Island" (2023, Thomas & Mercer), as well as her upcoming novel "Beneath the Poet's House" (due in December of this year). They discuss the importance of Stephen King's "On Writing" on her early career, the influence of classic authors like Agatha Christie and Shirley Jackson (as well as contemporaries like Gwendolyn Kiste and Cynthia Pelayo), the difficulties inherent in writing a good mystery, the importance of place, the power of history, and more.

They also talk about Bryan Bertino's cult horror movie "The Monster" (2016), and its terrifying (and ultimately poignant) depiction of a damaged mother-daughter relationship against the backdrop of a deceptively simple creature feature.

You can find Christa online at https://www.christacarmen.com

You can find "The Daughters of Block Island" at https://www.christacarmen.com/books-daughters-of-block-island.aspx

You can pre-order "Beneath the Poet's House" at https://www.christacarmen.com/books-beneath-the-poets-house.aspx

You can find Christa's collection "Something Borrowed, Something Bloodsoaked" at https://www.amazon.com/Something-Borrowed-Blood-Soaked-Christa-Carmen-ebook/dp/B07DK2YJV3/

Go back and listen to Episode 14, "'The Flanagan-verse,' with Amelia Ampuero" here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/horror-from-the-high-desert/id1686537767?i=1000635187266

Listen to the Jan. 19 episode of The Weirdest Thing, "Germanism and Gloom," where Scotty talks about the strange death of Edgar Allan Poe here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weirdest-thing/id1534847356?i=1000642272029

Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. Author Paul Tremblay will appear live on August 29 at 7 p.m., EST: https://www.facebook.com/events/797113355174358

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Scotty talks to award-winning author Rena Mason about her upbringing in both northern California and upstate New York, her early introduction to horror through "Godzilla" and Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," how a bad experience with an English professor, family obligations, and her career as an OR nurse steered her away from a literary career, but how a frustrating encounter with a disappointing "domestic drama" novel (which she thought would have been greatly improved by a third-act appearance by a famous movie slasher) convinced her to give writing a try. She discusses her influences from Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, and Clive Barker, and how her "blender" approach to genre lead to her strange, disturbing--and deeply satisfying--novel "The Evolutionist" (2013, Nightscape Press, winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel).

Rena and Scotty also talk about her Jack the Ripper-themed novella "East End Girls" (2013, Cemetary Dance Publications), how she developed her ear for dialogue, the joys (and dangers) of research rabbit-holes, balancing the demands for creating shorter content against the desire to keep writing longer work, and more. And Rena extols the virtues of the 1973 British occult biker movie "Psychomania"...which unfortunately Scotty didn't get to watch beforehand because of a weather-related mishap with his Internet (c'est la vie).

You can find Rena online at https://www.renamason.ink

You can find "The Evolutionist" at https://www.encyclopocalypse.com/product/the-evolutionist-rena-mason/125?cs=true&cst=custom

You can find "East End Girls" at https://www.amazon.com/East-End-Girls-Rena-Mason/dp/B088JXC25B/

Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. Author Paul Tremblay will appear live on August 29 at 7 p.m., EST: https://www.facebook.com/events/797113355174358

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Scotty talks to Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award-winning author, editor, anthologist, and publisher Eric J. Guignard about growing up in sunny southern California, how his early interest in "Hardy Boys" adventure novels combined with his fascination with the short horror tale to craft his own unique sensibility, and how--after the 2008 financial crash--he finally decided to pursue his dreams of becoming a writer. Scotty and Eric then do a deep dive into Eric's award-winning collection ""That Which Grows Wild: 16 Tales of Dark Fiction" (2018, Cemetary Dance), and discuss Eric's Stoker-nominated novel "Doorways to the Deadeye" (2019, Journalstone)

Eric also talks about taking over and operating the horror press Dark Moon Books, his passion for publishing quality fiction anthologies, and what it's like editing legendary authors like Joe R. Lansdale and Bentley Little.

And, of course, they spend a few minutes at the end talking about a movie. This time the film in question is the underrated direct-to-video prequel "From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter"--a surprisingly effective mashup of the Spaghetti Western and the B-vampire flick.

You can find Eric online at http://www.ericjguignard.com

You can find Dark Moon Books at http://www.darkmoonbooks.com

You can get your copy of "That Which Grows Wild: 16 Tales of Dark Fiction" here: https://www.amazon.com/That-Which-Grows-Wild-Fiction/dp/1949491005

You can get your copy of "Doorways to the Deadeye" here: https://www.amazon.com/Doorways-Deadeye-Eric-J-Guignard-ebook/dp/B07VF7S58B/

You can find "+Horror Library Volume 7+" (including Scotty's story "Giant and Child: A Fugue" at http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html

You can find "Professor Charlatan Bardot's Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World" at http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/travel_anthology.html

You can find "After Death..." (featuring Alvaro Rodriguez' "Boy, 7") at https://www.amazon.com/After-Death-John-Langan-ebook/dp/B074TTRHJK/

Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. Author Paul Tremblay will appear live on August 29 at 7 p.m., EST: https://www.facebook.com/events/797113355174358

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Author Angela Sylvaine returns, this time to talk to Scotty about about her debut fiction collection "The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls" (2024, Dark Matter INK). They do a deep dive into the inspiration and history behind some of the individual stories, and they discuss the theme of "lost girls" more generally.

They also talk about the upcoming re-release of Angela's freshly revised novella "Chopping Spree," and spend a few minutes on the now classic Australian mock-documentary/horror film "Lake Mungo" (2008).

You can find Angela online at https://angelasylvaine.com/books/

You can find Angela's story "No More Meatloaf Monday" in the anthology "The First Five Minutes of the Apocalypse" (Hungry Shadow Press), which is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/First-Five-Minutes-Apocalypse/dp/B0C676QHVH/

You can order "The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls" from Dark Matter INK at https://darkmattermagazine.shop/products/the-dead-spot-stories-of-lost-girls

You can order "The Dead Spot" from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Spot-Stories-Lost-Girls-ebook/dp/B0CW1JG48K/

You can pre-order "Chopping Spree" from Dark Matter INK at https://darkmattermagazine.shop/products/chopping-spree

Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. The next episode will feature American West author Nicholas Belardes to celebrate the launch of his debut novel "The Deading", and will be live on July 24 at 7 p.m., PST: https://www.facebook.com/events/1500625740861370

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Boston-bestie Mandy Connor is back to talk about the recent hit film "Late Night with the Devil" (2023), the cult classic "Creep" (2014), our new shared obsession around "submechanophobia," and a few of the horror movies we're most excited to see this year.

WARNING: Spoilers for "Creep" begin at around the 30:00 mark, and go until about 33:00.

Trailer for "Late Night with the Devil": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeKYfneOH3o

Trailer for "The First Omen": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4xk8yLiFwM

Trailer for "Creep": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp7tBypjwDo

Trailer for "Creep 2": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=838PE2pbzM4

WhyJordie's submechanophobia account on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whyjordie

Trailer for "Longlegs": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG7wOTE8NhE

Trailer for "A Quiet Place: Day One": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-WIb4ATfT8

Trailer for "MaXXXine": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGxKjwAnn5I

Trailer for "In a Violent Nature": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyXuRmXbS7U

Trailer for "Nosferatu": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd9d5MPmWs8

Trailer for "Trap": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJiPAJKjUVg

Trailer for "Smile 2": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy7kaI3GKzo

Trailer for "I Saw the TV Glow": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kymDzCgPwj0

Trailer for "The Coffee Table": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQOtE_9nYn0

Be sure to check out the next episode of the YouTube series "Night Time Logic," hosted by Daniel Braum. The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction though readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's YouTube channel, @danielbraum7838.

The next episode will be LIVE on Wednesday, July 24, at 7 p.m. PST and will feature American West author Nicholas Belardes to celebrate the debut of his novel, "The Deading." Follow the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1500625740861370

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Scotty talks to author, editor, and publisher Aric Sundquist about growing up a "Yooper" in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and how his mother's love of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, sparked his early interest in dark fiction. Aric discusses the influence of Koontz, King (especially his 1978 collection "Night Shift" and the subsequent 1985 anthology film adaptation "Cat's Eye"), Lovecraft, and fantasy writers like Tolkien, Jordan, and Tad Williams on his work, and how Aric's rediscovery of Ray Bradbury's more macabre tales as an MFA candidate in Creative Writing informed his decision to move specifically into writing horror.

Aric also talks about the lessons he learned in his creative writing program, and how he applies them to his work as an editor and publisher at Dark Peninsula Press, the independent publishing company he founded in 2019. He and Scotty talk about the anthologies Dark Peninsula Press has produced (spoiler alert: Scotty's stories have appeared in just about all of them), and Aric outlines his vision for the company's future.

And, of course, they talk about Aric's own writing, from his absurdist comic take on cosmic horror with his novella "Serious Applicants Only" (2021, Dark Peninsula Press) to his terrifying, Joyce Carol Oates-inspired short story "The Run" (2014, "Night Terrors III").

You can find Aric online at https://aricsundquist.weebly.com

You can find Dark Peninsula Press online at https://www.darkpeninsulapress.com

You can read Aric's story "The Way We Are Lifted" in the anthology "Fearful Fathoms, Vol. 1: Tales of Aquatic Terror" (2017, Scarlet Galleon Publications): https://www.amazon.com/Fearful-Fathoms-Collected-Aquatic-Terror/dp/1974213021/

You can read Aric's story "Rise of the Corpse Eaters" in the anthology "More Bizarro Than Bizarro" (2017, Bizarro Pulp Press): https://www.amazon.com/More-Bizarro-than-Leza-Cantoral/dp/1947654039/

You can read Aric's story "Conditioned Apocalypse" in the anthology "Year's Best Body Horror 2017" (2017, Gehenna & Hinnom): https://www.amazon.com/Years-Best-Body-Horror-Anthology/dp/0997280344/

You can read Aric's story "The Run" in the anthology "Night Terrors III" (2014, Blood Bound Books): https://www.amazon.com/Night-Terrors-III-Horror-Anthology/dp/1940250145/

You can read Aric's story "The End of Autumn" in "Evil Jester Digest, Vol. 1" (2012): https://www.amazon.com/Evil-Jester-Digest-Volume-One/dp/0615613241/

You can read Aric's story "Butcher's Block" in "If I Die Before I Wake #7: Tales of Savagery & Slaughter" (2022, Sinister Smile Press, also featuring Scotty's story "Monkey Cage"): https://www.amazon.com/If-Die-Before-Wake-Slaughter/dp/1953112323/

All Dark Peninsula Press anthologies can be found on Amazon, or at: https://www.darkpeninsulapress.com/store.html These include: • "Negative Space: An Anthology of Survival Horror" (2020, featuring Scotty's story "Luminescence") • "Violent Vixens: An Homage to Grindhouse Horror" (2021, featuring Scotty's story "The Whole Price of Blood") • "Negative Space 2: A Return to Survival Horror" (2023, featuring Scotty's story "Brown Bear, Brown Bear") • "The Cellar Door, Issue 1: Woodland Terrors" (2022, featuring Scotty's story "Blisters") • "The Cellar Door, Issue 2: Forbidden Magic" (2023, featuring Scotty's story "My Church is Black") • "The Cellar Door, Issue 3: Dark Highways" (2023, featuring Scotty's story "Twelve Miles. Two Hours.")

Be sure to put the next episode of Daniel Braum's "Night Time Logic" into your calendar! Daniel is the author of "The Night Marchers and Other Strange Tales" and "The Serpent's Shadow" (Cemetary Dance). His YouTube series "Night Time Logic" focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@danielbraum7838

Daniel's next episode will be LIVE on August 29 at 7 p.m. EST, and will feature author Paul Tremblay. Follow the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/797113355174358

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Happy StokerCon, everyone! To celebrate this year's Bram Stoker Awards, Scotty has brought back some favorite guests to talk about the nominated anthology "American Cannibal" (Maenad Press, 2023). Editor Rebecca Rowland and authors Gwendolyn Kiste and Daniel Braum are here to talk about the book, their contributions, and to further explore the weird and wonderful world of cannibalism through an epic discussion of five wildly different films:

• "Bone Tomahawk" (2015) • "Parents" (1989) • "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) • "Raw" (2016) • "The Neon Demon" (2016)

Congratulations to Rebecca, Gwendolyn, and Daniel for the nomination, and good luck to all of this year's nominees! We'll see you in San Diego!

To read "American Cannibal," go to: https://www.amazon.com/American-Cannibal-Maenad-Press/dp/B0BW32R7XN

To find Rebecca online, go to: https://rowlandbooks.com/

To find Gwendolyn online, go to: https://www.gwendolynkiste.com/

To find Daniel online, go to: https://bloodandstardust.wordpress.com/

And be sure to tune in to Daniel's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. The next episode will feature author Jonathan Janz, and will be live on June 13 at 7 p.m., EST: https://www.facebook.com/events/729425649102419

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Scotty talks to author C.J. Leede about going from a sci-fi and fantasy-reading medieval studies major who had "never read a horror novel in [her] life" to becoming the author of "Maeve Fly" (2023, Tor Nightfire), which is nominated this year for both a Splatterpunk Award and a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. C.J. talks about immersing herself in horror and transgressive fiction, learning to love her newly adopted city of Los Angeles, celebrating female monstrousness in her work, and more. She and Scotty also discuss their love of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

You can find C.J. online at: https://cjleede.com

You can get your copy of "Maeve Fly" at: https://bookshop.org/p/books/maeve-fly-cj-leede/18738964

You can listen to C.J.'s "Maeve Fly" Spotify playlist at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/43upE7fyzFUo1wCY7iVOQf?si=6bc41c47f6b94b63

You can pre-order "American Rapture" at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQHMBG1Y/

You can listen to the most recent episode of "The Weirdest Thing," where Scotty and Amelia talk about the history of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3e9NY8GMtgNyxQXt70VfCX?si=85000aac9be14399

Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. The next episode will feature author Paul Tremblay, and will be live on August 29 at 7 p.m., EST: https://www.facebook.com/events/797113355174358

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.