The Scares That Shaped Us

Latest Episodes:

Episode 32: "The Masks" with Gwendolyn Kiste May 28, 2025

Show notes

Bram Stoker Award-winning author Gwendolyn Kiste, author of Reluctant Immortals and The Haunting of Velkwood, joins the show this week! We talk about how The Haunting of Velkwood took shape, classic horror movies, and of course, an episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Masks"!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Gwendolyn's website!

- Check out Matthew's original short story on Ko-fi, with all proceeds going to the Transgender Law Center!

- 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 31: From Dusk Till Dawn with Michael David Wilson May 21, 2025

Show notes

Michael David Wilson, founder of This Is Horror, stops by the show to talk about his new novel Daddy's Boy, and we take a deep dive into Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's horror Western, From Dusk Till Dawn!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Michael's website for info on Daddy's Boy, and be sure to visit This Is Horror!

- 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 30: The Cell with Caitlin Starling May 14, 2025

Show notes

Caitlin Starling, author of The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence, stops by the show this week to talk about her amazing new horror-fantasy novel, The Starving Saints! We talk about how Caitlin wrote the book, how she blended genres, and of course, we take a deep dive into The Cell!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Caitlin's website, and be sure to preorder The Starving Saints!

- 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 29: Night Shift with Christopher Golden May 07, 2025

Show notes

Christopher Golden stops by the show this week to talk about his new novel, The Night Birds, and to dive into our first Stephen King title. Gather your corn children and your giant rats, we're talking about 1978's Night Shift!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Chris's website for links to everything he's got going on, and be sure to pick up The Night Birds!

- 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 28: The Great and Secret Show with Todd Keisling Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Todd Keisling, author of Devil's Creek and Scanlines, joins the show this week to talk about his new novel, The Sundowner's Dance, and to take on our third Clive Barker story! This time we're talking a complete novel as Todd and Matthew dig intothe dark strangeness of The Great and Secret Show!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Todd's website for links to everything he's got going on, and be sure to pick up The Sundowner's Dance!

- 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 27: Faces of Death with Joshua Chaplinsky Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Joshua Chaplinsky joins the show this week to talk about his latest book, Letters to the Purple Satin Killer, writing a different kind of serial killer story, his horror journey, and the infamous Faces of Death!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Joshua's website for links to everything he's got going on, and go pick up Letters to the Purple Satin Killer!

- 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 26: Swan Song with Chuck Wendig Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

Chuck Wendig, author of horror hits like The Book of Accidents and Black River Orchard, stops by the show this week! We talk about his latest novel, The Staircase in the Woods, and dive deep into the apocalypse of Robert McCammon's epic genre classic, Swan Song! Can stories about nuclear devastation actually be comforting? We're gonna find out!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Chuck's website for links to everything he's got going on!

- 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 25: Poltergeist with Ronald Malfi Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

It's our 25th episode and we're taking on one of the most influential horror movies ever, Poltergeist. Ronald Malfi joins the show to talk about the film's influence on his work, his new novel Senseless, and more!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Ronald's website for links to everything he's got going on!

- 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 24: Event Horizon with L.P. Hernandez Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

The author of In The Valley of the Headless Men and No Gods Only Chaos L.P. Hernandez stopped by the show this week to talk about his writing, his new publishing venture Sobelo Books, and the sci-fi horror favorite Event Horizon! We talk about the movie's gore, visual effects, cosmic horror, and how the ideas at the core of this film changed L.P.'s imagination forever. We also talk about how long you'd realistically take to string up a disemboweled man. Also, Tombstone rules.

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to L.P.'s website for links to his work, and be sure to check out Sobelo 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 23: "The Burr Woman" with Nat Cassidy Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

When The Wolf Comes Home author Nat Cassidy stops by the show this week to talk about his new book, monsters, the genius of Terminator 2, and a very creepy story from his childhood called "The Burr Woman." It's a good time, including some fun (and not so fun) stories from our childhood.

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Nat's website for more on his books and everything he's got going on!

- Follow the show on BlueSky, Twitter, 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

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