Talking Scared 261 — The State of the Horror Nation 2025, with Emily Hughes, Anna Dupre & George Dunn
Welcome to the now sixth annual State of the Horror Nation.
This is the mega-episode, in which I gather a darkly-inclined supergroup of horror fans and commentators—a horror cabinet, if you will—to cast their informed eyes and minds over the year’s best horror.
We talk trends, generation gaps, terrifying moments, and pick what they consider to be their favourite scary books of 2025.
I am just a bystander and the man with the edit button. Bringing the talent and the opinion are Emily Hughes, Anna Dupre and George Dunn. Together they present a tapestry of horror in red and black and other hideous colours.
Suffer your TBR piles.
Enjoy.
Books Picked
Angel Down (2025), by Daniel Kraus
Black Flame (2025), by Gretchen Felker Martin
Futility (2025), Nuzo Ozoh
One Yellow Eye (2025), by Leigh Radford
Play Nice (2025), by Rachel Harrison
Spread Me (2025), by Sarah Gailey
Veil (2025), by Jonathan Janz
When the Wolf Comes Home (2025), by Nat Cassidy
What Hunger (2025), by Catherine Dang
Books Anticipated
Cruelty Free (2026), by Caroline Glenn
Daytide (2026), by Chris Panatier
Femme Feral (2026), by Sam Bessinger
For Human Use (2026), by Sarah G. Pierce
Headlights (2026), by C.J. Leede
Itch (2025), by Gemma Amor
Japanese Gothic (2026), by Kylie Lee Baker
Kiss Slay Replay (2026), by Rachel Harrison
I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours (2026), by Nat Cassidy
Molka (2026), by Monika Kim
Nothing Tastes as Good (2026), by Luke Dumas
Nowhere Burning (2026), by Catriona Ward
On Sunday’s She Picked Flowers (2026), by Yah Yah Schofield
Our Cut of Salt (2026), by Deena Helm
Persona (2026), by Aiofe Josie Clements
The Children (2026), by Melissa Albert
The Curse of Hester Gardens (2026), by Tamika Thompson
The Fourth Wife (2026), by Linda Hamilton
The Hive (2026), by Ronald Malfi
The Last Story of Jamie Gunn (TBC), by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
The Red Sacrament (2026), by Sara Hinkley
Spoiled Milk (2026), by Avery Curran
Trad Wife (2026), by Sarah Langan
Worry Box (2026), by Chris Panatier
Wretch (2026), by Eric LaRocca
Other Books Mentioned
Come Knocking (2025), by Mike Bockoven
Old Soul (2025), by Susan Barker
Rekt (2025), by Alex Gonzalez
The Lamb (2025), by Lucy Rose
The Starving Saints (2025), by Caitlin Starling
Bat Eater, and Other Names for Cora Zeng (2025), by Kylie Lee Baker
Greedy (2026) by Callie Kazumi
The Eyes Are the Best Part (2024), by Monika Kim
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes (2025), by Clay McLeod Chapman
The Unworthy (2025), by Augustina Bazterrica
Support Talking Scared on Patreon
Emily Hughes Patreon link is here
Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch
Come talk books on Bluesky @talkscaredpod.bsky.social on Instagram/Threads, or email direct to talkingscaredpod@gmail.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices