The Scares That Shaped Us

Latest Episodes:

Episode 22: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with Erika T. Wurth Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

Erika T. Wurth joins the show this week to talk about her amazing new novel The Haunting of Room 904 and Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark! We talk about ghost stories, haunted objects, horror in academia, writing process, and much more. It's a good time!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Erika's website for more on her books and everything she'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

Episode 21: Near Dark with Stephen Graham Jones Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

Stephen Graham Jones makes his triumphant return to the show this week to talk about his amazing new novel, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, and Kathryn Bigelow's vampire classic, Near Dark. We discuss how Stephen crafted his own approach to vampires, how Near Dark holds up, what the vampire means in a contemporary fiction context, and much more.

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Stephen's website for links to his socials and updates on everything he's up to!

- 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

Episode 20: "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" with Cynthia Pelayo Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

Bram Stoker Award-winning author Cynthia Pelayo joins the show this week to talk about her latest book, fairy tales, true crime, and Joyce Carol Oates' legendary short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" It's one of the most formative horror (yes, it's horror) stories of the 20th century, and we get deep into its meaning and power. Enjoy!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to Cynthia's website for links to her socials and updates on everything she's up to!

- 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

Episode 19: The Gate with Max Booth III Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

Ghoulish Books founder, author, and Ghoulish Book Festival host Max Booth stops by the show this week to talk about their books, editing a new trans horror anthology, writing about bones, and much more as we tackle a classic of 1980s kid horror, The Gate!

SHOW NOTES:

- Head to the Ghoulish Books website for info on everything Max has going on, including Ghoulish Book Festival on March 14 & 15!

- 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

Episode 18: "Sweets to the Sweet" with Johnny Compton Feb 19, 2025

Show notes

Johnny Compton, the author of novels like The Spite House and Devils Kill Devils, joins us for our first-ever dive into the wicked imagination of Robert Bloch! We talk about Johnny's books, vampire lore, horror for kids, and of course Bloch's legendary short story "Sweets to the Sweet."

SHOW NOTES:

- Visit Johnny's website for links to everything he's got going on, and find him on BlueSky!

- Follow the show on BlueSky, Twitter, and Facebook!

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

Episode 17: Wes Craven's New Nightmare with Adam Cesare Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

The author of Clown in a Cornfield and Influencer, Adam Cesare, joins the show this week for our first-ever Wes Craven episode! We talk about Adam's books, writing for young readers, watching your creations come to life on film, and more as we dig into New Nightmare!

SHOW NOTES:

- Visit Adam's website for places to buy his books, links to social media, and more!

- Follow the show on BlueSky, Twitter, and Facebook!

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

Episode 16: "Mirror, Mirror" with Virginia Feito Feb 05, 2025

Show notes

Virginia Feito joins the show to kick off our February and promote her new novel, the much buzzed-about Victorian Psycho. We talk about the origins of the book, its inevitable comparisons, adapting the book to film, and Virginia's chosen story, the Amazing Stories episode "Mirror, Mirror," directed by Martin Scorsese. Mirrors: They're Scary!

SHOW NOTES:

- Victorian Psycho is available now!

- Visit Virginia's website for info on everything she's up to!

- 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

Episode 15: Junji Ito's Tomie with Kailee Pedersen Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

Kailee Pedersen, author of one of the best horror debuts I've ever read, joins the show this week to talk about her incredible book, Sacrificial Animals, and her love of Junji Ito's early horror manga classic Tomie! Plus, Matthew recommends Horror in the High Desert and The Lady and Her Monsters!

SHOW NOTES:

- Sacrificial Animals is available now, and Pastorale is coming soon from Burnside Press!

- Visit Kailee's website for links to all of her social media!

- 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

Episode 14: "In The Hills, The Cities" with Zac Thompson Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

Comics writer Zac Thompson joins us this week for our second consecutive episode devoted to the work of Clive Barker! We talk about Zac's comics, particularly his current eco-horror series Into the Unbeing, and tackle Barker's "In The Hills, The Cities," the impact of The Books of Blood, climate change, writing through the darkness, and much more.

SHOW NOTES:

- Into the Unbeing Part One is available 1/28! Part Two #1 arrives 2/12!

- Follow Zac on BlueSky and Instagram!

- 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

Episode 13: Hellraiser with Eric LaRocca Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

It's our first-ever Clive Barker episode, and we can't think of a better guest for that than Eric LaRocca. In this episode, we discuss Eric's new book At Dark, I Become Loathsome, the impact Barker had on his life and work, the secret knowledge of The Hellbound Heart and Hellraiser, writing about depraved humans with sensitivity and care, and much more!

SHOW NOTES:

- Pre-order At Dark, I Become Loathsome!

- Check out Eric's website and follow him on BlueSky and Twitter!

- Check out everything Anna Rose Reads has 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