Talking Scared

• Off Book #12 – Ben Leonberg and Good Boy

  Mine isn’t the only Good Boy released into the world this week. You may have heard of a little film that shares my books name.   I joke – Ben Leonberger’s Good Boy is everywhere, and rightly so. It’s a haunted house movie told from the POV of Ben’s dog Indy (playing himself). It’s a magic trick of filmmaking and puppy eyes.   Ben came on the show for a generous chat about making the movie. He tells us about the technical hurdles to be jumped, the mammoth 400 day shoot, the portrayal of fear through a dog’s eyes… but mostly we talk about his bond with Indy and why we both believe dogs are the ultimate horror movie heroes.   This is a dog-lover’s delight. Happy Friday!   Enjoy   Support Talking Scared on Patreon   Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch   Come talk books on Twitter @talkscaredpod, on Instagram, or email direct to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 258 – Neil McRobert & My Four-Legged Ode to Bravery & Joy

  Ah the arrogance of writers. Now I am one, officially, I thought I’d better do something fitting.   So I set up a whole episode of my podcast to talk about my own book – Good Boy! My debut novella about small English towns, the bonds between men and dogs, and a battle between bravery and monsters.   Thankfully, I have friends who will facilitate this type of nonsense, so thanks to Nat Cassidy and Rachel Harrison for asking me questions and flattering my ego.   We talk about literary and personal inspirations, about what I’ve learned from 5 years of interviewing authors, about local folklore and the composition of monsters… and of course, about dogs!   This was the greatest pleasure for me. I hope you enjoy it half as much.   Other books mentioned: IT (1986), by Stephen King From a Buick 8 (2002), by Stephen King The Fisherman (2016), by John Langan Any Human Heart (2002), by William Boyd The October Film Haunt (2025), by Michael Wehunt   Support Talking Scared on Patreon   Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch   Come talk books on Bluesky @talkscaredpod.bsky.social on Instagram/Threads, or email direct to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 256 – Northern Weird (Part One), with Gemma Fairclough, Katherine Clements & Ariell Cacciola

  It’s grim up North.   But thankfully, it’s also weird. Deliciously, darkly, disturbingly weird!   This week we are celebrating the Northern Weird Project – six novellas published by Wild Hunt Books (including one by yours truly!). In this first roundtable, I’ve gathered two of the writers and the genius behind the project, Ariell Cacciola, to talk about Northern literary culture in the North, haunted landscapes, isolated oddness, and the North/South divide.   Gemma Fairclough brings The Retreat, her story of creepy wellness culture in the Lake District, and Katherine Clements has written a psycho-geographic haunting of the Yorkshire moors in Turbine 34. Yet whilst displaying the diversity of northern weirdness, these two novellas are twinned and entwined in fascinating ways.   Enjoy – there’s more coming all week.   Other books mentioned: Bear Season (2024), by Gemma Fairclough The Coffin Path (2018), by Katherine Clements Every Day is Mother’s Day (1985), by Hilary Mantel Beyond Black (2005), by Hilary Mantel A Place of Greater Safety (1992), by Hilary Mantel Dark Matter (2010), by Michelle Paver The Night Ocean (2017), by Paul LaFarge   Support Talking Scared on Patreon   Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch   Come talk books on Bluesky @talkscaredpod.bsky.social on Instagram/Threads, or email direct to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 255 – Michael Wehunt & What If A Horror Film Broke Into Your House?

  What’s even real anymore?   Some of the best horror writer’s ask that question. Some, like Michael Wehunt, live in the spaces in between.   Michael’s new novel, The October Film Haunt bends reality in fascinating ways, in a story about online legend, digital demons and analog horror  – all the stuff that keeps me awake at night.   We talk about all of it, as well as formative found-footage movies, and whether we need a new ethics for online storytelling. It’s a deep, intelligent chat (just like the book).   Enjoy. Don’t open strange emails or watch unmarked VHS tapes. WhiteFace Explained - Bloody Disgusting I'm A Search and Rescue Office For the US Forest Service...   Other books mentioned: Greener Pastures (2016), by Michael Wehunt Wake Up and Open Your Eyes (2025), by Clay McLeod Chapman Last Days (2012), by Adam Nevill Horror Movie (2024), by Paul Tremblay The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark (1995), by Carl Sagan If You Knew Me (2025), by S.P. Miskowksi Support Talking Scared on Patreon   Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch   Come talk books on Bluesky @talkscaredpod.bsky.social on Instagram/Threads, or email direct to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 254 – Philip Fracassi & The Fresh Young Heart of Old-School Horror

  This week brings a bumper episode, cos Philip Fracassi never stops. Since he and I last spoke, in 2022, he’s published a wealth of amazing, terrifying, heartfelt horror, emerging as a major voice, and one of my favourite writers.   First we spend a good hour on Philips’ new novel, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre – talking about geriatric slashers, elderly protagonists and how Phil’s own loss transformed the novel. Then we take a tour through some of his other books, including the modern classic Boys in the Valley and the nasty demonic desk romp, Gothic.   Plus, a lot of info about future books and movie adaptations.   Enjoy! Phil is fantastic company.   Other books mentioned:   St Joseph's Orphanage - Buzzfeed Article Boys in the Valley (2021), by Philip Fracassi Gothic (2022), by Philip Fracassi A Child Alone With Strangers (2022), by Philip Fracassi No One Is Safe (2024), by Philip Fracassi The Third Rule of Time Travel (2025), by Philip Fracassi Serafina (2026), by Philip Fracassi The Thursday Murder Club (2020), by Richard Osman Fahrenheit-182 (2025), by Mark Hoppus “The Veldt” (1950), by Ray Bradbury Daytide (2026), by Chris Panatier The Reformatory (2023), by Tananarive Due Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror (2025), by Ashley Cullins   EVENT LINKS Good Boy Book Launch, with Gemma Amor (October 10th) – Tickets Powerhouse of Horror Party (October 24th) – Tickets Creepaway Summer Camp (June 29th – July 3rd 2026) – Tickets     Support Talking Scared on Patreon   Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch   Come talk books on Bluesky @talkscaredpod.bsky.social on Instagram/Threads, or email direct to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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