Bad Books for Bad People

It's time for Jack and Kate to explore their vintage paperback piles and trade tales from the yellowed pages of the past. Jack wades through the sweltering psychosexual Southern Gothickry of Donald Harington's 1965 sex comedy (?) The Cherry Pit while Kate learns what happens when Hitler faces off with Dracula in Jon Ruddy's 1990 shock-horror masterpiece (?) The Bargain. Will we encounter the worst Van Helsings of all time? Why don't the cool madams in exploitation novels get their own books? What are “big dinners” and how often will “big dinners” be referenced? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com 

Algis Budrys's 1960 novel Rogue Moon is a masterpiece of Sweaty Sci-Fi, a freshly-patented subgenre that will be revealed during the course of this episode. Jack and Kate take a trip to the dark side of the moon to ponder the meaning of life, love, the universe, and manly perspiration. What happens when you get some Jim Thompson in your moon mystery? Are women more dangerous than a murderous labyrinth on the moon? And what, exactly, characterizes a work of Sweaty Sci-Fi? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

It's March, which can only mean one thing! We're really late with this episode. Jack and Kate look at what they've read and watched in the year that was 2024 and make some recommendations in the world of books and beyond. The rules of engagement are simple: the hosts each choose one movie, album, TV show, and book that was the best experience of its kind, regardless of when it was actually produced. A little bit new, a little bit old, and a whole lot of weirdness is in store! Join your hosts for a discussion that ranges from wicked governesses to the relative merits of Italian heavy metal to gothic roadside attractions. Oh, and murder. So much murder. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? is a 2021 graphic novel that pairs historical true crime author Harold Schechter and Eric Powell, writer and illustrator of the monster punch-up comic The Goon. Jack and Kate revisit the horrifying true tale of the Butcher of Plainfield–this time, in comic book style. What impact did this case have on pop culture, and why does it continue to fascinate us? How were the ‘90s a different country, and why did that country smell like grunge? Is the true crime genre Horrible Exploitation or Cool Exploitation? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of the podcast. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

Christa Faust's 2004 novel Hoodtown takes the reader to an alternate universe Los Angeles, where crime drama is brewing in an underground culture populated by masked wrestlers. Skulls will be cracked and butts will be fingered when Jack and Kate get in the ring with this pile-driving mix of murder mystery, romance, and action. Why is it important to be nice to your local exotico? Does everyone from New Jersey have a gym membership? Is an especially skanky carpet the ultimate heel? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of the podcast. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com  

Outside of your hosts' beloved Warhammer 40k novels, can tie-in game fiction be good? Jack and Kate aim to find out by discussing The Shadow on the Glass, a 2024 novel that pairs podcast-favorite author Jonathan L. Howard with the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game. Where are all of London's fanciest spiritualists and psychics disappearing to? Can an A-team still be an A-team if the “a” stands for accountants and academics? Is there a bit of rugose cone inside all of us, really? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of the podcast. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

Sex. Sacrilege. Murder. Tennis. This podcast is all about three out of those four things. Sudden Death, a 1978 novel by Peter Brennan (creator of TV shows Judge Judy and A Current Affair), marks the first time Jack and Kate are venturing into the world of sports thriller fiction. Buckle up, because underneath those tennis whites there's a seething underbelly of drama and corruption.  What could go wrong with a little nun-flavored sex work? Why does every character in this book have the most outrageous backstory ever? Will Jack and Kate learn anything about the sport central to this book? All these questions and more will be answered in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People.  BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com  

Russell Kirk is best known for his influential work of post-war political philosophy, The Conservative Mind. But his best-selling work–by far–was a 1961 gothic thriller The Old House of Fear. Jack and Kate wander through the mysterious isolated islands of Scotland on a hunt for Commie rabble-rousers, damsels in distress, and shaky real estate investments. Does getting shot during the Spanish civil war give you psychic powers? Are Teddy Boys really that dangerous? Do Maltese people talk like that? What even are women? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

Stephen King's 2013 novel Joyland is the author's second effort for publisher Hard Case Crime. Jack and Kate are ready to track the clues in this story of murder, romance, and amusement park professionals. What happens when the King of Horror gets a chance to be the Crime Writer Guy? Can the main character of his book ever achieve full carny acceptance? Why doesn't the magical child at the center of the mystery infuriate your hosts? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

Ray Garton's 1986 horror novel Live Girls may have the perfect bad book pitch: vampire hookers in seedy vintage Times Square. Jack and Kate travel back to a golden age of sleaze and encounter smokeshow bloodsucking strippers, donut-inspired dirty talk, and dancefloor remixes of “The Old Rugged Cross.” What perverted compulsion makes a vampire turn the worst dudes in the world immortal? Why are nightclubs never, ever as cool as the ones in bad books? What do table tennis and the Anarchist's Cookbook have in common? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People! BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

Once again, Jack and Kate trade reviews of books from their archives. This time around, Jack explores the terrifying mystery and romance of Rae Foley's Nightmare House (1968) and Kate plunges straight into disaster with Airport 77 (1977). Why is dealing marijuana a worse crime than murder? Does a nightmare dude make a nightmare house into a nightmare home? Whose dick will be compared to a tiny airline bottle of booze? Is Airport 77 the disco era counterpart to Moby Dick? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People.  BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

Jack and Kate look at what they've read and watched in the year that was 2023 and make some recommendations in the world of books and beyond. The rules of engagement are simple: the hosts each choose one movie, album, TV show, and book that was the best experience of its kind, regardless of when it was actually produced. A little bit new, a little bit old, and a whole lot of weirdness is in store! Join your hosts for a discussion that ranges from a sinister girls' school to a rogue AI (a court-mandated topic in 2023) to gratuitous comedy penises. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com 

Todd McFarlane's Spawn is one of the great comics success stories of the 1990s, and yet… our hosts remain in semi-complete ignorance of this undead superhero. Jack and Kate decide to educate themselves by reading the first 18 issues of the series where they encounter a world of bedazzlement, from shape-shifting demons and mafia cyborgs to a controversial Neil Gaiman collab. Other than fighting, killing, and baseball, what exactly is Spawn good at? Can anyone possibly care about the Youngbloods? Could there be a shared Spawn / Jess Franco's “Erotic Rites of Frankenstein” shared universe? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com   

In a special, super-extended, spooky season episode, your hosts read a double feature of horror hostess biographies! Glamour Ghoul: The Passions and Pain of the Real Vampira, Maila Nurmi by Sandra Niemi and Yours Cruelly, Elvira by Cassandra Peterson recount the drama-filled careers of two of the most iconic, goth-adjacent TV figures of all time. Jack and Kate take a candid look at the trials and triumphs of two real-life Halloween queens. Does the appeal of late-night metaphysical diner talk span generations? How young is too young to launch your showgirl career? Why do the Red Hot Chili Peppers ruin everything? Is a decades-long goth girl beef even more odious than the Red Hot Chili Peppers? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of the podcast! BBfBP theme song by True Creature. Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

In this episode, your hosts dig deep into their collection of vintage paperbacks and share their thoughts on dusty, lurid tales from decades past. Kate reads The Priests of the Abomination, a cult-flavored 1970 crime conspiracy thriller from Ivor Drummond, and Jack selects three gruesome stories from the zombie horror anthology Still Dead: Book of the Dead 2.  Do rich people have a secret sixth sense that detects perverts? What is it with British pulp authors and their insistence on stopping the action for relaxing, fish-related interludes? Will Jack share the grossest story we've encountered yet? The Nineties - a different country or a whole ‘nother planet entirely? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com   

Adam Mansbach brings on the two-fisted action in his 2013 novel The Dead Run, with the results capturing the exhilarating vibe of a vintage exploitation movie. When a series of crimes challenges the police on both sides of the US-Mexican border, the authorities learn that a shocking conspiracy may be afoot. What's the most outrageous self-defense weapon? How wise is it to attempt the pronunciation of an Aztec deity's name? Do prairie dogs even have kitchens? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People!   BBfBP theme song by True Creature. Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople, on Bluesky @badbooksbadppl.bsky.social, and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

Edogawa Ranpo pioneered the Japanese-language mystery story, taking inspiration from his pseudo-namesake Edgar Allan Poe and ultimately developing his own unique–and deeply disturbing–authorial voice. Jack and Kate take a look at three short stories from the collection Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination and encounter a world of erotic, grotesque nonsense. How do Ranpo's original tales compare to the many film and manga adaptations of his work? Who's got it worse: a pervert living inside of a chair, or the people who sit in the pervert's chair? Have our hosts finally gotten to the darkest parts of the Summer of Bummer? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of the podcast! BBfBP theme song by True Creature. Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

Brian Evenson's 2006 novel The Open Curtain tracks the budding relationship between two Mormon teens… through the lens of mental illness, alienation, and ritual murder. Evenson's  novel takes Jack and Kate on a deeply uncomfortable journey into the darkest aspects of religion. Which gym teacher should be on duty when you start a beef with another student? Why should you always display the most off-putting books in your collection? Is Mormonsploitation a thing, and what's up with the true crime connection? And is the exploitation call coming from inside the house? All these questions and more will be answered in this episode of the podcast. BBfBP theme song by True Creature. Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

Ian Fleming's 1954 novel Live and Let Die places household-name super-spy James Bond on the trail of Harlem kingpin (and likely Soviet spy) Mr. Big. Jack and Kate follow Bond from smoky jazz nightclubs to a Florida retirement community and on to the Caribbean as he relentlessly wanders directly in his enemies' lines of fire. What is it with British pulp authors and their diligent recording of their characters' dietary choices? How does an enthusiasm for jazz become a life-saving trait? And what the hell is keelhauling anyway? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature. Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com

In this month's episode, Jack and Kate set their literary dragon boat to sea with The Raven's Table, author Christine Morgan's 2017 collection of Viking stories. Spanning subgenres from grindhouse gore to reimagined fairy tales, this anthology will give fans of historical fiction and horror all the flavors they're looking for. What's the worst thing that can happen if you piss on a troll stone? Who would win in a battle between vikings and bigfoots? What's a great way to disturb the ghost of HP Lovecraft? All these questions and more will be answered in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Robert Bloch is one of the best-known names in American horror fiction: a protege of HP Lovecraft and the author Psycho, which would be famously adapted for the screen by Alfred Hitchcock. He was also heavily inspired by historical crime, as we'll see in the subject of this podcast episode, American Gothic. Join Jack and Kate as they explore the murder castle of the nefarious G. Gordon Gregg. Just how much like the historical HH Holmes is GG Gregg? What are the perils of being a lady reporter in late-19th century Chicago? Is every American gal just after a big, shiny wedding ring after all? All these questions and more will be answered in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Guy Boothby's 1899 novel Pharos the Egyptian is a gothic horror tale that finds a hapless British artist crossing paths with a sinister elderly man who seems to have some connection to ancient Egyptian culture. Join Jack and Kate on a globe-trotting adventure filled with intrigue, magic, romance, and Neapolitan loafers. Is there a difference between magical Egyptian hypnotism and garden-variety gaslighting? Why are all German pharmacists so annoying? What are the unspoken dangers of weed? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Jack and Kate look at what they've read and watched in the year that was 2022 and make some recommendations in the world of books and beyond. The rules of engagement are simple: the hosts each choose one movie, album, TV show, and book that was the best experience of its kind, regardless of when it was actually produced. Spoiler: very little of what's discussed was actually produced in 2022. Join your hosts for a discussion that ranges from tales of bloody revenge to swashbuckling action to CIA mind control experiments in the 1960s. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Agatha Christie's clever and charming mystery novels have been loved by generations of readers, spawning PBS Mystery icons like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Jack and Kate discuss Christie's 1935 novel Three Act Tragedy, which chronicles a series of cocktail party poisonings among Britain's upper crust that draws the attention of quirky Belgian investigator Hercule Poirot. Is it rude to turn down a party invitation that might lead to your untimely demise? Is there room for a meet-cute while a multiple murderer is on the loose? Did the butler, in fact, do it? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of the podcast. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Peter Straub's 1979 novel Ghost Story is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of American horror writing, boasting Stephen King as one of the book's biggest fans. Jack and Kate dig into this tale of buried trauma and supernatural menace in a quest to see whether this classic of the genre meets their esoteric aesthetic expectations. Who's the asshole if your brother decides to marry your witchy ex-girlfriend? Why are women always preventing men from getting really comfy chairs? Is a sinus infection the secret hero of our tale? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of the podcast. BBfBP theme song by True Creature.  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

It's no secret that 14th Century Europe was not a very fun place to be. Christopher Buehlman's 2012 novel Between Two Fires leans all the way into the hideousness of plague, war, and famine while adding in a heaping helping of medieval horror. Jack and Kate jump into this apocalyptic landscape, which takes them from France to Hell and back again. Does this book reveal the secret origin of the stag party? What even is grimdark? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of the podcast. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Whitley Strieber may be best known for documenting his harrowing encounters with extraterrestrials, but before Communion, he wrote modern takes on classic monsters. In his debut novel Wolfen, he tells the story of two cops stalked by werewolves amidst the urban decay of 1970s New York City. Jack and Kate take a journey that they hope will give them the lycanthropic flavors that they crave.  Just how does a dog trainer acquire an encyclopedic knowledge of animal prints? What is the purpose of vampire sign language? Where does the New York Post fit into the food chain? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

George McDonald Fraser's long-running Flashman series follows the adventures of Sir Harry Paget Flashman, a self-confessed scoundrel, as he navigates the landscape of the mid-nineteenth century. Jack and Kate jump in at the deep end with Flash for Freedom, the third book in the series that finds Flashman enmeshed in the North American slave trade. Buckle up for a tale that leans all the way into the permissive pulp style of the early 1970s! Is the past really a different country? At what point does an antihero tip over into just plain old villain? Just how much atrocity can be forgiven if a dude has the right kind of facial hair? Find out the answers to these questions and many more in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. As promised, here's a link to the Lady Klingon ad Kate mentions in the episode. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. In this bite-sized episode, Jack explains what he's learned about the world portrayed in Andrzej Sapkowski's The Lady of the Lake, the final novel in the epic saga of Geralt of Rivia and his various adventures and... not-so-adventures. What does a meet-cute look like in fantasy France? Will drunk-flying vampire Regis make it out of the climactic battle alive? And what do our hosts think of the finale's numerous shocking revelations? BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page. Clicking the link above gets us a wee Amazon commission that goes towards our hosting fees and tech costs, but we support your book-reading habits whatever they look like!

Gretchen Felker-Martin's debut novel Manhunt drops the reader into a post-apocalyptic future where a hideous disease has turned men into cannibal rapists while pitting transwomen against radical feminists. Join Jack and Kate on this splattery suspense journey through the many ways that people are awful to other people. Why are nail guns so viscerally gross? Is heroism conducted under cover of night really heroism at all?  Was the real villain “internet culture” all along? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

F. Paul Wilson's 1981 novel The Keep has one of the great pulp story setups: Nazis versus vampires … but it turns into something a little different. When Nazis occupy a castle in Romania, they unwittingly unleash an ancient evil and set the stage for an epic confrontation between supernatural powers that have clashed throughout the course of human history. Join Jack and Kate as they venture into this epic battlefield of historical horror! Have you seen the Smith and Jones “Nazi Generals” sketch yet? What energy does the name “Glenn” exude? Who is cooler: Dracula's friend or a wizard from Atlantis? And what does Donkey Kong have to do with all of this? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page. Clicking the link above gets us a wee Amazon commission that goes towards our hosting fees and tech costs, but we support your book-reading habits whatever they look like!

Tim Powers' 1987 novel On Stranger Tides weaves a swashbuckling adventure combining buccaneers, voodoo, and romance set in the golden age of piracy. But fear not, because reading the words “avast matey” just now in this description is the only piratical talk you'll encounter. Join Jack and Kate as they hit the high seas and discuss this rip-roaring slice of speculative fiction. Why have your hosts encountered so many puppeteer protagonists? How does this book deftly avoid the pitfalls of other occult thrillers? What is the worst kind of metal that exists? All these questions and more will be answered in this episode of the podcast. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page. Clicking the link above gets us a wee Amazon commission that goes towards our hosting fees and tech costs, but we support your book-reading habits whatever they look like!

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. In this bite-sized episode, Jack explains what he's learned about the world portrayed in Andrzej Sapkowski's The Tower of the Swallow, the fourth novel in the ongoing saga of Geralt of Rivia and his various adventures and... not-so-adventures. Who gets a really trashy tattoo? What's that vampire guy named Regis up to this time around? And how do winter sports come into the picture? BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page. Clicking the link above gets us a wee Amazon commission that goes towards our hosting fees and tech costs, but we support your book-reading habits whatever they look like!

Jack and Kate venture into the world of romance novels with Victoria Holt's 1988 novel The India Fan. When the daughter of a reverend in the English countryside is drawn under the influence of a wealthy family, she must balance her need for independence with the schemes and desires of the Framling clan. Your hosts will encounter ghost nuns, secret babies, blackmail, Orientalism, and pretty much all the other flavors found in historical romance along the way! How do romance novels actually get made? What's the real lesson behind the Sepoy Rebellion? Does this book feature the least careful lady character in the history of fiction? All these questions and more will be explored on this episode of the podcast. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page. Clicking the link above gets us a wee Amazon commission that goes towards our hosting fees and tech costs, but we support your book-reading habits whatever they look like!

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. In this bite-sized episode, Jack explains what he's learned about the world portrayed in Andrzej Sapkowski's Baptism of Fire, the third novel in the ongoing saga of Geralt of Rivia and his various adventures and... not-so-adventures. What will we learn about vampire mythology in the Witcher universe? Are there any fantasy lawyers in this book? What if the real treasure was the soup we made along the way? All these questions will be answered in this episode of the podcast! BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page. Clicking the link above gets us a wee Amazon commission that goes towards our hosting fees and tech costs, but we support your book-reading habits whatever they look like!

Jack and Kate look at what they've read and watched in the year that was 2021 and make some recommendations in the world of books and beyond. The rules of engagement are simple: the hosts each choose one movie, album, TV show, and book that was the best experience of its kind encountered during the first half of the year. Join your hosts for a discussion that ranges from various ways to hunt supernatural creatures to cursed hunks to weird acting choices by 80s pop stars.   BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. In this bite-sized episode, Jack explains what he's learned about the world portrayed in Andrzej Sapkowski's Time of Contempt, the second novel in the ongoing saga of Geralt of Rivia and his various adventures and... not-so-adventures. Where do Witchers go for professional advice? What is terrible about going to a wizard party? What is a sound investment in this fantasy universe? All these questions will be answered in this episode of the podcast!  BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page. Clicking the link above gets us a wee Amazon commission that goes towards our hosting fees and tech costs, but we support your book-reading habits whatever they look like!

Jack and Kate venture into the grimdark future of Warhammer 40K with this exploration of Requiem Infernal by author Peter Fehervari. Put aside your preconceptions around Space Marines and Orks and find out what hideous delights await you in the WH40K universe (nuns with guns, folks--it's got nuns with guns). Will our hosts be able to sufficiently summarize WH40K lore in under 15 minutes? Why are Space Marines super-boring? What happens when the reader is made complicit in the untangling of the book's narrative? Haven't we all got a dark demonic monster lurking somewhere inside of us? Your hosts will explore all these questions and more in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People! BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page. Clicking the link above gets us a wee Amazon commission that goes towards our hosting fees and tech costs, but we support your book-reading habits whatever they look like!

Jules Verne is best known to American readers as the author of beloved adventure tales like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in 80 Days. But was one of his wildest acts of science fiction to anticipate Bram Stoker's Dracula by nearly a decade in his novella The Carpathian Castle? Jack and Kate will attempt to address just this question by diving deep into this 1892 story of Mittel European suspense. How does Jules Verne reveal his feelings about rustic people? Why are telephones so damn terrifying? Siri, is it raining? All these questions and more will be answered in this month's episode of Bad Books for Bad People! BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is an epic manga series created by Hirohiko Araki that tracks the outrageously gory punch-em-up saga of the Joestar clan. The first installment of the series, Phantom Blood, takes place in Victorian England and features podcast fave themes of vampirism, so-straight-it's-gay manly action, and culturally insensitive gothic tropes. Join Jack and Kate on their maiden voyage into the Jojo-verse. How could Jack the Ripper possibly be any worse? Are sandwiches the king of foods? What's something that happens in horror stories that's so bad, it almost stops your intrepid hosts from reading? What do YES and Emerson Lake and Palmer have to do with any of this? All this and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. Got questions, comments or feedback? Email us at badbooksbadpeople@gmail.com You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

The Sound of His Horn is a 1952 speculative fantasy novel by Sarban (pen name of English diplomat John William Wall). British POW Alan Querdillon is catapulted through time after attempting to escape from the clutches of the Nazis. He finds himself in a future controlled by fascists, trapped in the holding of the larger-than-life Reichsforester Count von Hackelnberg and subject to unimaginable terrors. Jack and Kate explore this strange and disturbing vision of post-WWII life.  What strange perversions lurk within the walls of the isolated schloss?  Will your hosts ever get bored of riffs on "The Most Dangerous Game?" What dark cattle-related secrets will be revealed during this episode? All these questions and more will be answered in this month's episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

The Lustful Turk is an 1828 pornographic adventure that presents readers with a cornucopia of semi-consensual sexual scenarios, fully intended to be read in a one-handed manner. Written by an anonymous writer at a time when publishing and selling pornography came with the risk of stiff legal penalties, this bodice-ripper tracks the turgid horizontal career of Ali, the Dey of Algiers, who ravishes his way through a veritable EU of virginal  concubines. Jack and Kate explore a world of highly specific and uncomfortable fantasies as they probe this classic of erotic literature. How many virginities does a woman have? How elaborate is too elaborate when it comes to sex schemes? Do all Catholics imprison women in convents? All these questions and more will be answered in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Jack and Kate look at what they've read and watched in the first half of 2020 and make some recommendations in the world of books and beyond. The rules of engagement are simple: the hosts each choose one movie, album, TV show, book and "wild card" from any category that was the best experience of its kind encountered during the first half of the year. Ranging from hideous cinematic abjection to music for The Toughest Of The Goth Kids to various ghosts that may or may not require busting, your hosts meander through the high-brow, the low-brow, and everything in between. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Kai Ashante Wilson's 2015 novel The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps establishes a new and vibrant fantasy world that draws inspiration from African culture. This sword and sorcery tale depicts the journey of Demane, a gifted healer and fighter who hides numerous secrets, as he helps guard a caravan against enemies of the mortal and supernatural varieties. What are the similarities and differences to traditional fantasy tropes found in this book? How is language and dialog deployed to depict its characters? Are there limitations to shared warrior brotherhood? Kate and Jack explore all these questions and more in the latest episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. In this bite-sized episode, Jack explains what he's learned about the world portrayed in Andrzej Sapkowski's short story collection The Sword of Destiny. Does Geralt of Rivia become an interesting character? How horny are sorcerers? Is destiny the boss of Geralt after all? Tune in and find out! BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Bram Stoker's iconic creation Dracula has been translated into numerous languages, but as it turns out, some of these translations are more like adaptations. One such adaptation is Iceland's Powers of Darkness (Makt Myrkranna) by Valdimar Ásmundsson, originally published in serialized format in 1900 - 1901 in an Icelandic newspaper. The story introduces new characters, shifts the emphasis of the plot, and focuses on a satanic Euro-conspiracy plot. How much of Powers of Darkness incorporates Bram Stoker's early draft ideas for Dracula? What if Dracula had a coven of evil ape men living in his basement? Does this Dracula even drink anybody's blood? All these questions and more will be explored on this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Charlaine Harris begins her blockbuster Southern Vampire Mysteries series with Dead Until Dark, a psychic girl meets undead boy romance set against the backdrop of serial sex murders. Weird tonal shifts and wacky plot twists abound, but how will Jack and Kate fare in this urban crowd-pleasing fantasy climate? Does everyone love Sookie because of her telepathy, or because of her spectacular rack? How does one dress when attending a vampire nightclub? How late is too late to drop a Funny Uncle into a story? Why is a certain kind of straight woman so obsessed with men's buns? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. One thing you won't find out is how the book compares to HBO's True Blood TV series, because your hosts didn't bother to watch it in preparation for this episode (they're not sorry). BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. This bite-sized episode covers "The Bounds of Reason" from Andrzej Sapkowski's short story collection The Sword of Destiny.  This story was adapted as part of Netflix's Witcher TV show as "Rare Species," probably the most underwhelming tale of the lot. Will this story deliver more of the wild flavors that your hosts are looking for? Tune in and find out! BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

In this mini-episode, Kate occult-splains the 1983 novel Lammas Night by Katherine Kurtz to Jack. The book promises the tale of a coven of British witches that is all that stands between the UK and devastation at the hands of Hitler's black magicians. What it delivers is plentiful inter-coven politicking, intricate descriptions of British military dress, and in-depth descriptions of other people's tarot card readings.  Will there be enough grotty Nazi occult action to hold Kate's interest? Doesn't "cone of power" sound like a Pokemon attack move? How would Americans solve this scenario differently? The answers to all these questions and more exist within this mini-episode. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Mephistophela by Catulle Mendès (1889) is one of the key works of decadent literature, describing the various paving stones on one woman's descent into an erotic hellscape. Translated into English for the first time by Brian Stableford, the book's lush horrors are now accessible to a new audience. Jack and Kate tackle the lurid and tragic story of Baronne Sophor d’Hermelinge, lesbian seducer and damned woman. Was the fin de siecle really as prudish as some folks seem to think it was? When does homoerotic desire become demonic possession? How do lesbians even do it? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode of Bad Books for Bad People. BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.

Welcome to the Valley of Plenty! In these green and gentle pastures, Jack explains the plots of stories from the Witcher series to Kate, who feels like she already completed her tour of duty in this particular fantasyland. This bite-sized episode covers "A Grain of Truth" from Andrzej Sapkowski's short story collection The Last Wish.  Will this tale have the fairy tale flavors that your hosts are looking for? Listen and find out! BBfBP theme song by True Creature  Find us at BadBooksBadPeople.com, on Twitter @badbooksbadppl, Instagram @badbooksbadpeople and on Facebook. You can discover where to get all the books featured on Bad Books for Bad People on our About Page.