The Midnight Diner

In this episode of The Midnight Diner, we dive into the strange and the sublime—USOs lurking beneath the waves, a ten-million-dollar gold toilet sold as art, and the world’s first AI pop star on the Billboard charts. At the Writer’s Table, I ask what makes writing truly human, and what happens when machines can mimic our creativity so perfectly that we can’t tell the difference. Maybe the only thing left to hold onto is the human signal itself. The episode closes with a dramatic reading of Black Coffee: Table for One. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seraphimwrites.substack.com

This Halloween, The Midnight Diner invites you to settle in for a night of stories that cross centuries of fear and fascination. We begin with The Devil Keeps a Calendar, a dramatized tale of temptation and time, where a demon takes revenge on the humans who dare to trick-or-treat on another night. Then we ride through Washington Irving’s haunting classic, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, in a special abridged presentation that captures the eerie quiet of the Hudson Valley. Finally, we turn back the clock to 1949 for a chilling vintage radio broadcast from Inner Sanctum Mysteries. Three tales, one night: where every story burns a candle in the dark. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seraphimwrites.substack.com

This week at The Midnight Diner, we look up and out at the mysteries around us. From the 3iATLAS comet’s close pass by Earth to the strange new turbo mode in self-driving cars, and the eerie Sierra Sounds that still hint at a hidden North American giant. Then writer and poet Rebekah Vesper joins me to talk about writing in the digital age, the place of horror in our lives, and the stories that shape us. Finally, we return to Chapter Four of Black Coffee, where Kat begins to uncover the secrets her home has kept too long. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seraphimwrites.substack.com

Tonight at the Diner, we’re serving up a curious mix of science, horror, and creative life. In Stranger Than Fiction, we explore the online conspiracy around lab-grown meat, the bizarre medical history of a tooth-in-eye surgery that restored sight, and a hauntingly beautiful new take on Frankenstein from Guillermo del Toro. At the Writer’s Table, I sit down with Chris B. Writes to talk about the online writer’s experience: what it means to create in public, face the algorithm, and still find joy in the work. And to close, a little something sweet: Chapter 3 of Black Coffee, where Kat’s story deepens and the night takes a darker turn.Pour yourself a cup, settle in, and stay a while. The Midnight Diner is open. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seraphimwrites.substack.com

We start with a round of Strange than Fiction Gossip: The Conjuring house is up for sale (again). A wealthy man snacks on his own peacocks. And a possible skinwalker attack unsettles the quiet woods near Wilmington, North Carolina. Then, at The Writer’s Table, we talk about why horror matters, and what it reveals about the world and about us. Finally, for the Main Course, we have the audio version of Black Coffee, Chapter 2: The House Special. It’s the next haunting installment in Kat’s story. And like what you hear? Support the Diner: [buymeacoffee.com/seraphimgeorge] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seraphimwrites.substack.com

This is the start of something new for me: a space where I can share serialized fiction, late-night reflections on writing and art, and short stories that feel at home under neon lights with a cup of coffee in hand. You might find a story or guest on here that you can’t find anywhere else. For now, I’m releasing the first chapter of Black Coffee in audio. It begins at a roadside diner with a trucker who can’t seem to stop drinking his coffee. So feel free to settle in, pour yourself a cup, and see where the night takes you. And if you like what you hear, consider supporting the Midnight Diner: [buymeacoffee.com/seraphimgeorge] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seraphimwrites.substack.com