Scary’s Voices – Sound Bites
Week Ending 19th March 2021
Welcome to back Sound Bites, where I highlight the best horror podcasts I’ve heard through the week. If you’re looking for content to haunt your earbuds, these podcasts are just what you need.
My Scream of the Week goes to:
Such a Nightmare: Conversations About Horror
One of the things I love most about horror is that you can enjoy the surface gore and scares, but you can also see layers of social commentary. And if you like taking deep dives into the genre, I’ve got just the podcast for you.
In Such a Nightmare: Conversations About Horror, hosts Katherine Troyer and Anthony Tresca discuss the genre through an academic lens. From films to books, this duo looks at complex imagery used, challenges to societal norms, and what horror has to say about the human condition. They also refer to essays and articles written on the subjects being examined, which are included in the show notes if you want to further your own research.
This week I listened to their February episode looking at The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, as well as their March episode discussing the film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Both were excellent and brought up points I hadn’t considered before. There’s also a fantastic rhythm between the hosts who challenge each other’s viewpoints in an intelligent and engaging approach.
Each episode of Such a Nightmare: Conversations About Horror ends by revealing the topic for the next discussion, giving listeners a chance to read or watch the material ahead of time. Since the host’s approach is to dissect the film or book, you will want to be familiar with the subject before tuning in.
New content is uploaded about every two weeks, with an average runtime of 45 minutes. They’ve also started bringing past episodes into video format on YouTube where closed captioning is available. Episodes can be found on most streaming platforms, or you can listen to them all via Podbean www.suchanightmare.podbean.com
Shiver-Worthy Runners-Up:
The Monster Men
My friend Glenn Laycock (director of The Ontario Paranormal Society, York Region chapter) messaged me the other week to check out his appearance on the Monster Men podcast, and I’m so glad I did! Glenn has some of the best paranormal investigation stories I’ve ever heard, and his sceptical approach to strange encounters makes them even more chilling.
Monster Men has everything I want in a podcast: paranormal encounters, cryptids, horror and science fiction films and books, both mainstream and indie. Hosts Hunter Shea and Jack Campisi bring a fantastic mix of insightful thoughts and a healthy dose of humour to each episode, creating an atmosphere that feels like hanging out with your buddies. Besides “Episode 170” with Glenn, I’d recommend checking out “Episode 168” with guest Armand Rosamilia, and “Episode 166” where Hunter and Jack review movies, books, and TV shows from 2020, just to sample the great range of topics you’ll find in this show.
Most episodes range between 1 to 1.5 hours, and new content is released twice a month. The podcast is available on most platforms, as well as on YouTube with optional closed captioning, and you can find links to it all on the Monster Men website www.themonstermen.net
The Quarantine Book Club
My last recommendation for this week will not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. This past year has been frustrating, to say the least, and if you want a show to help blow off some steam with rants and humour, The Quarantine Book Club is just the place.
Hosts Bob, a theatre professional, and Rance, an English teacher, talk about books, yell about society, and have a lot of laughs along the way. Some of the episodes I’ve enjoyed include “Things that go Bump in the White (At the Mountains of Madness)” discussing everything that’s wrong with H.P. Lovecraft, “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Canceled Fish! (The Dr. Suess Special)” talking about the intersection of nostalgia and purging problematic content, and “Who Ya Gonna Call? Sorry Wrong Number! (Ghostbusters Novelizations)” digging into to the creeper-vibes within the team you may have loved as a kid. The show also includes voice impersonations and dramatic letter readings which are hilarious.
Please note that The Quarantine Book Club is absolutely NSFW and shouldn’t be listened near anyone offended by swearing (I’m talking comedy club, open mic night level swearing). But if you’re good with that, you’re in for a fun time. You can find the show on most podcast platforms or check out their website for links and information on upcoming episodes if you want to read the books ahead of time. www.thequarantinebookclub.com
That’s a wrap for this week’s Sound Bites!
As always, thanks so much to the awesome podcast listeners and creators who have been sending me terrific recommendations. Keep them coming via the comments section below, or direct messaging on Twitter or Instagram (links below). I can’t promise I’ll enjoy every podcast you throw my way, but I’ll give everyone a fair shot.
Remember, I’m all about scary things and spooky podcasts are what I’m after. Content focused on reviewing horror movies and horror books, true paranormal encounters, facts about cryptids, true crimes, and original scary stories are exactly what I want to hear.
Can’t wait to listen to all the dark podcasts you fine fiends suggest, and I’m looking forward to presenting you with even more Scary’s Voices next Friday.
J.A. Sullivan
J. A. Sullivan is a horror writer and paranormal enthusiast, based in Brantford, ON, Canada. Attracted to everything non-horror folks consider strange, she’s spent years as a paranormal investigator, has an insatiable appetite for serial killer information, and would live inside a library if she could.
As curator of “Scary’s Voices” on Kendall Reviews, an article series reviewing horror podcasts, Sullivan loves listening to all things spooky. If you have a horror podcast recommendation, let her know.
On top of contributing short stories to Kendall Reviews, her fiction has appeared in Don’t Open the Door (2019), It Came From The Darkness (2020), and she acted as an assistant editor for Black Dogs, Black Tales (2020). Other spooky tales and updates on her writing journey can be found on her blog.
You can follow J. A. on Twitter @ScaryJASullivan
Check out her blog https://writingscaredblog.wordpress.com
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
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