Bad Books for Bad People

Adam Mansbach brings on the two-fisted action in his 2013 novel  The Dead Run , with the results capturing the exhilarating vibe of a vintage exploitation movie. When a series of crimes challenges the police on both sides of the US-Mexican border, the authorities learn that a shocking conspiracy may be afoot. What's the most outrageous self-defense weapon? How wise is it to attempt the pronunciati...

Edogawa Ranpo pioneered the Japanese-language mystery story, taking inspiration from his pseudo-namesake Edgar Allan Poe and ultimately developing his own unique–and deeply disturbing–authorial voice. Jack and Kate take a look at three short stories from the collection Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination and encounter a world of erotic, grotesque nonsense. How do Ranpo's original tales compa...

Brian Evenson's 2006 novel The Open Curtain tracks the budding relationship between two Mormon teens… through the lens of mental illness, alienation, and ritual murder. Evenson's  novel takes Jack and Kate on a deeply uncomfortable journey into the darkest aspects of religion. Which gym teacher should be on duty when you start a beef with another student? Why should you always display the most off...

Ian Fleming's 1954 novel Live and Let Die places household-name super-spy James Bond on the trail of Harlem kingpin (and likely Soviet spy) Mr. Big. Jack and Kate follow Bond from smoky jazz nightclubs to a Florida retirement community and on to the Caribbean as he relentlessly wanders directly in his enemies' lines of fire. What is it with British pulp authors and their diligent recording of thei...

In this month's episode, Jack and Kate set their literary dragon boat to sea with  The Raven's Table , author Christine Morgan's 2017 collection of Viking stories. Spanning subgenres from grindhouse gore to reimagined fairy tales, this anthology will give fans of historical fiction and horror all the flavors they're looking for. What's the worst thing that can happen if you piss on a troll stone?...

Robert Bloch is one of the best-known names in American horror fiction: a protege of HP Lovecraft and the author Psycho, which would be famously adapted for the screen by Alfred Hitchcock. He was also heavily inspired by historical crime, as we'll see in the subject of this podcast episode, American Gothic . Join Jack and Kate as they explore the murder castle of the nefarious G. Gordon Gregg. Jus...

Guy Boothby's 1899 novel Pharos the Egyptian is a gothic horror tale that finds a hapless British artist crossing paths with a sinister elderly man who seems to have some connection to ancient Egyptian culture. Join Jack and Kate on a globe-trotting adventure filled with intrigue, magic, romance, and Neapolitan loafers. Is there a difference between magical Egyptian hypnotism and garden-variety ga...

Jack and Kate look at what they've read and watched in the year that was 2022 and make some recommendations in the world of books and beyond. The rules of engagement are simple: the hosts each choose one movie, album, TV show, and book that was the best experience of its kind, regardless of when it was actually produced. Spoiler: very little of what's discussed was actually produced in 2022. Join...

Agatha Christie's clever and charming mystery novels have been loved by generations of readers, spawning PBS Mystery icons like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Jack and Kate discuss Christie's 1935 novel Three Act Tragedy , which chronicles a series of cocktail party poisonings among Britain's upper crust that draws the attention of quirky Belgian investigator Hercule Poirot. Is it rude to turn do...

Peter Straub's 1979 novel Ghost Story is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of American horror writing, boasting Stephen King as one of the book's biggest fans. Jack and Kate dig into this tale of buried trauma and supernatural menace in a quest to see whether this classic of the genre meets their esoteric aesthetic expectations. Who's the asshole if your brother decides to marry your w...

It's no secret that 14th Century Europe was not a very fun place to be. Christopher Buehlman's 2012 novel Between Two Fires leans all the way into the hideousness of plague, war, and famine while adding in a heaping helping of medieval horror. Jack and Kate jump into this apocalyptic landscape, which takes them from France to Hell and back again. Does this book reveal the secret origin of the stag...

Whitley Strieber may be best known for documenting his harrowing encounters with extraterrestrials, but before Communion , he wrote modern takes on classic monsters. In his debut novel Wolfen , he tells the story of two cops stalked by werewolves amidst the urban decay of 1970s New York City. Jack and Kate take a journey that they hope will give them the lycanthropic flavors that they crave.  Just...

George McDonald Fraser's long-running Flashman series follows the adventures of Sir Harry Paget Flashman, a self-confessed scoundrel, as he navigates the landscape of the mid-nineteenth century. Jack and Kate jump in at the deep end with Flash for Freedom , the third book in the series that finds Flashman enmeshed in the North American slave trade. Buckle up for a tale that leans all the way into...

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. In this bite-sized episode, Jack explains what he's learned about the world portrayed in Andrzej Sapkowski's The Lady of the Lake , the final novel in the epic saga of Geralt of...

Gretchen Felker-Martin's debut novel Manhunt drops the reader into a post-apocalyptic future where a hideous disease has turned men into cannibal rapists while pitting transwomen against radical feminists. Join Jack and Kate on this splattery suspense journey through the many ways that people are awful to other people. Why are nail guns so viscerally gross? Is heroism conducted under cover of nigh...

F. Paul Wilson's 1981 novel The Keep has one of the great pulp story setups: Nazis versus vampires … but it turns into something a little different. When Nazis occupy a castle in Romania, they unwittingly unleash an ancient evil and set the stage for an epic confrontation between supernatural powers that have clashed throughout the course of human history. Join Jack and Kate as they venture into t...

Tim Powers' 1987 novel On Stranger Tides weaves a swashbuckling adventure combining buccaneers, voodoo, and romance set in the golden age of piracy. But fear not, because reading the words "avast matey" just now in this description is the only piratical talk you'll encounter. Join Jack and Kate as they hit the high seas and discuss this rip-roaring slice of speculative fiction. Why have your hosts...

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. In this bite-sized episode, Jack explains what he's learned about the world portrayed in Andrzej Sapkowski's The Tower of the Swallow , the fourth novel in the ongoing saga of G...

Jack and Kate venture into the world of romance novels with Victoria Holt's 1988 novel The India Fan . When the daughter of a reverend in the English countryside is drawn under the influence of a wealthy family, she must balance her need for independence with the schemes and desires of the Framling clan. Your hosts will encounter ghost nuns, secret babies, blackmail, Orientalism, and pretty much a...

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. In this bite-sized episode, Jack explains what he's learned about the world portrayed in Andrzej Sapkowski's Baptism of Fire , the third novel in the ongoing saga of Geralt of R...

Jack and Kate look at what they've read and watched in the year that was 2021 and make some recommendations in the world of books and beyond. The rules of engagement are simple: the hosts each choose one movie, album, TV show, and book that was the best experience of its kind encountered during the first half of the year. Join your hosts for a discussion that ranges from various ways to hunt super...

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. In this bite-sized episode, Jack explains what he's learned about the world portrayed in Andrzej Sapkowski's  Time of Contempt , the second novel in the ongoing saga of Geralt o...

Jack and Kate venture into the grimdark future of Warhammer 40K with this exploration of Requiem Infernal by author Peter Fehervari. Put aside your preconceptions around Space Marines and Orks and find out what hideous delights await you in the WH40K universe (nuns with guns, folks--it's got nuns with guns). Will our hosts be able to sufficiently summarize WH40K lore in under 15 minutes? Why are S...

Jules Verne is best known to American readers as the author of beloved adventure tales like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and  Around the World in 80 Days . But was one of his wildest acts of science fiction to anticipate Bram Stoker's Dracula by nearly a decade in his novella The Carpathian Castle ? Jack and Kate will attempt to address just this question by diving deep into this 1892 story of Mit...

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is an epic manga series created by Hirohiko Araki that tracks the outrageously gory punch-em-up saga of the Joestar clan. The first installment of the series, Phantom Blood , takes place in Victorian England and features podcast fave themes of vampirism, so-straight-it's-gay manly action, and culturally insensitive gothic tropes. Join Jack and Kate on their maiden voyage i...