movies
The image you see above is my favorite shot in all of horror cinema. I've done my homework, looked at all the other major contenders, and it's never gotten better or more atmospheric than this single image. Despite how much I talk about and think about
books
I've been listening to Neil McRobert talk about horror writing on his essential podcast, Talking Scared, for years now, so when I learned he had a novella landing in 2025 I reached out to the publisher, because I wanted to make sure I got an early look at
books
I've been an admirer of Becky Spratford's work for some time, so I was thrilled when she agreed to join the podcast for a discussion centered on her new book of essays, Why I Love Horror. It's a great collection of arguments for and
books
Keith Rosson is one of the most exciting horror novelists working right now. I was blown away by his book Fever House and its sequel, The Devil By Name, so I was thrilled to learn he had a vampire novel out this year. And Coffin Moon absolutely delivers, attaching Keith&
Free to All
For all our collective focus on its transgressive setpieces and graphic violence of all kinds, this is a movie made with intention, with an artistic vision, and even if all the lines crossed within the narrative were stripped away and merely implied, it would work as a harrowing human drama.
books
I'm thrilled to have Rachel Harrison, author of horror bangers like So Thirsty, The Return, and Black Sheep, back on the podcast this week. She was one of our very first guests in one of my favorite episodes, and her return was everything I hoped for and more.
Free to All
Here's a roundup of what I wrote for the week of September 1, including lots of horror book stuff.
podcasts
Listen to John Langan on the latest episode of The Scares That Shaped Us!
reviews
Valkyrie Loughcrewe is one of the most exciting voices in indie horror publishing right now, and I wrote a little about why.
podcasts
The latest episode of The Scares That Shaped Us, featuring Clay McLeod Chapman, is live.
Essays
If you write horror, write about horror, or even just count yourself among the legions constantly walking around in John Carpenter t-shirts and posting Hereditary memes, someone has asked you a version of the question. "What's the scariest thing you've ever seen?"