Eric LaRocca Returns: Mass Shootings, Controversial Horror, and the Burnt Sparrow Trilogy episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 4, 2025 · 1H 25M

Eric LaRocca Returns: Mass Shootings, Controversial Horror, and the Burnt Sparrow Trilogy

from Mostly Horror · host Mostly Horror | Morbid Network

This week on Mostly Horror we welcome back acclaimed author Eric LaRocca, one of the most exciting voices shaping modern horror. Eric is a three time Bram Stoker Award finalist, Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and Splatterpunk Award winner, recently praised by Esquire as a writer helping lead horror into its next golden age. We talk about Eric’s upcoming novel We Are Always Tender With Our Dead, the first entry in the Burnt Sparrow trilogy arriving September 9th. The story explores America’s fixation on mass shootings and how horror can help us process collective tragedy. We also dive into the controversial nature of horror itself and the conversations around what themes and subjects the genre should or shouldn’t address. Along the way Eric reflects on how their work has evolved since Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Everything the Darkness Eats, while digging into abominations, animal imagery, and what it means to cross thresholds. We also cover dream adaptation ideas, the lasting impact Eric hopes to leave with readers, and a brand new round of the Spook’em Scare’em Starter Kit. This is also one of our first episodes since moving from Wondery to SiriusXM, which means new episodes now arrive every Thursday wherever you listen!!! Sooo...COME HANG OUT!!!   Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram & Threads: @mostlyhorrorpodTikTok & Twitter/X: @mostlyhorrorSteve: @stevenisaverage (all socials)Sean: @hypocrite.ink (IG/TikTok), @hypocriteink (Twitter/X)Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform to help us reach more horror fans like you! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Friend and acclaimed horror author Eric LaRocca joins us to discuss his new novel We Are Always Tender With Our Dead, the first in the Burnt Sparrow trilogy. We dive into the controversial nature of horror, America’s obsession with violence, and how storytelling helps us confront our darkest truths.

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Eric LaRocca Returns: Mass Shootings, Controversial Horror, and the Burnt Sparrow Trilogy

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This episode was published on September 4, 2025.

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This week on Mostly Horror we welcome back acclaimed author Eric LaRocca, one of the most exciting voices shaping modern horror. Eric is a three time Bram Stoker Award finalist, Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and Splatterpunk Award winner, recently...

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