Horror from the High Desert

Scotty Milder

A horror podcast hosted by author and filmmaker Scotty Milder. Loose, casual conversations about books, short fiction, and movies with some of the genre’s most exciting fans and creators. Music by JaxiusMusic (licensed from Pond5)

  1. 17 APR

    Tamika Thompson returns

    Author Tamika Thompson ("Unshod, Cackling, and Naked," "Salamander Justice") returns to talk to Scotty about her new novel "The Curse of Hester Gardens" (March 31, Erewhon Books). They discuss the intersection of grief and the ghost story, urban landscapes and the Gothic, the horror of economic oppression, looking for meaning in signs, influences from "The Wire" to "Candyman," the pervasive tragedy of American gun violence, and more. They also take a few minutes at the end of the episode to talk about the 2023 Argentinian horror film "When Evil Lurks," directed by Demián Rugna. WARNING: There some moderate spoilers for "When Evil Lurks." You can find Tamika online at https://www.tamikathompson.com You can get your copy of "The Curse of Hester Gardens" at https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781645663195/the-curse-of-hester-gardens/ -- Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. The next episode will be LIVE on Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. EST, and will feature author (and fellow friend-of-the-pod) Gwendolyn Kiste! Follow the Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/734287569466413/ You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. https://www.facebook.com/groups/429777132474382 https://www.youtube.com/@danielbraum7838

    1hr 22min
  2. 4 APR

    Gwendolyn Kiste returns

    Bram Stoker Award-winning author Gwendolyn Kiste ("Reluctant Immortals," "The Haunting of Velkwood") comes back onto the podcast to talk about her upcoming collection "The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own" (April 14, Raw Dog Screaming Press). She and Scotty dive into the stories, talk about recurring themes like fairy tales, cinema, weird history, and the unique bond between women. They also touch on Salvador Dalí, Marie Antoinette, Hollywood gothic, Ed Kemper, the films of Paul Thomas Anderson, and more. And they take a few minutes at the end of the episode to look back on the weird, Satanic fever dream that is 1977's "The Sentinel." WARNING: There are some big spoilers for "The Sentinel." You can find Gwendolyn online at https://www.gwendolynkiste.com You can get "The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own" at https://rawdogscreaming.com/book/the_haunted_houses_she_calls_her_own/ Listen to Scotty's history of Elizabeth Bathory on "The Weirdest Thing" at https://open.spotify.com/episode/4EKdevXlhw94AmOAAbjRzj?si=0af1827daccd46b9 --- And sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic," where Gwendolyn will be the next guest! That episode will be LIVE at 7 p.m. EST on April 20. Follow the Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/734287569466413/ You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. https://www.facebook.com/groups/429777132474382 https://www.youtube.com/@danielbraum7838 This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

    1hr 41min
  3. 21 MAR

    Briana N. Cox and Kailee Pedersen

    Authors Kailee Pedersen ("Sacrificial Animals," 2024) and Briana N. Cox ("Indigent," 2026) come onto the podcast. They talk to Scotty about issues around diversity, identity, and representation in speculative fiction, good vs. bad-faith conversations on the internet, addressing trauma through their fiction, and more. You can find Briana online at https://brianancoxwriter.com You can get your copy of "Indigent" at https://brianancoxwriter.com/#books You can follow Briana on Threads at https://www.threads.com/@pedroparo2 You can find out more about Briana's upcoming appearances--including the License 2 Thrill Literary Event in Nashville--at https://brianancoxwriter.com/#film You can find Kailee online at https://kaileepedersen.com You can get your copy of "Sacrificial Animals" at https://kaileepedersen.com/sacrificial-animals/ You can find out more about Kailee's upcoming appearances--including the Spooktastic Book Fair at Roundhead Brewing--at https://kaileepedersen.com/events/ --- Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. The next episode will be LIVE at 7 p.m. EST, and will feature author (and fellow friend-of-the-pod) Gwendolyn Kiste! Follow the Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/734287569466413/ You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. https://www.facebook.com/groups/429777132474382 https://www.youtube.com/@danielbraum7838 This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

    1hr 9min
  4. 7 MAR

    Larry Hinkle returns (3)

    Author and returning champ Larry Hinkle comes back onto the podcast to discuss his new collection "An Hour Before Dark" (February 24, Four Winds Bar Publishing), which continues his exploration of the Eris Ridge Trail through a batch of standalone but interconnected stories. He and Scotty talk cosmic horror, liminal spaces, terrifying mountain highways, Twin Peaks, Stephen King, planting easter eggs, dirty humor, and more. They also spend a few minutes on the 2015 anthology horror film "Southbound," and consider how its particular indie aesthetic and interconnectedness sit alongside Larry's own work. Find Larry online at https://www.thatscarylarry.com Get your copy of "An Hour Before Dark" at https://www.amazon.com/Hour-Before-Dark-Larry-Hinkle-ebook/dp/B0GGTFJQSH/ Read Larry's novella "The Eris Ridge Trail" at https://www.amazon.com/Eris-Ridge-Trail-Larry-Hinkle-ebook/dp/B0DTT3N5M8/ Check out Larry's first collection "The Space Between" at https://www.amazon.com/Space-Between-Larry-Hinkle-ebook/dp/B0CVQ7RZ2G/ Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. The next episode will be LIVE at 7 p.m. EST, and will feature author (and fellow friend-of-the-pod) Gwendolyn Kiste! Follow the Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/734287569466413/ You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. https://www.facebook.com/groups/429777132474382 https://www.youtube.com/@danielbraum7838 This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

    1hr 22min
  5. 20 FEB

    Sara Tantlinger

    Bram Stoker Award-winning author Sara Tantlinger ("To Be Devoured," "The Devil's Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes") comes onto the podcast to talk to Scotty about her recent fiction collection "Cyanide Constellations" (2025, Dark Matter INK). They talk about her approach to nature in her work, grief narratives, the influence of poetry on her fiction, feminist revenge stories, murderous garden gnomes, gun-toting hippies, and more. They also take a look at director Nicolas Winding Refn's bizarre, beautiful, and horrific depiction of the fashion industry in "The Neon Demon" (2016). You can find Sara online at https://saratantlinger.com Get your copy of "Cyanide Constellations" at https://darkmattermagazine.shop/products/cyanide-constellations-and-other-stories-598818 Follow Sara on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/inkychaotics/ Listen to Scotty's earlier conversation with Sara on "The Weirdest Thing Podcast" at https://open.spotify.com/episode/3K8wusyzTqvuzUt7uFf1Lu?si=ba57844ec1734793 Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. The next episode will be LIVE at 7 p.m. EST, and will feature author (and fellow friend-of-the-pod) Gwendolyn Kiste! Follow the Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/734287569466413/ You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. https://www.facebook.com/groups/429777132474382 https://www.youtube.com/@danielbraum7838 This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

    1hr 20min
  6. 7 FEB

    Lauren Chavez-Myers and "Dead Billy" (Part 1)

    Scotty has known and worked with actor/writer/producer/filmmaker/development-executive Lauren Chavez-Myers for over 15 years now. Aside from being friends, they collaborated on a number of shorts before embarking on the feature film "Dead Billy" (2016). In the first part of this two-part episode, Lauren talks about her life as an actor on stage, in movies, and on television, and the transition she made toward working as a TV development executive for Hasbro Entertainment. They discuss the satisfaction of creation, struggling with self-imposed pressure, balancing film and theatre work, what exactly "development" means, and more. Look out for Part 2, in which Scotty and Lauren do a deep dive into the making of "Dead Billy," and how they feel about the movie more than a decade later. You can find Lauren online at http://www.laurenchavezmyers.com You can check Lauren out on IMDB at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0616774/ Stream the series "Manhattan" on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0DHY49RDK/ Listen to Scotty's history of the Ouija board on "The Weirdest Thing Podcast" at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weirdest-thing/id1534847356?i=1000628043222 Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. The next episode will be LIVE at 7 p.m. EST, and will feature author (and fellow friend-of-the-pod) Gwendolyn Kiste! Follow the Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/734287569466413/ You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. https://www.facebook.com/groups/429777132474382 https://www.youtube.com/@danielbraum7838 This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

    1hr 28min
  7. 23 JAN

    Rebecca Rowland returns

    Author Rebecca Rowland ("Optic Nerve," "White Trash and Recycled Nightmares") returns to talk with Scotty about her wintry new horror novel "Eminence Front" (January 20, CLASH Books). They discuss the book's inspiration, its various influences (from Stephen King's "Carrie" to Tim O'Brien's "In the Lake of the Woods"), terrifying weather from around the country, creepy puppet shows, ambiguous endings, and more. They also take a look back at "Need to Know," a 1986 episode of "The New Twilight Zone" starring William Petersen and Frances McDormand. You can find Rebecca online at https://rowlandbooks.com You can order your copy of "Eminence Front" at https://rowlandbooks.com/eminence-front You can read Rebecca's werewolf story "Expose the Fur Below" in the anthology "Strange New Moons," available at https://www.amazon.com/Strange-New-Moons-Stephen-Kozeniewski/dp/B0DT4C1T9Z/ Check out Scotty's story about the Dyatlov Pass Incident on "The Weirdest Thing Podcast," available at https://open.spotify.com/episode/3wQWt4kI6I5ZER8sjNb7mR?si=b74b7e93757c4a9e Watch "Need to Know," from "The New Twilight Zone," at https://youtu.be/EB_naKy4IJI?si=TcXeQy-fPkgjFxqi Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. https://www.facebook.com/groups/429777132474382 https://www.youtube.com/@danielbraum7838 This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

    1hr 9min

About

A horror podcast hosted by author and filmmaker Scotty Milder. Loose, casual conversations about books, short fiction, and movies with some of the genre’s most exciting fans and creators. Music by JaxiusMusic (licensed from Pond5)

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