101 – Nat Cassidy and Who Asked for a Body Anyway?

Send us a text

We’re heading into largely uncharted horror waters this week with our guest Nat Cassidy. 

Nat’s debut horror novel, Mary: An Awakening of Terror dares to confront one of the last true taboos of horror fiction. No, it’s not cannibalism, or necrophilia, or the bowel movements of Tucker Carlson … no… it’s the menopause. 

That’s right. Female physiology. The horror, the terror, think of the children!!!

Nat and I talk about why horror shies away from the topic of middle age and menopause, and why he was inspired to tell this story when he was just thirteen years old. We talk about Stephen King and Carrie and their lasting influence. And we look back at the worse year of Nat’s life, and how it helped fuel the writing of Mary.

We also promise (and fail) to talk about Bruce Springsteen, our shared north star. Watch this space for more on that in the future.

Enjoy!

Mary: An Awakening of Terror is published on July 19thth by Tor Nightfire

Other books discussed in this episode include:

• We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families (1998), by Philip Gourevitch
• Carrie (1974), by Stephen King
• Parasite (1980), by Ramsey Campbell

Support Talking Scared on Patreon

Come talk books on Twitter @talkscaredpod, on Instagram, or email direct to talkingscaredpod@gmail.com 

Support the show

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices