In this lost episode of the show, Trevor and Katelyn sit down to talk with author CJ Leede about her book American Rapture . Together, they explore religious trauma, how purity culture and religious teachings contribute to struggles with body image and sexuality, and more. You can find more about CJ Leede by following her @ceejthemoment on most social media platforms, and you can find American Rapture on bookshelves at your local library or your favorite book retailer. Content warning: This epis...
Jul 08, 2025•47 min•Ep. 151
Join in on this lost episode of the podcast, where Trevor interviews author Nathan Ballingrud about his book Crypt of the Moon Spider ! Together, they talk about writing with authenticity, about building a voice in fiction that is reflective not of trends but of ideas, about the book's roots in pulp, and a whole lot more. You can find Nathan Ballingrud at his website nathanballingrud.com, and you can buy or borrow Crypt of the Moon Spider now from Tor Nightfire! Editor's Note: this podcast was o...
Jul 01, 2025•47 min•Ep. 150
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Jun 24, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 149
We welcome Dennis Mahoney, author of Our Winter Monster , to talk about the craft of characters. We talk about how he thinks of character, how he thinks about conflict, story, and plot, and why he writes to break archetypes in his fiction while still remaining authentic to the human messiness of art. You can find Dennis Mahoney online at www.equinoxsociety.com, and you can find Our Winter Monster at your local library or favorite book retailer now from Soho Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Jun 18, 2025•49 min•Ep. 148
Hana Lee, author of the Magebike Courier duology, joins Trevor to talk about the two novels, Road to Ruin and Flight of the Fallen. Together, they talk about her worldbuilding, inspiration from Mad Max: Fury Road , and why fiction is useful in addressing real-world conflicts, plus a whole lot more. You can find Hana Lee online on most social media platforms, and you can get the Magebike Courier duology at your local library or your favorite bookstore, available now from Saga Press. Hosted on Aca...
Jun 11, 2025•54 min•Ep. 147
In this interview, Trevor sits down with author Patrick Barb to talk about his novella Night of the Witch-Hunter , available now from Shortwave. They talk about the politics of horror, about writing characters with empathy, and about witches and witch hunters, plus a whole lot more. You can find Patrick Barb online at patrickbarb.com and you can find Night of the Witch-Hunter with exclusive swag from Shortwave Publishing at shortwavepublishing.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
Jun 03, 2025•56 min•Ep. 146
This week, Trevor visits with New York Times and Sunday Times best-selling author Sarah Pinborough to talk about her latest novel, We Live Here Now , available now from Flatiron Books. Together, they talk about her book's Gothic roots, about why she writes psychological thrillers and their importance to women readership, and about her philosophies of human psychological nature, plus a whole lot more pertaining to the book. You can find more about Sarah Pinborough through her social media platfor...
May 27, 2025•43 min•Ep. 145
Trevor visits with author Matt Serafini about his new book Feeders , available May 20 from Gallery Books. They talk candidly about their feelings on social media, about how the book presents horror, about transgressive literature and its ability to speak to real human issues, plus a whole lot more. You can find Matt Serafini at mattserafini.com and get Feeders from your local library or your favorite book retailer on May 20, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 19, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 144
Trevor is joined by author Emily Tesh to talk about her new book, The Incandescent. Listen in as they discuss the book, the origins of dark academia, how The Incandescent plays with familiar expectations, and how the book reflects on the craft, labor, and importance of teaching. You can find Emily Tesh at emilytesh.net and The Incandescent at your local library or book retailer on May 13 from Tor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 13, 2025•49 min•Ep. 143
Gothic author extraordinaire Paulette Kennedy is back to talk about her latest book, The Artist of Blackberry Grange. Alongside Trevor, she talks about caretaking and dignity in aging, about history and the need for a dialogue with it, about how art shapes us and how we need to think about shaping art in the coming age, and a whole lot more. You can follow Paulette Kennedy at paulettekennedy.com and get The Artist of Blackberry Grange now from your local library or your favorite bookseller. Host...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 142
Trevor sits down with author and artist Collin Armstrong to discuss his debut novel Polybius , available April 29 from Gallery Books. Together, they talk about the origins of the novel in urban legend, about the nature of art and our aspirations for it, about the way we think about and confide in media as information, and more. You can find Collin Armstrong at collinarmstrong.com and get Polybius today from your favorite local bookseller or at your local library. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Apr 29, 2025•44 min•Ep. 141
Nat Cassidy is back, this time to talk about his novel When the Wolf Comes Home , published in April 2025 by Tor Nightfire. Alongside Trevor, he talks about chase novels and shapeshifting, about acting, masks, and improvisational meaning-making, about how we live by saying "yes, and" to life, and a whole lot more about the changing nature of fear and our reactions to it. You can find Nat Cassidy at his website natcassidy.com, and you can get When the Wolf Comes Home at your local library or from...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 140
In this episode, Trevor speaks with Ai Jiang, the award-winning author of novellas I Am AI and Linghun about her new novella A Palace Near the Wind . They converse about alternative futures, about the importance of science fantasy as a genre in addressing human problems, about the novella's concerns about the conflict between ecological preservation and industrial progress, and a whole lot more. You can follow along with Ai Jiang's literary career by following her at aijiang.ca, and you can find...
Apr 15, 2025•59 min•Ep. 139
Join in with S.A. Barnes as she explores all of the good, the weird, and the weirder in her latest book, Cold Eternity . Together with Trevor, she explores how the book frames a contemporary moment in life, power, and politics, as well as dives into all of the weird and wonderful elements fleshing out the novel's sci-fi horror worldbuilding. You can support S.A. Barnes by following her at staceykade.com and by reading Cold Eternity at your local library or your favorite book retailer, available ...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 138
Trevor is joined by Stoker Award-winning author Christa Carmen to talk about Beneath the Poet's House , her recently released second novel. Together, they talk about the book, about the legacy of Sarah Helen Whitman and Edgar Allen Poe, how the book acts in conversation with established history and its residual hauntings, and a whole lot more. You can find Christa Carmen at christacarmen.com and you can get Beneath the Poet's House today from your local library or your favorite book retailer. Ho...
Mar 30, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 137
In this episode of the show, Trevor sits once again with author KC Jones, this time to talk about his new novel White Line Fever . They dive into what makes the book's terrifying road trip so fun, talk about the book's origins and its road to getting published, about the road trip as metaphor for life's journeys, confronting change and fear, and heaping praise on what is one of Trevor's favorite books to date this year. You can find more about KC Jones at his website kcjonespnw.com, and you can ...
Mar 27, 2025•41 min•Ep. 136
Trevor is joined again by best-selling author Erika T. Wurth to talk about her new novel, The Haunting of Room 904 , now available from Flatiron Books. Together, they talk about the book and its ideas regarding history, about indigenous futurism as a creative impulse, about the importance of craft and how craft is addressed within various fictions, and a whole lot more. You can support Erika by requesting The Haunting of Room 904 from your local library or finding the book from your favorite boo...
Mar 25, 2025•53 min•Ep. 135
Joining Trevor this episode is Saratoga Schaefer, the debut author of Serial Killer Support Group , available from Crooked Lane Books on March 18! Together, they talk about the book's serial killer surprises, about how the book posits ideas about the American justice system, about our cultural fascination with true crime and serial killers, and about who we tend to overlook in addressing instances of violent crime. You can help support Saratoga Schaefer by following them on saratogaschaefer.com ...
Mar 18, 2025•41 min•Ep. 134
In this episode, Trevor visits with Leslie J. Anderson, author of The Unmothers , which released from Quirk Books in August 2024. They talk about the book's major themes and ideas, including a dive into its anger and anxiety over issues pertaining to small towns, closed secrets, pregnancy, and parenthood. They also talk about the importance of demystifying the secrets everyone keeps surrounding birth and death, about building community and fighting back against the oppressive forces that continu...
Mar 12, 2025•46 min•Ep. 133
Trevor and Sley House intern Amelia Hirsch join in for a conversation with Rebecca Thorne, the author of the best-selling Tomes & Tea cozy romantasy series to talk about her novels and publishing goals. Together, they explore what makes a book cozy, how Rebecca transitioned from self-publishing to traditional publishing, how her books evolved from online criticism, and a preview of the conclusion of her Tomes & Tea series. You can find more about Rebecca Thorne at rebeccathorne.net, and ...
Mar 09, 2025•45 min•Ep. 132
Trevor and Sley House intern Anna Bisbee are joined by author Amal El-Mohtar, whose new book The River Has Roots is available from Tordotcom on March 4, 2025. Together, they talk about the book, about its origins as an audio project and its relationship to music, about the structure and nature of art, about magic as mundane and wonderful, and a whole lot more. For more joyous things from Amal El-Mohtar, you can follow her at her website amalelmohtar.com, and you can find The River Has Roots at y...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 131
In this episode, Trevor talks to Kerstin Hall about her latest novel, Asunder , published by TorDotCom in 2024. Kerstin shares her ideas about complex fantasy worldbuilding, about honesty and authenticity in telling the story you want to tell, and with Trevor explores how art as metaphor can address complex issues with nuance while remaining fun and engaging intellectually and creatively. You can (and should) support Kerstin Hall by finding her at kerstinhall.com (her newsletter is amazing) and ...
Mar 01, 2025•47 min•Ep. 130
In this episode, Trevor sits down with author Emily H. Wilson to talk about Inanna , the first novel in her Sumerians trilogy, published in 2023 and 2024 by Titan Books. Together, they talk about rereading one of the world's oldest extant epics, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and about Wilson's work in bringing the epic alongside other ancient Sumerian myths to modern audiences. You can find more from Emily H. Wilson at her website, www.emilyhwilson.com, and can find Inanna and Gilgamesh (Books 1 and 2 ...
Jan 22, 2025•57 min•Ep. 129
In this episode, Trevor sits down to talk with Clay McLeod Chapman about his new book, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes , available January 7, 2025 from Quirk Books. They talk about flailing in the dark, about not knowing what the future might hold and the importance of striving for good anyway, and share intimate fears about what this book means to Clay and to one of his readers. Content Warning: This episode contains references to self-harm and mental illness. Please do not feel you need to listen i...
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 128
In this mega super long episode, Anna Dupre joins Trevor from fanfiaddict.com and her own YouTube channel Anna Rose Reads to talk about their favorite books of the year. They go through their top ten favorite books from 2024, as well as reflect on their feelings about literature and the year. Content Warning: There is a very frank discussion in this episode about suicide and suicidal ideation, so please listen with care if this is a difficult topic for you. If you find yourself struggling with t...
Dec 31, 2024•2 hr 21 min•Ep. 127
In this episode, we host David Corse and Alex Ebenstein to talk about Corse's Mother Is Coming Home , a novellette featured in Split Scream Vol. 6 , edited by Alex Ebenstein and published by Tenebrous Press. Together, they talk about the niche appeal of the novellette as a form for literature, about writing unlikable characters, and touch on the repeatability of reading unpleasant stories. You can find more about the Split Scream series at tenebrouspress.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...
Dec 18, 2024•53 min•Ep. 126
Lora Senf is back to talk about her novel The Loneliest Place , the conclusion of her Blight Harbor Trilogy. Together, they talk about awe, about neurodivergence and loneliness, about their love of story and the place for authenticity in literature, plus a whole lot more. You can find more Lora Senf online at lorasenf.com and order books like The Blight Harbor Trilogy at your local bookseller or request them from your local library. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 01, 2024•54 min•Ep. 125
In this episode, Trevor sits down with Angela Sylvaine to talk about Chopping Spree , her newly updated and re-released novella from Dark Matter Ink. Together, they explore the need for horror and comedy and community, and they reflect on how personal growth can reflect on one's art and one's reaction to art. Above all, they explore their friendship and reiterate its importance in what feels like a difficult time. You can find more from Angela Sylvaine at her website, angelasylvaine.com, and you...
Nov 20, 2024•55 min•Ep. 124
In this episode, Trevor talks with author Sarah Henning about her latest novels, Monster Camp (a nominee for the Bram Stoker Award) and The Lies We Conjure , available in bookstores now from Tor Teen. Together, they talk about the meaning of art to young audiences, the thrill of writing for youth and teens, the challenges of writing for younger audiences in today's publishing climate, and a whole lot more about Sarah's passion for storytelling across multiple genres and categories. For more info...
Oct 23, 2024•56 min•Ep. 123
Join in with award-winning author A.C. Wise as we discuss her novella Out of the Drowning Deep , published by Titan Books on September 3, 2024. In this episode, we discuss what it means to seek truth in a world of divergent perceptions, talk about deity and divinity and how these systems interact with human civilizations, and contemplate the performativity of self in acts like prayer--alongside many other topics! You can find more from A.C. Wise at acwise.net and find her novella Out of the Drow...
Oct 06, 2024•53 min•Ep. 122
