Way back more than a decade ago, M.J. Preston—an author hailing from the great nation of Canada—became the very first author interviewed by the Dark Discussions News Network. His debut novel, The Equinox, unleashed a particularly nasty bit of supernatural trouble upon the world: the Wendigo. Having read the novel and discovered a wonderfully creepy story lurking within its pages, your host decided that the obvious thing to do was track down this promising new author and have him on the podcast for a chat. And thus, a beautiful tradition of talking monsters, mayhem, and all things dark and delicious was born! For those who may not have encountered one while wandering through the frozen wilderness, a Wendigo is a legendary supernatural figure rooted in the traditional folklore of several Indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes and northeastern regions of North America. Associated with the horrors of winter, starvation, greed, and an insatiable hunger, the Wendigo represents the terrifying transformation of a person consumed by an unnatural appetite and stripped of their humanity. Popular culture has since given the creature all manner of skeletal, antlered, animalistic appearances, but the legend itself is considerably older and more varied than any single Hollywood monster design. In other words: be hungry, be greedy, but perhaps don’t become a Wendigo. Now, after all these years, M.J. Preston is back—and he has brought another Wendigo along for the ride! His brand-new 2026 novel, Windigo Plague, puts this sinister creature front and center once again, although Preston has opted for a slightly different spelling this time around. Naturally, Halloween Boutique Psychotronic Reviews couldn’t resist inviting him back to the dark side of the microphone. M.J. joins your co-hosts, including the always entertaining Hollywood actor Dan Lench, to dig into this remarkable new novel, the legend behind it, and what makes the Wendigo such an enduringly creepy presence in horror. It’s a reunion more than a decade in the making—and one that proves that sometimes the monsters really do come back for seconds!
