The ARC Party

Robb Olson
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Books
  • Updated Semiweekly

Your first look at upcoming books! My goal with the ARC Party is to connect readers with books before they release! Much of the success of a new book is connected to pre-orders and early sales numbers, but sometimes people don't hear about a book until long after it's been released. An episode typically consists of an author giving a quick description of their book, followed by a spoiler free discussion about it. We often talk about themes, characters, settings, etc. But I'm careful to not talk about anything that would ruin the reading experience! www.thearcparty.com

  1. Oct 11

    Nick Medina - SAVAGE LAKE

    Nick Medina is a fantastic writer, and SAVAGE LAKE is the latest bit of evidence. Set in upstate Wisconsin (is that a thing?) Nell and her son Oscar have to go to their recently-inherited cabin in the woods to get it ready for sale. The cabin, the lake, and the town are choked with ghosts from Nell’s past, and if they aren’t careful, they may never make it out. This book isn’t just a cabin in the woods book. It’s also a slasher. It’s also a ghost story. It’s also a cryptic story. It’s also a touching look at family and generational trauma. It’s also an analysis on racism and invasiveness. It is a whole lot, and it all works, and it still manages to be well-paced and entertaining. Somehow Nick manages to make it feel effortless. I love talking to Nick, and I’ve loved promoting this book, which is certainly in my top three for the year. I hope I didn’t gush too much, and that the conversation was something you will enjoy even a fraction of how much you’ll enjoy SAVAGE LAKE. For the YouTube lovin’ folk: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

  2. Oct 3

    Bitter Karella - QUAINT FOLK

    Yes, I know that this is a long episode, but I promise that it’s worth the time. Bitter Karella is an impressive author, a hilarious social media personality, and a really interesting person. I want to emphasize that Quaint Folk is a seriously entertaining story. It’s imaginative, funny, engaging, propulsive, and cool. I want to emphasize that because for nearly an hour of our conversation, we talk about gender and sexuality and how messy it can be to navigate those topics and more so messy to write about them. It’s good and necessary discussion, but I worry it could give the impression that this book is stuffed with the topic. I’m here to assure you that it’s not. It is in there, but it is amongst the witchcraft, British cheekery, and strange goings-on. I’m also very excited for Bitter’s upcoming novella Monoceros, and the fact that She’ll be launching it in Chicago in November. All you Chicago locals should join me in Oak Park for the event. Quaint Folk releases Tuesday October 6th, so just a few days after this episode posts. There’s still time to preorder, or if you aren’t a day-one listener, it’s likely available to buy now. Check it out, it’s a fantastic book! For the YouTube folks: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

  3. Sep 26

    Horror TBR: October Releases

    It’s that time again, time to bless you with some titles we are dying to check out. For October, my good friend and horror aficionado Greg Greene joined me to sing the praises of some amazing upcoming books. You probably know Greg best for the amazing shirts that he creates, themed on contemporary horror novels. His “Jade Daniels Is My Final Girl” shirt is such a cultural phenomenon that it’s been written into multiple horror novels. If you want to see what kinds of shirts he’s got, check out his store at Threadsofdread.com. In this episode, Greg also shares information about his upcoming magazine - Rough Beast, which will be available at the same website. Exciting times for horror! In this episode, we cover a dozen sizzling October titles. I asked Greg to join me specifically because I know how excited he is for the release of the new Stephen Graham Jones book Off The Reservation, and also the hotly anticipated sequel from Brian Evenson - Phantom Limb, a follow-up to his most popular novel Last Days. Check out the episode for all the titles we’re jazzed for, and hit the link below to order them all! For the YouTube folk: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

  4. Aug 31

    Horror TBR - September Releases

    Horror podcaster and journalist Matthew Jackson from The Scares That Shaped Us was nice enough to help me carry the huge burden of curating a list of September releases to talk about. Matthew’s podcast has a fun theme where he interviews authors about their upcoming books, and as part of the discussion they talk about a story (a book, a movie, poems, etc.) that was foundational to them and their relationship with horror. It’s a cool way to conduct a conversation and has led to dozens of very entertaining episodes, which I recommend you check out by clicking the button below. In this episode we covered twenty of the most exciting horror books releasing in September. It’s not all of them by far. On Emily Hughes’ amazing website, she lists 85 titles! So it’s fair to say there are many more amazing books than what we discuss. They are out there for you to discover. We chose ones we’re particularly drawn to, and for the sake of time we had to cut it off somewhere. I heavily encourage everyone to make Emily’s website a primary tool in your book shopping process. It’s a real gift. Please enjoy this list, preorder the books, and let me know on social media what you’re looking forward to! For the folks who prefer YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

  5. Aug 17

    Craig Wallwork - THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL TO BEING A VAMPIRE

    I believe it was Clay McLeod Chapman that recently said to me that if you’re going to do vampires in your story, you have to find an original way to do it. Which admittedly in this day and age is a challenge. There are scant possibilities that have yet to be picked clean in books, film, etc. In The Instruction Manual to Being a Vampire, Craig took care to get it right, and do it his way. In this interview, he explains his process for arriving at including vampires in his story, and how to make them in a way that services the plot. Craig’s take is very grounded and interesting. I think he made Clay proud. It’s a great book, and we talk about it at great length in this chonky interview. I know it’s a long one, but me and Craig go back 15 years, so there’s going to be some nostalgia, yeah? That nostalgia took shape as a reflection on an anthology that Craig was in called Warmed and Bound, and also the anthology I published - The Booked. Anthology. We look at the powerhouse lineup that Warmed and Bound had, and ruminate on the good old days. For those of you who are new to Craig Wallwork, he has a fantastic trilogy of dark detective novels that I loved and you should check those out as well. I’ve gathered a list of books by Craig you can buy on my Bookshop page. For the folks who prefer YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

  6. Aug 11

    Michael David Wilson - THE GIRL IN THE VIDEO

    The Girl in the Video by Michael David Wilson releases on August 25th Friend of the podcast Michael David Wilson of This Is Horror has a new edition of his breakout novella The Girl In The Video coming out soon, and it was a terrific excuse to get together and talk once again. It’s always the best time talking to Michael, and especially when there’s some good horror to cover. In this episode, we talk about Michael’s long history contributing to the horror community in many ways. This Is Horror the website has provided comprehensive coverage of horror for over 15 years. The This Is Horror podcast is approaching 700 episodes, including interviews with top names in horror books, film, and beyond. And Michael’s own writing has been piling up over the years. Many short stories published, and several novels and novellas in print as well. We also talk about The Girl in the Video’s second edition - now expanded with a bonus short story, and an afterward explaining the journey the book has been on since it was first conceived. We also get into the film adaptation situation, and talking about options, adapting, and movie agents. I don’t want to forget that we did talk some shop about publishers, advanced copies of books, and the ups and downs of trying to schedule time with authors. It’s especially helpful for folks starting out podcasting or reviewing, but interesting even if that’s not something you’re into. As a bonus, I dug up the original review and interview episodes that I posted on my previous podcast, Booked. I gave them a listen, and it’s cool to see how different the conversation was then vs. now. Here they are if you want to give them a listen: Original review on Booked. Podcast: Interview with Michael on Booked. Podcast: For the YouTube loving folk: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

  7. Aug 7

    Horror TBR: August Releases

    Premium chapbook magnate Mitch Hull joined me in this episode to talk about all the crazy good books that are releasing this month. It’s The ARC Party’s Horror TBR series, and in it we talk about twelve amazing August releases. In the episode we also talk about Mitch’s recent announcement for his partnership with Shortwave Publishing. Starting in 2027, Shortwave will add Rapture Trade as an imprint of their company, and all trade paperbacks that Mitch acquires will be published via Rapture Trade, which will benefit from Shortwave’s recent distribution deal with Simon & Schuster - putting Rapture Trade books on shelves in bookstores in a way that isn’t usually possible for a young company like Rapture. We also talked about what Rapture has coming out for chapbooks for the rest of the year, and the roster is pretty insane. Otessa Moshfegh? Holy crap. Definitely check out Rapture’s website for what they have going on, and get in on these chapbooks. They’re so worth it. I hope you enjoy this TBR, and remember to use the button above to preorder the books in this episode that you’re excited for! For the folks who want to watch on YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

  8. Jul 3

    Horror Boom StokerCon Virtual Panel

    StokerCon 2026 took place in Pittsburgh at the beginning of June, and this year I was part of the programming team. Me and my good pal Greg Greene were tasked with managing the virtual panels for the con, which was an honor and a lot of fun! We pulled together a couple dozen virtual panels that were incredible, including my own panel where me and some rock star panelists asked and answered the question: Is horror having a moment, and if so, why? This episode, I’m happy to share with you the panel in its entirety. The roster of panelists is crazy. Ellen Datlow, Becky Spratford, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Yah Yah Schofield, and George Dunn all contributed their amazing experience and perspective and it was a great time. If you enjoyed this, maybe consider StokerCon 2027 virtual programming! You have the option to pay just for the Virtual Con which gives you access to all of the new panels as well as panels from previous years. We’re talking hundreds of panels you can only see by getting the Virtual con access. If you are planning to attend StokerCon 2027, you can add virtual to your in-person access. It’s a great value and we’re hoping to go even bigger for 2027. Also, please support all of the wonderful panelists that joined me. They’re doing great work and deserve as much support and recognition as possible! * Ellen Datlow * Becky Spratford * Jeremy Robert Johnson * Yah Yah Schofield * George Dunn For those who prefer YouTube: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thearcparty.com/subscribe

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About

Your first look at upcoming books! My goal with the ARC Party is to connect readers with books before they release! Much of the success of a new book is connected to pre-orders and early sales numbers, but sometimes people don't hear about a book until long after it's been released. An episode typically consists of an author giving a quick description of their book, followed by a spoiler free discussion about it. We often talk about themes, characters, settings, etc. But I'm careful to not talk about anything that would ruin the reading experience! www.thearcparty.com

Information

  • Creator
    Robb Olson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    98
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Robb Olson
  • Show Website
    The ARC Party

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