
Conversations with the biggest names in horror fiction. A podcast for horror readers who want to know where their favourite stories came from . . . and what frightens the people who wrote them.
| Publishes | Twice weekly | Episodes | 344 | Founded | 6 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | BooksArtsSociety & Culture | |||

Finally, we dare venture to the darkest land of all. Wales!
After years of avoiding the terror of the Valleys, Liam Higginson takes us to The Hill in the Dark Grove – his debut novel of isolation, folk-memory, and things unearthed from the soil of a... more
This may be my scariest episode ever!
We’ve covered non-fiction before, but rarely is the truth more frightening than the stories we tell. This week it just might be… cos Annie Jacobsen is here with Biological War: A Scenario.
It unveils a narrativ... more
In our main Wolves of the Calla Deep Dive, we came within touching distance of the Dark Tower’s biggest secret yet. Chris doesn’t know
what to think, which is just where Nat and I want him.
So we stuck around to talk in full-spoiler terms about all... more
Hallelujah, come commala, we’re back together!
Finally, after stopping for side missions with Jack Sawyer, and a pair of stories of Roland’s younger days, we’re back in Midworld’s here-and-now to push on towards the Dark Tower. It’s time for Wolves ... more
People also subscribe to these shows.




I didn’t realise that horror has become such a wide and varied genre. But thanks to Neil and his brilliant and thoughtfully presented podcast, my TBR pile has increased exponentially. I’m thoroughly enjoying going through the back catalogue of episodes, discovering new titles and authors. What a (darkly) wonderful podcast!
Amazing podcast book talks about he talks writing and how writing makes books interesting and inspiring listening
I really like Talking Scared. Not being hugely widely read in the horror genre, I really enjoy discovering new authors after hearing them interviewed. Neil’s own book, Good Boy, is also excellent, especially for dog lovers like me.
I have to give a major warning about this podcast- if you’re susceptible to adding books to your TBR list, this will be your doom. The interviews with authors are insightful and leave you feeling like you know them. They not only inspire you to want to read the book but make you invested in the author’s career. The last 4 books I’ve bought were recommended on this pod, and I don’t foresee that changing as I keep listening.
I am enjoying this tale! Thanks for the Buehlman interview.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #109 | |
Apple Podcasts | #222 | |
Apple Podcasts | #218 | |
Apple Podcasts | #220 | |
Apple Podcasts | #232 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
A deep-dg dive into horror fiction with authors, critics, and industry voices. Conversations center on craft, thematic exploration, and the social and cultural angles shaping contemporary horror, often blending literary analysis with behind-the-scenes storytelling. Notable strengths include thoughtful, well-researched interviews, a strong emphasis on authorial process, and a willingness to connect genre work to broader cultural conversations. The show stands out for its approachable rigor, warmth, and focus on both classic and emergent voices in horror.
Listeners are likely drawn from a literate, genre-loving audience that enjoys on-record discussions of craft, inspirations, and the realities of publishing and adaptation. The format and ho... more
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Talking Scared. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Talking Scared and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Talking Scared, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Talking Scared, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
To see how many followers or subscribers Talking Scared has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
These podcasts share a similar audience with Talking Scared:
1. The Kingcast
2. The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast
3. Books in the Freezer - A Horror Fiction Podcast
4. Colors of the Dark
5. Anna Rose Reads - The Podcast
Talking Scared launched 6 years ago and published 344 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Talking Scared from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Talking Scared. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
Recent guests on Talking Scared include:
1. Annie Jacobsen
2. Danielle Giles
3. Megan Bontrager
4. Chuck Tingle
5. Paul Tremblay
6. Tom Lin
7. Damian Robb
8. Naomi Kritzer
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.