Interviews Archives - Blasphemous Tomes

Special: Seth Skorkowsky and Jon Hook on Modern Mythos (part 2)

28 June, 2021

Special Episode: Seth Skorkowsky and Jon Hook on Modern Mythos

We’re back with the conclusion of our interview with YouTuber and author Seth Skorkowsky. This time, we are also joined by Jon Hook, Seth’s co-host on their new Modern Mythos podcast. As well as being one of the founders of the Miskatonic University Podcast, Jon is a prolific RPG author who has written for Call of Cthulhu and Swords & Wizardry, amongst others.

During our conversation, we delve into where to draw the line with horror, the worst GMing advice we have ever encountered, and whether Scott is secretly from East Texas. And, of course, we talk about the Modern Mythos podcast itself. Specifically, we get into how the podcast started, what its mission is, and what to expect from future episodes.

Links

Things we mention in this episode include:

Modern Mythos
Seth Skorkowsky
Ashes of Onyx by Seth Skorkowsky
The King in Yellow
Dragonlance
Tales of the Black Raven series by Seth Skorkowsky
Adrian Tchaikovsky interview
Miskatonic University Podcast
Seth Skorkowsky’s YouTube channel
“Hell in Texas” from The Things We Leave Behind
“Blackwater Creek” from the Call of Cthulhu Keeper Screen
“The Code” by Chris Lackey, from Mansions of Madness volume 1

A Weekend With Good Friends
The Shadow Over Providence by Jon Hook
X-card
“The Shadow Over Innsmouth” by H P Lovecraft
“The Rescue” from the Cthulhu Companion
Sorcerer by Ron Edwards
Swords & Wizardry
“Mysteries on Arcturus Station” by Seth Skorkowsky

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Special: Seth Skorkowsky on Modern Mythos (part 1)

15 June, 2021

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Special Episode: Seth Skorkowsky on Modern Mythos (part 1)

We’re back with another special interview episode. This time, Scott talks to fan-favourite YouTuber and author, Seth Skorkowsky. Unfortunately, Jon Hook — Seth’s co-host on their new podcast, Modern Mythos — was held up. Happily, Seth and Scott still found plenty to talk about.

Over the course of the conversation, Seth shares his thoughts about the merits of a consistent gaming group, horror in RPGs, and the history of weird fiction. Seth also discusses elements of his latest novel, Ashes of Onyx, and the difficulties of marketing a book that doesn’t fit into a neat genre category. And if all that weren’t enough, he shares a family anecdote about a UFO cult taken straight out of Pulp Cthulhu.

When you’re done with this episode, join us for the conclusion of the interview, when Jon Hook joins the chat and we get into the nuts and bolts of Modern Mythos.

Links

Things we mention in this episode include:

Theosophy
Robert E Howard
“The Shadow Kingdom” by Robert E Howard
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Cults series
Brian Courtemanche
Alien RPG
The Forge
Masks of Nyarlathotep on How We Roll
Dungeons & Dragons
Cyberpunk 2020
Over the Edge

Modern Mythos podcast logo by John Sumrow

Modern Mythos podcast
Miskatonic University Podcast
Clark Ashton Smith
Books of Blood by Clive Barker
The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Beowulf discussion on The Good Friends
Weird Fiction
The Wolfman (1941)
Michael Marshall Smith
The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley

Ashes of Onyx by Seth Skorkowsky
New Weird
Imajica by Clive Barker
Portal Fantasy
The Dark Tower by Stephen King
Aliens (1986)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Special: Adrian Tchaikovsky on Non-Human Intelligences

1 June, 2021

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Special Episode: Adrian Tchaikovsky on non-human intelligences

We’re back with another special interview episode. This time, Scott talks to bestselling science fiction and fantasy author Adrian Tchaikovsky. In particular, they discuss how Tchaikovsky portrays a wide range of non-human characters in his work and how we might apply this to gaming.

During the course of the conversation, we go into how Tchaikovsky’s career has moved from fantasy to science fiction, what his work owes to his experience as a GM, and just how gaming has led to him narrating some of his own audiobooks. On the way, Tchaikovsky offers an impassioned defence of arthropods as protagonists, insights into how cosmic horror relates to science fiction, and his opinions about how Lovecraft had the best monsters.

Links

Things we mention in this episode include:

Books by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Special: Christopher McGlothlin Discusses Transgressive Horror

18 May, 2021

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Special episode: Interview with Professor Christopher McGlothlin

We’re back with another special episode. This time, Paul talks to Professor Christopher McGlothlin about horror films. Primarily, they discuss the good professor’s current Kickstarter campaign, Transgressive Horror, a collection of essays by a variety of writers, looking into horror films that have somehow broken the rules.

McGlothlin goes into detail about the essays, explaining how they bring new and interesting perspectives to some familiar films and others that may be less well-known. He also shares his personal thoughts about horror films and his experiences as a horror fan.

The Kickstarter campaign ends on the 27th of May.

Transgressive Horror edited by Christopher McGlothlin

Links

Things we mention in this episode include:

Transgressive Horror, edited by Christopher McGlothlin
Ghost Show Press
Deadlands
Greater Than Games
Jaws (1975)
The Appeal of Horror
Prevenge (2016)
Midsommar (2019)
Twilight (2008)
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001)
The Seventh Victim (1943)
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Weekend (1967)
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)
I Spit on Your Grave (1978)
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971)

Godzilla (1954)
No Blade of Grass (1970)
The Death of Grass by John Christopher
Audition (1999)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell (1974)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Exorcist (1973)
Witchfinder General (1968)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The Holy Mountain (1973)
Barton Fink (1991)
Friday the 13th (1980)
Theater of Blood (1973)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Good Friends talk to Matthew McLean of A Scottish Podcast about Lovecraft and Comedy

17 November, 2020

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We’re back with another special interview episode. This time, however, we’re breaking away from cults and turning back to a topic we discussed in episode 127: that uneasy ground that lies between comedy and horror.

Matthew McLean is the writer, producer and one of the stars of A Scottish Podcast. While the name may not suggest it, A Scottish Podcast is steeped in Lovecraftian horror. It’s also pretty damn funny.

The basic premise is that Lee, a failed disc jockey, has decided to reboot his career by starting a paranormal investigation podcast. He ropes his long-suffering friend Doug into producing it and the two of them travel across Scotland, investigating weird cases they are increasingly forced to take seriously.

What stops A Scottish Podcast from being just another paranormal drama is its cast of wildly eccentric supporting characters. The stories swing wildly between comedy and horror, usually keeping the two elements discrete but sometimes mixing them to great effect (such as in the recent special, “Fish Supper Over Innsmouth”).

Be warned that A Scottish Podcast is even more sweary than the Good Friends and that the humour is very Scottish. As Matthew mentions in the interview, however, this has not proved a barrier to international listeners.

In our discussion, Matthew and I talk about the relationship between comedy and horror, where the humour lies in Lovecraft, and how he goes about writing and creating the podcast. This last part turned into a general discussion about producing audio drama which should prove informative to anyone thinking about doing so.