39 – Josh Malerman and a Local Town for Local People

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Josh Malerman, bestselling wunderkinder of horror, author of Birdbox, Malorie, Unbury Carol and now Goblin, has graced Talking Scared with his presence. We’re talking about Goblin specifically, his new ‘novel in six novellas’ detailing the lives and losses of people in the weirdest small-town west of Castle Rock. 

It’s got monstrous owls and more monstrous police, an impossible hedge maze, things in boxes that MUST NOT BE OPENED, and the fear of fear itself. As Josh points out (and I hadn’t noticed) the book is about all the different kinds of obsession that make up a life and a town.

And we get into Josh’s own obsession with writing, from his ridiculously prolific output, to writing whilst touring with his band.  We talk about how he got published, an odd route involving a friend from school and a stoned conversation with a lawyer. Plus, he tells me all about the time he saw a ghost or something in his house after listening to his mom’s taped sessions with a psychic (scary story!).  

He’s a little bit rock n roll and a little bit culture-geek, and the conversation follows suit – with me essentially trying not to gush “thank you for talking to me” over and over again. I love this interview.

Enjoy!

Goblin is published May 18th by Del Rey

Other books we discussed include:

• Unbury Carol (2018), by Josh Malerman
• Birdbox, (2014) by Josh Malerman
• The Loney (2014), by Andrew Michael Hurley
• Wanderers (2019), by Chuck Wendig

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Thanks to Adrian Flounders for graphic design.

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