The Scares That Shaped Us

Latest Episodes:

Episode 52: "The Tell-Tale Heart" with Ally Malinenko Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

Ally Malinenko, author of middle-grade horror novels like Ghost Girl and This Appearing House, joins the show this week! We talk about her new novel Broken Dolls, writing for young readers, approaching horror as children, and of course, Edgar Allan Poe's legendary short story, "The Tell-Tale Heart"!

- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness, including a new essay on John Carpenter's Halloween every day this month!

- Broken Dolls is available now!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: scaresthatshapeduspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Episode 51: Let's Scare Jessica to Death with Bob Pastorella Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

This Is Horror co-host Bob Pastorella joins the show this week to talk about his new vampire novel The Small Hours! We talk Texas horror, Dracula, merging the crime and horror genres, and much more as we dive into Bob's work and its connection to a 1970s vampire classic, Let's Scare Jessica to Death!

- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness, including a new essay on John Carpenter's Halloween every day this month!

- The Small Hours is available now from Ghoulish Books!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: scaresthatshapeduspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Episode 50: The Stand (Chapter 38) with C. Robert Cargill Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

C. Robert Cargill, screenwriter behind movies like Sinister and The Black Phone and author of books like Sea of Rust and Day Zero, joins the show this week! We talk about his new movie Black Phone 2, his collaboration with Scott Derrickson, and much more. Then, we dive into a very particular portion of Stephen King's The Stand, and how it shaped Cargill as a writer!

- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness, including a new essay on John Carpenter's Halloween every day this month!

- Black Phone 2 is in theaters October 17!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: scaresthatshapeduspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Episode 49: A Nightmare on Elm Street with Neil McRobert Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

Neil McRobert, host of Talking Scared, joins us this week for a horror lit podcast crossover to talk about his debut novella, Good Boy! We discuss Neil's writing process, our shared love for dogs, and more, then we dive into Wes Craven's legendary slasher classic A Nightmare on Elm Street!

- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness, including a new essay on John Carpenter's Halloween every day this month!

- Check out Talking Scared, and order Good Boy!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: scaresthatshapeduspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Episode 48: Where the Sidewalk Ends with Becky Spratford Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

Becky Spratford, librarian, critic, and all-around horror lit icon, joins the show this week! We talk about her new book Why I Love Horror, editing a wide array of bestselling genre authors, and more, and then we dive into a discussion of Shel Silverstein's Where The Sidewalk Ends! Is it horror? Maybe. Does it serve as a springboard for young horror fans? Absolutely!

- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness!

- Check out Becky's blog for more on all the work she does!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: scaresthatshapeduspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Episode 47: The Tommyknockers with Keith Rosson Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

Keith Rosson, author of the Fever House duology, joins the show this week to talk about his new vampire novel, Coffin Moon! We discuss his approach to vampire fiction, his writing process, and then we dig deep into a discussion of Stephen King's The Tommyknockers!

- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness!

- Check out Keith's website for his books and links to his social media!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: scaresthatshapeduspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Episode 46: The Amityville Horror with Rachel Harrison Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

Rachel Harrison returns! We talk about her amazing new novel, Play Nice, infamous houses, and of course, dive into all things The Amityville Horror! We're talking about everything from the real events to the possible hoax to the pop culture franchise that's evolved from it all, and much more!

- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness!

- Check out Rachel's website and follow her on socials!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: scaresthatshapeduspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Episode 45: "The Night We Buried Road Dog" with John Langan Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

Bram Stoker Award-winning legend John Langan joins the show this week! We talk about his new collection, Lost in the Dark and Other Excursions, crafting short fiction, building a story over years, and more. We also dig deep into an excellent Jack Cady story, "The Night We Buried Road Dog." It's a great way to kick off Spooky Season!

- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness!

- Check out John's blog!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: scaresthatshapeduspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Episode 44: Skeleton Crew with Clay McLeod Chapman Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

It's our one-year anniversary! To celebrate, we brought back our original guest, Clay McLeod Chapman, to talk about his new short story collection Acquired Taste! We dig into why short fiction appeals to Clay, how he works to craft shorter works, and we dig into Stephen King's classic collection, Skeleton Crew! Plus, Matthew makes an announcement!

- Sign up for our newsletter for even more horror goodness!

- Follow Clay on BlueSky and Instagram!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: scaresthatshapeduspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin

Episode 43: The Others with Isabel Cañas Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

Celebrated historical horror author Isabel Cañas joins the show this week to talk about her new novel, The Possession of Alba Diaz. We talk about the book's origins, Isabel's fascination with history, and more, and then we dive into an exploration of 2002's The Others!

- Check out Isabel's website and sign up for her newsletter!

- Follow the show on BlueSky and Facebook!

- Want to ask Matthew a question? Offer a recommendation? Something else? Email us: scaresthatshapeduspodcast@gmail.com

Hosted by Matthew Jackson

Produced by Matthew and Lyndsay Jackson

Logo and Web Design by Lyndsay Jackson

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin