The Know Fear Cast

In this episode, Mel and Lisa discuss people who did psychic research, such as the Society for Psychical Research and the Duke Parapsychology Lab. They also talk about Psychic Detectives    The Know Fear Cast is hosted by Mel, Lisa, and Matt. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @knowfearcast or visit us on the web at www.knowfearcast.com . You can contact us via email at knowfearcast@gmail.com If y...

In our second episode devoted to the occult, we talk about the lore and history behind one of its most famous and enigmatic figures: Aleister Crowley. We also talk about some of the other secret occult societies influenced by him.   The Know Fear Cast is hosted by Mel, Lisa, and Matt. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @knowfearcast or visit us on the web at www.knowfearcast.com . You can contact...

In our first episode on the occult, we discuss the Victorian Spiritualist movement that had mystics and psychics trying to contact the dead, though many of them turned out to be frauds and con artists.  Also, please go to  http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/awards/  and vote for us for best nonfiction podcast of 2016. Voting ends Sunday January 22! The Know Fear Cast is hosted by Mel, Lisa, and Matt. F...

In this special episode, Mel and Lisa interview author and book critic Ruth Franklin to discuss her critically acclaimed book  Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life , which  was a New York Times Notable Book and appears on "best of 2016" lists, from Time , Entertainment Weekly , NPR , and The Boston Globe , to name a few. Ruth Franklin is a book critic, who has contributed to The New Yorker , Har...

As a special Christmas gift, we're making this mini episode free to all our listeners. If you like what you hear, please consider supporting us on Patreon . In this episode we talk about horror myths and figures associated with Christmas   The Know Fear Cast is hosted by Mel, Lisa, and Matt. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @knowfearcast or visit us on the web at www.knowfearcast.com. You can co...

For our Christmas episode, we have a special guest co-host Sherry, who joins us to talk about Charles Dickens and the Christmas ghost story and Dickens' broader connections to the horror genre.   The Know Fear Cast is hosted by Mel, Lisa, and Matt. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @knowfearcast or visit us on the web at www.knowfearcast.com . You can contact us via email at knowfearcast@gmail.co...

We talk about modern day zombie stories such as 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead. We also discuss how zombie stories give us a safe way to explore fears about the apocalypse and the "zombie as comedy" trend. If you want to read the article that we quoted from in the intro, it can be found  here Books and movies discussed in the show: The Walking Dead  by Robert Kirkman Fido World War Z by Max Br...

In our second episode on zombies, we talk about the influences on Night of the Living Dead and how it gave birth to the modern zombie film. We also discuss how zombies can represent fears of contagion and death as well as "internal" versus "external" horror. For more info on Pittsburgh Zombies, check out these articles http://popularpittsburgh.com/pittsburgh-zombies/ http://www.axs.com/horror-movi...

For our first episode about zombies, we dig into their history by talking about their ties to Voodoo and the Caribbean. Go Tell My Horse by Zora Neale Hurston The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis White Zombie I Walked with a Zombie The Girl With All the Gifts  by M.R. Carey The Know Fear Cast is hosted by Mel, Lisa, and Matt. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @knowfearcast or visit us on the...

Happy Halloween! In a special bonus Halloween episode, we talk about our Halloween traditions and offer up a few recommendations of what we're reading and watching lately. Hocus Pocus Rocky Horror Picture Show Dead/Alive October Country  by Ray Bradbury Horrorstor  by Grady Hendrix My Best Friend's Exorcism  by Grady Hendrix The Mall  by S.L. Grey The Know Fear Cast is hosted by Mel, Lisa, and Mat...

In our final episode devoted to haunted houses, we talk about haunted houses that are portals and what those portals mean. We also discuss postmodern and "new build" haunted houses and how the horror genre has adapted to modern technology. Books we mentioned in this episode: Locke and Key  by Joe Hill The Shining Girls  byLauren Beukes The Shunned House  by H.P. Lovecraft House of Leaves  by Mark...

In our third episode about haunted houses, we talk about the Gothic influence from literature on our ideas of haunted houses, how haunted houses can be "keepers of the past," and social ghosting. Books we talked about in this episode: Castle of Otronto by Horace Walpole Slade House  by David Mitchell Beloved  by Toni Morrison White is for Witching  by Helen Oyeyemi We Have Always Lived in the Cast...

In our second episode devoted to haunted houses, we talk about whether haunted houses are evil places or if they can possibly represent the psychology of the people in them. Click here for the article from Psychology Today "What Makes a House Feel Haunted" that we referenced. To learn more about the Berenstain vs Berenstein Bears and parallel universes see this article The Know Fear Cast is hosted...

Normally our mini episodes will be a reward for supporting us on Patreon. But in order to give you a sense of what your $5 will get you, we've decided to offer this mini episode to everyone for free. In our second mini episode, we engage in the the Great Shining Debate: which is better the book or the movie? The Know Fear Cast is hosted by Mel, Lisa, and Matt. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @k...

We begin our multi-episode exploration of haunted houses by talking about some of the deeper reasons why haunted houses are so scary. We also discuss the uncanny valley, why so many dolls are creepy looking, and how haunted houses can also represent our own minds. Finally, we share with you our favorite fictional haunted houses. If you'd like to read more about "The Watcher House"  this article  i...

In Part Two of our intro to horror, we talk about the four archetypes of horror that Stephen King talks about in his book Danse Macabre and go into detail about how they show up in modern and classic horror stories. The Know Fear Cast is hosted by Mel, Lisa, and Matt. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @knowfearcast, visit us on the web at www.knowfearcast.com. You can contact us via email at know...

In this episode, we introduce ourselves and talk about our personal introductions to the horror genre, what exactly "horror" is, and why we're so fascinated by scary things. If you want to contact us, send an email to knowfearcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @knowfearcast and visit us on the web at www.knowfearcast.com Know Fear Cast is hosted by Mel, Lisa, and Matt This episode w...

In our "Episode 0" we introduce ourselves and tell you what this podcast will be about. You can contact us via email at knowfearcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @knowfearcast or visit us on the web at www.knowfearcast.com