The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast

In their second episode dedicated to The Dark Tower , the last book in Stephen King’s Dark Tower saga (that isn’t Wind Through the Keyhole ), the Losers get caught in the web of the book’s most controversial character: the child-spider Mordred. Is the hungry arachnid one of King’s most vicious villains or a massive letdown? And what of his most controversial kill? They also delve deep into the sto...

The beginning of the end has arrived: Join Losers Randall Colburn, Ana Marie Cox, Dan Pfleegor, and Dan Caffrey as they ascend Stephen King's The Dark Tower VII . In the first of two book episodes, they'll discuss endings, second chances, and the weight of expectation. Is The Dark Tower King’s crowning achievement, as so many posited at the time of its release? Also, what has King said about it —...

The Dark Tower looms, but first? Dinner at the Dixie Pig. Join Losers Randall Colburn, Ana Marie Cox, Dan Pfleegor, and Dan Caffrey as they unpack the labyrinthian lore behind Stephen King's penultimate entry along the beam: Song of Susannah. Together, they discuss the intriguing array of supporting characters and metafictional flourishes. Does the book’s most infamous cameo work — or is it a case...

The Losers’ Club is back on the path of the Beam — and this time they’re following it to the end. Join Losers Randall Colburn, Ana Marie Cox, Dan Pfleegor, and Dan Caffrey as they unpack the history of the series, the intricacies of its lore, and the number 19 as it manifests in Wolves of the Calla , a “side quest” of sorts that brings Roland his ka-tet closer to the ominous land of Thunderclap as...

There's something about Western Pennsylvania that gets Stephen King thinking about killer cars. Like Christine, his 2002 novel From a Buick takes place outside Pittsburgh, only this car doesn't vroom, vroom. This one is more boom, boom. Join the Losers as they team up with Troop D and head to Shed B to unpack this four-cylinder supernatural horror story. Together they muse over muscle cars, try to...

There are 11 short stories and 3 novellas within Stephen King's Everything's Eventual -- and some of them are King's finest to date. In the second of two episodes dedicated to the 2002 book, Losers Michael Roffman, Randall Colburn, Jenn Adams, and special guest Ashley Casseday of Keep It Weird check into the Dolphin Hotel and share their 7 favorite tales in King's eclectic collection. What's their...

There are 11 short stories and 3 novellas within Stephen King's Everything's Eventual -- and not all of them are 10 out of 10s. In the first of two episodes dedicated to the 2002 book, Losers Michael Roffman, Randall Colburn, Jenn Adams, and special guest Ashley Casseday of Keep It Weird gather for lunch at the Gotham Cafe and smoke through their least favorite stories in the collection. It's the...

Stephen King and Peter Straub's Black House is an odd duck, a behemoth of a sequel (to The Talisman ) that’s as grisly as it is hilarious. In this episode, the Losers grapple with the story’s tonal irregularities and celebrate its unbridled nastiness. They also discuss its role as a narrative bridge in King’s Dark Tower saga, and how its portrait of Mid-World dovetails with the fantasy world of Th...

Few Stephen King novels have as lousy a reputation as Dreamcatcher . Join the Losers as they probe and dissect a book that astounds as much as it baffles. Is it as bad as its reputation suggests? Yes and no. Let's just say, the novel's relentless musings on death and pain hit that much harder when viewed through the lens of King’s own recovery following his 1999 accident. Follow us on Facebook | T...

In the second of two episodes dedicated to King’s 2000 treatise On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft , the Losers cut to the chase and weigh in on King's tools of the trade. Together, they debate on the pros and cons of his advice, meditate on the emotional closing section involving his 1999 accident, and grade the memoir with bright, red Pennywise clown noses. Follow us on  Facebook  |  Twitter  | ...

In the first of two episodes dedicated to Stephen King's 2000 treatise On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft , the Losers take notes from the Master of Horror and ponder whether he's also the Master of The Craft. Together, they discuss how King wields a masterclass from his memories, connect his many anecdotes to his countless works in King's Dominion, and wrestle with their own trials and tribulation...

It's Y2King! The Losers dial back to 2000 and revisit Stephen King's two e-books: the as-yet-unfinished The Plant and the "Riding the Bullet". Together, they unpack the stories alongside the DIY boom of the early Internet age. Along the way, they touch on how King’s accident informs “Riding the Bullet,” as well as the question of whether we even want to see a finished version of The Plant , one of...

After defrocking the “Low Men” last week, the Losers reconvene to untangle what’s easily Stephen King’s most thematically knotty collection: “Hearts in Atlantis”, “Blind Willie", “Why We’re in Vietnam", and “Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling". Together, they discuss King’s political evolution, the corruption of idealism, and the many ways these stories dovetail with “Low Men in Yellow Coats”. O...

Is “Low Men in Yellow Coats” a good title or a dumb one? Is it a novel or a novella? And is it best remembered as a gutting portrait of lost innocence or an integral stop on the road to the Dark Tower? As the Losers discover in the first of two episodes dedicated to Stephen King’s Hearts In Atlantis , there are no easy answers. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | Store Hosted o...

The Losers get lost on the Appalachian Trail as they hike through Stephen King’s 1999 survival horror novel The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon . Together, they discuss King’s thoughts on religion, the novel’s parallels to sports and fandom, the metaphorical implications of the bear, and whether or not they could survive this hellish trek.  Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on...

Our coverage of Stephen King's 1998 novel Bag Of Bones continues. In the second part, the Losers move beyond the History and the Hook to meet the heroes and villains, share what made them feel miserable, visit the Sematary, chown down on some gooey poundcake, stroll through King's Dominion, and, yes, give their final thoughts. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast....

Bag Of Bones is many things: Gothic ghost story, queasy romance, legal thriller, meditation on grief, and a ghastly reminder that the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children. It’s also horny. Really horny. Join the Losers as they shack up in Sara Laughs for a sprawling, two-part discussion of the novel’s tumultuous publication history, its potent scares, and its protagonist, Mike Noona...

Welcome to Boo'ya Moon, Constant Listeners. Join Losers Jenn Adams, Michael Roffman, Ana Marie Cox, and special guest Johann Trotter as they dig deep into Stephen King's 2006 novel, Lisey's Story . Together, they meditate on how King's personal story of love and trauma brings us closer than ever to the Master of Horror. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | Store Hosted on Acast....

Constant Listeners, say goodbye to Blaine and make your way through the Topeka railway station. Beware, this is not the Kansas of your world and watch out for the walking dude. Head down the turnpike with Losers Randall Colburn, Ayisha Gatson, Dan Pfleegor, and McKenzie Gerber as they discuss Stephen King's The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass. Together, the ka-tet palavers over the necessity of or...

It’s summertime in suburbia and the Losers find themselves on an idyllic street in Wentworth, Ohio. But there’s a storm on the way. And an ominous van at the corner. The neighbors seem alright, maybe a little mean, ut we have the strangest feeling we’ve met them before.  In another world? Join Losers Randall Colburn, Jenn Adams, Dan Pfleegor, and Ana Marie Cox as they sort through Richard Bachman’...

The Losers are still stuck in Desperation, where they're starting to realize things aren't exactly as they appear. No, you might say there's a supernatural presence in the air. Hell, even the coyotes and critters are beginning to take on a strange demeanor. Reunite with Losers Randall Colburn, Jenn Adams, Dan Pfleegor, and Ana Marie Cox as they continue their coverage of Stephen King's 1996 novel....

The Losers head down Highway 50 out in Nevada and make a pit stop in a small mining town called Desperation. It's hot, it's eerie, and it's seemingly abandoned. To their surprise, though, there's a lone deputy waving them in. He seems nice. Join Losers Randall Colburn, Jenn Adams, Dan Pfleegor, and Ana Marie Cox as they begin their coverage of Stephen King's 1996 novel. In the first of two episode...

The Losers are still roaming around the halls of Georgia Pines. They've had their eggs, they've eaten their toast, and they're still listening to Paul Edgecombe as he tells his story over a warm glass of orange juice. The end is near, though. Join Dan Caffrey, Jenn Adams, Dan Pfleegor, and Michael Roffman as they reach the last pages of Stephen King's 1996 serialized novel, The Green Mile . In the...

The Losers have left Maine for the balmy confines of Georgia Pines. It's here they listen to a curious old man by the name of Paul Edgecombe. There's no telling how old he is, but those weathered eyes of his speak to multiple lifetimes. Join Dan Caffrey, Jenn Adams, Dan Pfleegor, and Michael Roffman as they begin their coverage of Stephen King's 1996 serialized novel, The Green Mile . In the first...

The spine cracks, the pages unfold, and the Losers are suddenly inside a world where paintings breathe and horned monsters bite down to the bone. At the center of it all is a woman on the verge of self-actualization, one she’ll achieve only after the huffing, puffing beast she left behind is gone for good. Join Randall Colburn, Jenn Adams, McKenzie James, and returning guest Ana Marie Cox as they...