The Spooky Scholars Podcast

Demon Seed Doomsday: How Scary Is the AI “Great Pause"?

AI was supposed to make our lives easier. So why does it increasingly feel like we’re living inside a horror movie? In this episode of the mini-series How Scary Is It?,

Second Screening: How Scary Are Our Attention Spans for Horror?

Ever find yourself checking your phone during a horror movie? Looking away when something gross happens? Talking to your friend because you’re totally not scared? Congr

Final Perimenopausal Divorced Girl: Who Really Identifies with the Final Girl

What happens when the girls who grew up watching Final Girls… become ...women? In this episode of Spooky Scholars, we look at one of horror’s most iconic tropes through

Candyman & the Making of Monsters: Shadow Work Analysis of Storytelling

Gentrification, racism, horror, storytelling, and the making of monsters: Candyman (2021) asks who gets to tell a story and who gets turned into the villain. In this Pa

Candyman & the Collapse of Certainty: A Shadow Work Analysis of Betrayal

This episode is an exploration of what happens when the horror movie you loved as a kid turns out to be about the exact trauma you're living through! Buckle up, because

Gaslighting, Grief, and Psychological Horror with Author Claire Fuller

In this episode I’m with author Claire Fuller.  We talk about her sixth book, Hunger and Thirst, (available now!), where she’s finally come over to the fully dark side e

Monster Mentors: What Your Favorite Monster Says About You - Part Two

What if we thought of monsters as the self-help gurus of the goths?! In this part 2 on this premise, we explore what our favorite monsters can teach us about our shadows

Stories, Support, and Speculative Fiction with Author Dianna Gunn

This week, I’m joined by author Dianna Gunn to talk about writing across genres, finding inspiration in tabletop gaming and fantasy worlds, and why online communities rem

Monster Mentors: What Your Favorite Monster Says About You - Part One

What if we thought of monsters as the self-help gurus of the goths?! In this episode we explore what our favorite monsters can teach us about our shadows and how we can

What Shadows are Hiding in Horror’s Greatest Monsters? With Professor Shadow

What do classic horror icons reveal about us? In this episode, I’m with horror narrator and creator, Professor Shadow to explore the human shadow hidden inside classic m

Society's Shadow Side: How Horror Takes Systems to Task

What does horror allow us to feel safely that everyday life often punishes? In this episode, we explore horror as an emotional classification system that shows us how so

Monster Men: Masculinity in Horror with Author Eric Miller

How is horror handling masculinity? In this episode, I’m with horror author Eric Miller for a fascinating deep dive into masculinity, vulnerability, trauma, loneliness,

Shadow Selves of Horror: Facing Your Dark Side & Surviving It

We're back after a two month break of processing a... nightmare. In this personal, solo episode I'm sharing what I've learned about dark nights of the soul and shadow w

La Fulci Vida: A Love Letter to an Italian Horror Auteur with Matt Rogerson

Lucio Fulci is often remembered as the “Godfather of Gore” or the director of ruptured eyes, melting flesh, and apocalyptic endings. But my guest today says we don’t real

Wild Women with Expert Cinda Gault

In this episode we’re with Canadian historical fiction author, Cinda Gault. Cinda schools us on incredible Canadian women of history we all should know more about and ho

Robot Replacement: The Horror of Artificial Intimacy

Are we (already) letting AI replace us?  In this episode, I explore the growing cultural shift toward AI companionship, AI relationships, and emotional automation. Artif

Liminal Horror and Lived Experience: Inside Darkest Margins with Matt Rogerson

Let's explore liminality, trauma, and coming-of-age horror through the lens of my newest project as part of Darkest Margins, curated and edited by our guest, Matt Rogerso

Artistic Expression or Exploitation? A Serious Call Out of Violence Against Women in Horror with Kimberly Pinzon

Joined in this episode by author, friend, and returning guest, Kimberly Pinzon, to critically examine how sexual assault is portrayed in horror films and why these depict

Nostalgia Horror: Rose-Colored Memories with Wendy Dalrymple & Grace Reynolds

They’re calling 2026 the year we go back to analog. And in this first episode of Season 6, I’m joined by authors Wendy Dalrymple and Grace Reynolds, the editors behind

Ritual Roulette: Bro Trip Horror with Horror Roulette Podcast

A nightmare team collab episode that unpacks modern masculinity in lad/bro holiday horror, all by random selection with Horror Roulette Pod.  During the month of Movembe