E144: Sarah Hawley and SERVANT OF EARTH

 

Today I welcome back Sarah Hawley to discuss her new book, SERVANT OF THE EARTH, a romantasy with a sentient knife and strong female friendships. We chat about the origins of this book and how it compares to her witchy romcoms, and we discuss the unintentional timing of a story about a woman rising up against a tyrannical king.

E143: Short Story Collections with Cynthia Gomez

 

Today I have Cynthia Gomez on the show to discuss Story Collections by individual authors. We discuss the point of writing short stories vs novels, and the different ways collections can tell a single broader story from the stories within it. We also give you some great recommendations, listed below. Thanks for listening!

• Hell Hath No Sorrow Like a Woman Haunted by RJ Joseph
• Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
• Night Shift by Stephen King
• Pink Agave Motel by V Castro
• Out of Aztlan by V Castro
• Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories by Kelly Barnhill 
• The Raven: Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
• Skin Thief by Suzan Palumbo
• Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
• Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke
• Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson

E142: Spooky RomComs with Ivy Fairbanks

 

Today I have Ivy Fairbanks on the show to discuss Spooky RomComs. Ivy is the author of MORBIDLY YOURS, a romantic comedy set in the funeral business. We discuss the work RomComs do and why spooky settings and ghosts are having a moment. We did not include witches or monsters because the non-magical human animal, dead or alive, brings its own spooky elements to any story. We also give you some great recommendations. 

Books mentioned on the show:

• Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
• Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne
• Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson
• Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
• Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann
• The Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore
• Haunt Your Heart Out by Amber Roberts
• For Better or Hearse by Ava Hunter

E141: Women of Southern Gothic with Del Sandeen

 

Today I have Del Sandeen on the show to discuss Women of Southern Gothic. Del’s debut novel, THIS CURSED HOUSE, revels in traditional gothic tropes in the context of issues embedded in gothic novels set in the American South. It’s a fresh take on a long tradition of this subgenre, and we discuss what sets Southern Gothic apart from other gothic novels. We also give you some great recommendations, which I've listed below:

• When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen
• Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
• The Witch of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy
• Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
• The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor by Flannery O'Connor
• Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
• Spook Lights by Eden Royce
• Root Work by Tracy Cross
• Mama Day by Gloria Naylor
• Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
• Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews

E140: Pumpkin Books with Rachel Harrison and Stephanie Gagnon from Books in the Freezer

 

Today I have Rachel Harrison, author of SO THIRSTY, and Stephanie Gagnon from Books in the Freezer on the show to discuss Pumpkins and Pumpkin Books…mostly. A few of the recommendations are fall vibes that allude to pumpkins. We have the best time and I hope you all have as much fun listening to this episode as we had making it.

The following are the book recommendations made in this episode. I've put a widget for Cackle also because Rachel Harrison did give us a healthy dose of pumpkins in that delightful book too. 

• Willful Creatures by Aimee Bender
• Plain, Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
• Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
• Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge
• Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
• The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
• The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A Story of Sleepy Hollow by Alyssa Palombo
• Deja Brew by Celestine Martin
• The Halloween Party by Agatha Christie

E139: Gods and Monsters with V. Castro and Johnny Compton

 

Today I have V. Castro and Johnny Compton on the show to discuss Gods and Monsters. They’ve both written stories that explore this combination of characters, so I thought they would be perfect guests to speak to our interest that dates back to antiquity. We discuss vampires and whether gods care about their existence. We chat about how good can’t exist without evil, and we give a few of our favorite book recommendations so you can explore the combination of gods and monsters in story. 

Books we recommended on the show are:

• Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh
• Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn
• Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder
• These Vengeful Wishes by Vanessa Montalban 
• Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Canas
• Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky by David Bowles
• Circe by Madeline Miller
• The Ghost Bride by Yangsze 
• The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

E138: Dark Academia with Alexis Henderson

Today I have Alexis Henderson on the show to discuss Dark Academia, as well as her new book, AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS. We discuss the origins and central themes to this subgenre, and we give a few of our favorite book recommendations so you can explore the gothic, sinister and secret worlds hidden within the walls of elite schools, libraries and museums.  

I have a list in my ⁠Bookshop⁠ of our recommendations, and several other Dark Acadmeia staples, if you want to support both the podcast as well as independent bookstores nationwide. Below is a list of the specific books discussed on the show:

• The Secret History by Donna Tartt
• Babel by RF Kuang
• Vita Nostra by Dyachanko
• Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
• The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
• In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology 

The podcast episode of Once Upon a Time...at Bennington College about The Secret History is here: