Chthonica: a podcast on fictional horror

Greg Greene interviews horror great Stephen Graham Jones about two short stories that helped shape his understanding and practice of writing fiction: "The Prophet from Jupiter" by Tony Earley and "Lawns" by Mona Simpson. We recommend reading both stories before listening to this episode. Content Warning: "Lawns" contains some tough subject matter.

In this episode of Chthonica, we talk about the adapting horror prose to film with Laird Barron and Alan Baxter, and screenwriter & filmmaker Philip Gelatt, Jr. who has adapted stories from both authors.

Philip wrote and directed the film THEY REMAIN, based on Laird's novella "--30--" and scripted "In Vaulted Halls Entombed" from the story by Alan Baxter for the Netflix animated series Love, Death & Robots. Philip also wrote, directed and produced the dark fantasy animated film THE SPINE OF NIGHT, now streaming on Shudder and available on Blu-Ray through

Amazon. Spoiler alert: we will talk about details of both stories and their screen adaptations. You can find "--30--" in Laird Barron's collection OCCULTATION and "In Vaulted Halls Entombed" in Alan Baxter's collection SERVED COLD.

Master editor & anthologist Ellen Datlow is back with one of the hottest horror publications on the year, her new monsters anthology SCREAMS FROM THE DARK. Greg Greene talks with Ellen and one of the contributing authors, horror legend John Langan.

Greg Greene interviews horror author/editor John F. D. Taff about his new horror anthology DARK STARS (street date 5/10/2022 from Tor Nightfire), featuring stories by Caroline Kepnes, Ramsey Campbell, Priya Sharma, Livia Llewellyn, Stephen Graham Jones, Chesya Burke, Alma Katsu, John F.D. Taff, Gemma Files, Josh Malerman, Usman T. Malik, and John Langan!

Greg Greene interviews horror author Paul Tremblay (Survivor Song, A Headful of Ghosts) about two important horror short stories: "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates and "The Dirty Kid" by Mariana Enriquez.

Spoiler warning: We discuss these stories in detail. Both stories can be for free online.

Chthonica episode 3: Greg Greene interviews master editor/anthologist Ellen Datlow about her work in the horror genre and her new Shirley Jackson-inspired anthology WHEN THINGS GET DARK, available 9/28/21.

Greg Greene interviews horror great John Langan (The Fisherman) about an author whose works have left a mark on him: Kelly Link. We do a deep-dive into her short stories "Stone Animals" and "Magic for Beginners". Link is author of the short story collections Stranger Things Happen, Magic for Beginners, Pretty Monsters, and Get in Trouble; and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, Shirley Jackson, Locus, and World Fantasy awards as well as the highly prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. Read "Stone Animals" and "Magic for Beginners" in her collection Magic for Beginners, then join us for this episode! (Spoilers)

Greg Greene conducts a wide-ranging interview with horror great Laird Barron on his twenty-year career as a pre-eminent author of horror, weird fiction, and noir. The conversation covers numerous themes and aspects of his work and upcoming projects and publications. Plus, answers to questions from Twitter and Reddit followers. Interview conducted on June 23, 2021.

• 00:00 - Metaphysics and meta-narrative in Laird’s fictional worlds; the consciousness and incongruities of the writer; and “quantum narrative”.
• 23:10 - “Time is a ring.” 32:06 - Laird’s protagonists and their relationship with violence: Isaiah Coleridge, Jessica Mace, and Rex, the last dog on earth!
• 48:18 - Aging and the relationship with pain.
• 56:46 - Dogs, humans, happiness and stewardship. Laird talks specifically about his long-time companion Athena.
• 1:09:58 - Craft & influences: narrative style in Swift to Chase; John Langan and Stephen Graham Jones; the new Jessica Mace story (hint: it's a *sequel* to another recent horror tale); and Xs for Eyes, Blood Standard, and switching between styles.
• 1:22:00: Nanashi, Man with No Name, and "We Used Swords in the 70s"; and Asian vs Western cinema.
• 1:40:49: Evoking an altered state of consciousness in the narrator/protagonist; the genius of Brain Evenson and Kelly Link; meeting readers' expectations as your writing career progresses; experimental vs. commercial fiction; and how Laird caught hell over "Catch Hell".
• 1:54:10: The dark genesis of "More Dark"; audiobook narrator Ray Porter; the folly of valorizing depression; and eff the bullies.
• 2:06:50: Questions from the mailbag, including Laird's current projects!