The ARC Party

Mitch Hull is a brewer and reader who loves books and reading, and is meticulous when he creates a thing. Chris Panatier has a unique and eye-catching artistic style that compliments the stories that Mitch finds. Mitch is also kind of insane, and will get a wild hair to do something nobody’s ever done before… like using hand-marbled paper as dust jackets on his high quality chapbooks. Or hand-sewing the spines of his lettered editions using thread he painstakingly chose. Or making book slipcases out of turpentine cansTo clarify - this is just the presentation for the Advanced Reader Copies - this isn’t what the final product will look like. I’ve seen the final cover and it’s DIVINE. Rapture has a sort of IYKYK reputation - those of us in the know are raving. And they’re only getting started! While Mitch did say that he’s already lined up about ten authors for 2026, DAYTIDE is an ambitious move into high-quality collectible novel publication. I’m excited to see what the future holds from this ambitious duo. I hope you enjoy this conversation, and that you go to Rapture’s website to get your copy of some of these awesome limited editions. And pre-order DAYTIDE while you can!For the folks who prefer YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Waaaaaay back in early 2023, Adam Godfrey’s novella NARCISSUS landed on my radar. I don’t know how or why, but it caught my attention and I was hooked by that evocative cover image. Then by then hook of the story. So I read it and I loved it! Then I had to have Adam on and he talked about how great his experience was working with Shortwave Publishing.So when Chloe Spencer’s novella MEWING caught my attention, I was ready to give it a chance on the strength of my previous experience with Adam’s book. Then I loved it and had her on! So when the next caught my attention… you can see where this is going.So for a couple years I have had a very happy relationship with Shortwave. I’m on their reviewer list, I bought their subscription for 2025, and I’ve talked to like eight of their authors. What made me finally break and ask Alan Lastufka to join me for a conversation was the very exciting news that Shortwave has signed a distribution deal with Simon & Schuster, which will be a game changer for them. Think of it - the Killer VHS series is gonna be on shelves at Barnes & Noble!What’s great for listeners is that Alan shared a whole mess of details about his plans for what his existing titles will do in the future. He shared the fate of the chapbook series. He talked about specific revisions/reissues that are so exciting!It’s a great story of how he got where he is today, and it’s packed with details about goodies coming in the future. What more could you ask for? Well, whatever it is, I’m sure Alan is working on it and it’s gonna be cooler than you would expect.For the folks who prefer to watch on YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

What could happen if you whistle in the dark? Henry Hotard might just find out in The Whistler - the upcoming novel by Nick Medina.I met Nick back when Paul Tremblay was in town promoting Horror Movie. Paul had a great event, and then an amazing group of folks went out for dinner afterward. Along with Paul and myself, Becky Spratford, Ananda Lima, Gus Moreno, Nick Medina, John Milas, and a few others had a great time. Anyway that’s when I met Nick, who I found to be a great dude, but I hadn’t read any of his books yet. I’d heard a lot of praise for Sisters of the Lost Nation and Indian Burial Ground, but hadn’t had a chance to read them. So I knew when the next book came out, I wasn’t missing another opportunity. And I’m so glad! This book was great and I’m thankful I got a chance to talk to Nick about it. There’s a central theme of Native (and as research would show - many many cultures share this belief) superstition that you should not whistle at night - and exploring what could happen if you do. There’s also a sort of fable wound throughout about a boy who lies and does bad things, who ends up having an evil face on the other side of his head. And finally, the book very thoughtfully explores what I can be like for a person who has been in a car accident and finds themself paralyzed. I thought Nick told an entertaining story that’s full of heart, is wildly relatable, and he did one of my favorite things - he included some tendrils into his other books by crossing over characters, addressing incomplete threads from other stories, and hopefully laid the groundwork for some of The Whistler to make its way into future books. All of that is to say, it’s great, you should preorder it, and get his other books if you haven’t yet. Nick is a great talent and I can’t wait to see what he has for us in the future.In the conversation one of the resources that Nick recommends is a book called American Indian Myths and Legends, you can order a copy through my Bookshop affiliate page here For the folks who prefer YouTube: The ARC Party is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Annie Neugebauer’s novella showed up as part of my quarterly box from Shortwave Publishing not so long ago, and the back cover copy just grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Ten people head out on a backpacking trip, but the first night eleven set up camp. Everyone remembers everyone else. Who is the extra?Simple, compelling, chilling. Well if that kind of hook brings you in, you’re going to love this story. What would you do in the wilderness when you can’t trust reality? Do you freak out and leave? Do you keep it cool? What if, all of your ideas are thwarted? This story keeps you moving and guessing and most of all worrying! It’s an easy and quick read that will stick with you after you’re done. And what could be better than one creepy compelling book, you ask? Three of course. That's right, THE EXTRA kicks off The Outsider Sequence, a trilogy of books in which things aren’t quite as they seem. THE OTHER drops June of 2026, and THE SPARE in March of 2027. Also, keep your peepers open for Annie’s short story collection early 2026, coming from Bad Hand Books - YOU HAVE TO LET THEM BLEED. For those who prefer YouTube:The ARC Party is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Joshua Hull is from a small town in Indiana, in which his home address was 8114. He has written a book where the protagonist is from a small town in Indiana, in which his home address is 8114. That’s where the similarities begin, but it’s far from where they end. Inspired by a horrible and terrifying nightmare, Hull has written a homecoming story chocked full of nostalgia, old trauma, witches, high school buddies, spoiled earth, small town cops, movie references, and quite possibly a real demon. The protagonist is a podcaster who hopped on the true crime bandwagon with stars in his eyes, hoping to garner some fame while doing justice to a former classmate who went missing long ago. But when those hopes and dreams are crushed, Paul is summoned home only to discover another schoolmate has ended his life in Paul’s childhood home. What can Paul do? Podcast about it, that’s what.Hell bent on redemption and getting to the bottom of this awful situation, Paul picks up the mic and dives into lore and personal memories he has spent a decade sprinting away from. Punctuated with levity, it’s a frightening story of revisiting old ghosts - in this case literal ones - and coming to terms with the horrors of the past. And if that doesn’t sell it for you, we also spend a good chunk of time talking about Edgar Wright movies, Walton Goggins, The Nice Guys, and the Predator. For the YouTube loving folks: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Pre-Order SHITSHOW directly from Sobelo books HEREChris Panatier came back onto the podcast for my 75th episode to talk about his imminent release: SHITSHOW. It’s a book about a guy who is taking care of his mother who is suffering from dementia. It’s a book about a dark carnival trying to break into our world by the shittiest of means. It’s about fear and grief and generational trauma. And yeah, damnit there is some poop. Just a little poop. There’s way more heart than poop I promise.But hey, we also talk about the fine work that Mitch is doing at Rapture Publishing, and how I have finally (it’s been six whole months) made my way into the secret society of Rapture fans who get the super exclusive lettered editions of the chapbooks. I know I’m big time, you know I’m big time. Let’s all just bask in my exclusivity.YouTube link will be added soon. I wanted to get this in the airwaves before too long.I’ve got a fun bunch of episodes coming soon, so get excited! I am going to be talking to Joshua Hull about 8114, Josh Malerman about Watching Evil Dead, and Annie Neugebauer about The Extra. Way more to come beyond that as well! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Folks, a while back I sat down to record a virtual panel for StokerCon about horror’s most vocal champions - the podcasters. Hosted by William Sterling, the panel consisted of Myself, Anna Dupre from Anna Rose Reads, Neil McRobert from Talking Scared, and Trevor Williamson from the Sley House Presents podcast. William brought us together to talk a bit about our own experience podcasting, about our love of horror, what has contributed to the recent ‘golden age’ of horror, and some of our favorite moments from our catalogs. It’s an hour of serious horror lovers finally getting a chance to speak their minds. If you’re interested in exploring these podcasts and you’re new, here’s how to find them on Apple Podcasts:Anna Dupre on Anna Rose ReadsNeil McRobert on Talking ScaredTrevor Williamson on Sley House Presents (Spotify link)For those of y’all who prefer to watch on YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Pre-Order all of these books at my Bookshop page.It’s that time of year, where I am graced with the presence of two of Horror’s biggest and most esteemed advocates to talk about what books we’re looking forward to in the next half-year. Becky Spratford is gearing up for a massive launch for her non-fiction essay book WHY I LOVE HORROR: Essays on Horror Literature - an excellent collection of 18 essays by the absolute pinnacle of contemporary horror writers. It comes out in September, and is an absolute must-read for anyone who cares about horror. It’ll inspire you, you’ll connect with it, and maybe you’ll cry a little too. I did. Emily Hughes is likely still riding the high of her recent Bram Stoker Award win for Superior Achievement in Long Non-Fiction for her book HORROR FOR WEENIES. We’re so excited for her and it’s a well-earned honor. Suffice to say, I’m feeling some pressure to write my own award-winning, horror themed nonfiction book. On to the books! As we have done in the past, we each chose two books per month that we are looking forward to, and we took turns talking about them. However, November and December were a little thin, so we had to improvise and find other ways to fill the list! Which we did readily, because instead of 36 books on the list, there are something like 45? All certified bangers, I have to assume. Please enjoy this couple hours of a few folks getting together to share the love about some stories. We had a great time, I hope you do too.For the folks who prefer YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Preorder here!Preorder here!Back in January during our 2025 Horror Preview, Emily Hughes picked GIRL IN THE CREEK by Wendy Wagner as one of her June books that she was looking forward to. So that’s when I first saw the cover, heard the pitch. Man, it sounded good. Cut to I’m taking a quick business trip to Phoenix and need something to read on the plane. Well, I just got this ARC in the mail - the mushroom book. I devoured this book on that trip, and even had a little snack homage to the cover at dinner one night. Based on Emily’s pitch and all I had heard about the book, I knew it was likely to be good. But man, Wendy goes waaaaaaaay past those expectations, and explores some really profound things, challenges perceptions, demands justice, and gives us a fun reading experience all at the same time. So please, I hope you enjoy our spoiler-free discussion of GIRL IN THE CREEK, that you preorder it, and that you thoroughly enjoy it as I did. And I suspect you will. For the folks who prefer YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Buy Sam’s Books and preorder GALLOWAY’S GOSPELSomething’s Wrong in the Hudson ValleyGuys, if there’s one thing I’ve been consistent on when it comes to author Sam Rebelein, it’s dragging my ass — to my own detriment. Back when his debut novel EDENVILLE released last about a year ago, I heard great things about it, listened to Sam talk about it on podcasts, and failed to actually read the thing. So when I heard THE POORLY MADE AND OTHER THINGS was imminent and ostensibly a prequel, I knew this time around, I wasn’t going to miss my chance to get Sam on to talk. And hell, I can see why Becky Spratford raved about this collection on my 2025 Horror Preview episode! This book is a collection of short stories centralized in Renfield County in upstate New York, where things, at some point, went sour. There are legends of a brutal killing that may have cursed the land. Or at least things aren’t always what they seem in the area. Whether you believe the rumors or not, just be sure to avoid the old fella who sits in the bathtub on the roadside. In this episode as we talk about the book, we explore the idea of spoiled earth narratives and the concept of spoiled land — be it hungry or angry. We talk about author shared universes and how Sam wrote his books to all work together in the same geographical locus. And of course, we talked about punching nazis a bit. How’s that saying go? If you see one, punch one. I think that’s right.Ah! But back to the original point. Dragging my ass. This conversation was recorded in the beginning of March (a month marked by intense podcast recording activity, which pushed the inevitable release of this great conversation out by weeks and weeks. Apologies everyone for keeping this gem from you. It’s a doozy.) But it all works out! Because even though this is a discussion about THE POORLY MADE, really it’s also promotion for GALLOWAY’S GOSPEL which drops this September. So it all shakes out, see? And with that, I hope you enjoy this episode.Here you go, YouTube snobs: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Preorder signed copies here!Hey, neighbor!When I heard Todd Keisling — an author I knew as a writer of Appalachian horror/cosmic horror — was writing a book about a widower moving to a retirement home… I couldn’t resist. There was no way this was going to be anything but awesome. And I was right, but Todd also plunged his hand into my chest and ripped my still-beating heart out. Which is to say that even though I knew what I was in for, I didn’t know what was coming. I know I tend to dwell on the more emotionally significant aspects of stories, and man, this was a Venus fly trap for my sentimental mind. Grief, control, dignity, all explored in this talk of an old man who just wants to be left alone to die. From the first few pages, Todd had me feeling the grief of a man who lived a full life with his love, and lost her. A grief I didn’t earn, but I felt anyway.But it’s not all doldrums. In this interview, we talked about bunch about the classic film The ‘Burbs, and how it was an inspiration for the “something’s not quite right” vibe in this sleepy retirement community… with a meteorite smack-dab in the middle of it. Todd describes it as a pulpy story, and I gotta agree. All in all, Todd balances the pulp, the feels, and the cosmic madness perfectly, leaving you at once very emotional, a little off, and just fully satisfied from such a great reading experience. Be sure to follow the preorder link above to get yourself a copy of this amazing book. You’ll be supporting a small publisher, and you’ll get some extra goodies too, I believe.For the YouTube folks: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Preorder directly from This Is HorrorI was on ‘Naked Attraction’Michael David Wilson has established himself as a horror institution over the last decade and a half, and so naturally when there’s a new novel out with his name on it, it’s gonna be horror right? Nah. But don’t let that deter you, horror heads, because this is a dame fine read even if it’s lacking in vampires or werewolves. DADDY’S BOY opens with a down on his luck thirty year old on line at the bank to get a loan to pay his landlord, as well as for his legal expenses for his recently lost custody battle over his cat. Things couldn’t get much worse for Wentworth. Until Norman comes into his life with promises of a windfall that nobody could refuse. Only, it’s not that kind of story, and Norman isn’t much good at much. Especially cooking sausages. Michael David Wilson weaves a story of clumsy heists, dangerous neighbors, poorly cooked food, and the worst of family ties. Does anybody come out of it better? You’ll have to read it to know. What I can tell you is that it’s a cheeky, fun read and you’ll have a good time with it even if you don’t know why Jeremy Corbyn is. If you’re looking for a dark wit, absurd humor, and poignant thoughts about what life is all about, and what it means to be a father, this is your book. For the YouTube folks: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Buy this book and support the podcast!This guy walks into a bar…Nick Kolakowski has been in the writing business for a long time, and his come up has been sort of split between horror and crime. He’s got impressive credentials in horror and crime anthologies and magazines, as well as his own published works. The book of the hour, however, is solidly, fantastically a crime book. Detective, to be more specific. So I got to chat with Nick about the scene, working with Datura as a publisher, and of course, a former Hollywood fixer turned failed comedian, who decides to find redemption as a private dick. To mixed results. Nick’s life experience as a Hollywood reporter adds delightful cynicism and a layer of grime to the depiction of celebrities in the book, and a plucked from the headlines plot line about remains found in barrels in drying up lakes pushes us north into California wine country where things get hot (because of wild fires) and heavy (because of murders.)I thought this book was great, and I’m obsessed with the concept for another book in this little universe, so you all know what to do. Go buy a billion copies, leave reviews, and make this book a success so we get more in the future!For those who like YouTube-ing: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Buy Jon’s Books!Reunited after all these yearsThe last time I interviewed Jon Bassoff about a book, Barack Obama was president. Yeah. Jon has had a rewarding career of great book releases since then, and when I saw the synopsis for THE MEMORY WARD, I knew I had to read it and get him back on a call to catch up. This book is going to invite comps like crazy, to stuff like Stepford Wives, Truman Show, and other classic stories about manipulation, control, and the fallibility of our own memories. I even added Memento and The Number 23 to the list in this conversation. So naturally if those things interest you, you should immediately buy this book and tear through it. But know that it’s a story that is its own beast, and doesn’t ape other stories or sit in a trope. It’s a deftly crafted timeline of suspicion, paranoia, deception, and the need to feel in control of our own lives. The setting feels very 1950s, but it’s also modern, giving it an eerily manufactured setting which starts you and keeps you on edge. I thought it was delightful, and Jon didn’t just hand us a story, he gave us a puzzle to try to figure out, all the way to the last sentence. Just great stuff.Coming up on the podcastI have a lot of irons in fires and so here are some of the names you can look forward to seeing/hearing soon: Nick Kolakowski, Sam Rebelein, Michael David Wilson, Drew Huff, Tim Waggonner, and a lot more!For those who prefer YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Get your copy of Death on the Swayback (hopefully)Shop for Chris’ other books on my Bookshop pageLove At First Day of the ConventionI want to tell you a story about a boy and a boy. It all started one afternoon in the most romantic of locations, the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel. I was attending Authorcon 4, my first Authorcon. And there, across the sea of tables filled with horror books, was a dreamy man in a plaid shirt looking a little too much like Chuck Palahniuk or a “cool” teacher… Chris Panatier. Anyway I had heard him on podcasts talking about his novel THE REDEMPTION OF MORGAN BRIGHT, and not only did the book sound awesome, he just sounded like a good dude. And I’m here to tell you he is. And if this little chapbook that we eventually got around to talking about after an hour or so of banter is any indicator, dude is a hell of a good writer too. So I left St Louis with lots of feelings. Feeling sleepy, much poorer, and like there were some podcasts that needed to happen. Clay McLeod Chapman was on the list, Jonathan Janz was (and is) on the list, and Chris Panatier was most fucking certainly on the list. But I have gone on long enough without acknowledging a few things about this episode that you absolutely must take into consideration. * Dude watches birds like it’s his job.* His job is actually practicing law. * We have a mutual and significant hatred for nazis/fascists/these bully bitches in office, and we didn’t hesitate to talk about it FOR. A. WHILE.Bob Pastorella once crowned me the King of Conversational Podcasting, and this is the most obvious of attempts to retain jealously grip that crown against my head (over the hat, natch). I hope you enjoy this conversation, and when the situation presents itself, that you fill your fist with love - and let those Nazis have it.For those of you who prefer watching the YouTubes (the Ted Stevenses of the world if you will): This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Preorder Special Backstage Package from TrubornPreorder the regular edition from TrubornPunk is horror. Horror is punk.Though there seems to be a particular empathy between punk music and horror, the concern could be, if you were to collect a bunch of horror stories themed to punk rock songs, wouldn’t they all just be the same thing - more or less?Not when William Sterling and his band of scribes get together, because one of my favorite things about this anthology is how unique of an approach each author took to the assignment. A particular standout is Liz Kerin’s story Down By the Water (inspired by the PJ Harvey song?) In which a girl rebels against her controlling parent - which seems pretty foundational punk - only the whole story seems set on some fairy tale seaside community with witches and sea monsters (maybe). Such a creative approach to the theme of the book! There are fourteen more songs beside, and I’ll let you discover them on your own. Suffice to say, I really enjoyed the book, and loved to have William Sterling and Brian McAuley on to give some insight into the book’s inception through it’s upcoming release.I’ll plug once more ordering from one of the above links directly from Truborn. In times like these, creative folk need all the direct support they can get. If you order the Backstage Package, I think you even get a backstage pass!For the YouTuberly folks: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Preorder THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODSFive friends go into the woods, four come out.I’ve been reading Chuck Wendig books since the early 2010s, when he had back to back releases of BLACKBIRDS and MOCKINGBIRD, the first two books in the Miriam Black series of (six) books. Since then, I’ve read piles of his stories adding up to thousands of pages. Psychics, AI, Jedis, Pandemics, Serial Killers… he’s covered a lot of ground. But there’s something about this story. Something more than it appears. Something beneath the surface.This is a story that is best read unspoiled, so our main conversation avoids anything that would taint the read. Even so, we talk about friendship, parenting, trauma, and of all things Homestar Runner. It is a captivating talk! But that’s not all!Let’s Get SpoiledIt’s not even hard for me to say that this is my favorite book of Chuck’s. THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS is an impressive achievement. So much so that I felt compelled to get Chuck to do an episode of The After Party, the spoiler-rich series that is available exclusively on this site. So once you’ve read the book, be sure to check out the Chuck Wendig episode of The After Party!Buy lots of Chuck Wendig booksFor the YouTube folks out there: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Introducing: Three Chapters a Day with Ryan McRaeMy good friend Ryan McRae is an avid reader like myself, but he goes in for a different type of story. While I’m mucking around in horror and crime, Ryan is traveling to other worlds and universes and realities in the pages of Sci-Fi and Fantasy books. Recently, Ryan had an opportunity to get an early look at the new book by TJ Klune, called THE BONES BENEATH MY SKIN and chat with Mr Klune about it. It was Ryan’s first time conducting an author interview, and if you ask me he killed it. The Bones Beneath my skin is available today! Buy it HERESupport Ryan!If you’re into conversation with great sci-fi and fantasy authors (more to come soon!), advice on reading and writing, and more, you should support what Ryan is doing, and here are a few ways you can do that:Subscribe to his Substack: https://substack.com/@ryanmcraeSubscribe to his YouTube: Three Chapters a DayFor the folks who prefer YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Streamin and DreaminIn the looming orange-tinged shadows of the current political situation, six lovers-of-story got together to have a chat about books. Why? Because first of all: they love books. Second of all: Because books shine light on darkness, give voices to those silenced, record history for those erased, recognize those unseen, and punch fucking nazis. So, six people, ten books each, two hours and fifteen minutes. Strap in folks, because it’s a massive download of information in a relatively short amount of time, and you’re going to want to pay attention, because you’re getting recommendations from some of the most refined palates in the world of book tastemaking that are making taste these days:* Sadie Hartmann (Mother Horror)* Haley “Spoonie Reads”* Peg/Marguerite Turley* Tiffany “Conlibros” Gonzalez* Greg Greene (igreggreene)* and… myself. Robb OlsonAll The Books MentionedOrder all these books!* VICTORIAN PSYCHO by Virgina Fieto* THE LAMB by Lucy Rose* THE CONTORTIONIST’S HANDBOOK by Craig Clevenger* ROSE OF JERICHO by Alex Grecian* BETA VULGARIS by Margie Sarsfield* THE LEAST OF MY SCARS by Stephen Graham Jones* THE CRIMSON ROAD by A. G. Slatter* WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME by Nat Cassidy* THE POORLY MADE AND OTHER THINGS by Sam Rebelein* THE THIRD RULE OF TIME TRAVEL by Philip Fracassi* THE COVEN TENDENCY by Zoe Hana Mikuta* THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY by Stephen Graham Jones* THE LIBRARY AT HELLEBORE by Cassandra Khaw* THE HAUNTING OF ROOM 904 by Erika T. Wurth* THE LEAST OF MY SCARS by Stephen Graham Jones* BREATHE IN, BLEED OUT by Brian McAuley* FREAKSLAW by Jane Flett* THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER by Stephen Graham Jones* BLOOD ON HER TONGUE by Johanna Van VeenEat* THE ONES YOU LOVE by Sarah Maria Griffin* NIGHT OF THE WITCH HUNTER by Patrick Barb* ANGEL DOWN by Daniel Kraus* THEIR MONSTROUS HEARTS by Yigit Turhan* MAPPING THE INTERIOR by Stephen Graham Jones* THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DÍAZ by Isabel Cañas* POLYBIUS by Colin Armstrong* THE SUNDOWNER’S DANCE by Todd Keisling* VANISHING DAUGHTERS by Cynthia Pelayo* BAT EATER AND OTHER NAMES FOR CORA ZENG by Kylie Lee Baker* KILLER ON THE ROAD/THE BABYSITTER LIVES by Stephen Graham Jones* THE LAMB by Lucy Rose* FEEDERS by Matthew Serafini* THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS by Chuck Wendig* ANOTHER FINE MESS by Lindy Ryan* BURY OUR BONES IN THE MIDNIGHT SOIL by VE Schwab* LOST IN THE DARK AND OTHER EXCURSIONS by John Langan* THE BEWITCHING by Silvia Moreno-Garcia* THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER by David Demchuk* EL DORADO DRIVE by Megan Abbott* ARTIST OF BLACKBERRY GRANGE by Paulette Kennedy* THE FACELESS THINGS WE ADORE by Hester Steel* CATHEDRAL OF THE DROWNED by Nathan Ballingrud* THE UNSEEN by Ania Ahlborn* PLAY NICE by Rachel Harrison* FIEND by Alma Katsu* FERAL & HYSTERICAL: MOTHER HORROR’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DARK AND DISTURBING FICTION BY WOMEN by Sadie Hartmann* MOONFLOW by Bitter Karella* LITTLE HORN: STORIES by Gemma Files* THE GHOST WOODS by C. J. Cooke* THE UNWORTHY by Augustina Bazterrica* THE NIGHT THAT FINDS US ALL by John Hornor Jacobs* NIGHT BIRDS by Christopher golden* THE MEAN ONES by Tatiana Sclote-Bonne* FIEND by Alma Katsu* JULIE CHAN IS DEAD by Liann Zhang* MAYRA by Nicky Gonzalez* CATHEDRAL OF THE DROWNED by Nathan Ballingrud* THE LONG LOW WHISTLE by Laurel Hightower* CRAFTING FOR SINNERS by Jenny Kiefer* THE AUTUMN SPRINGS RETIREMENT HOME MASSACRE by Philip FracassiOrder all these books!For those of you who prefer YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

Buy THE CONTORTIONIST’S HANDBOOK here!Craig Clevenger is a hell of a writer. But don’t take my word for it. Chuck Palahniuk has praised The Contortionist’s Handbook. Irvine Welsh has. Jordan Harper has, Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly has, Stephen Graham Jones has, Paul Tremblay has… many people have. And for good reason. It’s a fucking great book. And what follows, in my humblest, is a fucking great conversation. We talk about the book, we talk about life, we talk about struggles, we talk about families, we talk about the Waffle House. We talk about things that we are out of our depth talking about, but we talk about them because there are some struggles where, even if we can’t experience them, we can recognize them. We can say “I don’t know what that pain feels like, but I’ve had some pain that tells me that what you’re going through is fucked.”But it’s not all the doldrums. There’s some great writing advice sprinkled about, and you’d better fucking pay attention because if there’s one thing Craig knows, it’s how to make words work. I’ve been reading this book for years, and each time I get to read it again, I like it more, and that’s got to mean something, right? When it’s not old, or stale, or outdated. When it has a timeless poignancy to it, that’s a book you keep special. That’s an author you keep special. I hope you enjoy this conversation with a man I call brother, and I hope it inspires you to buy his books, inspires you to try a little harder to make the words into music, and inspires you to find a way to get out the things that you so bad want to keep inside, because maybe that’s a little bit like healing, and maybe that’s a good thing.For those of you who like the YouTube version: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe