Johanna Van Veen Writes the Sapphic Gothic Horror of Your Dreams

In this episode of Talking Horror, Rachel Redd sits down with the brilliant Johanna Van Veen. Known for her haunting and intimate gothic novels My Darling, Dreadful Thing and Blood on Her Tongue, Johanna dives deep into how her historical fascinations and the unique dynamic of being a triplet have shaped her deeply unsettling stories.We discuss her childhood terror of reading the Dutch equivalent of Goosebumps, the catharsis of writing unlikable women and sapphic romances in traditional gothic settings, and the bizarre history of bedazzled catacomb saints. Whether you're a lover of dark folklore, a fan of emotionally complex monster-human relationships, or just looking for your next gothic horror obsession, this conversation is for you.Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Connecting Across Time Zones04:10 – Johanna’s Horror Origin Story: Dutch Goosebumps07:17 – The Family Computer & Learning to Blind Type10:25 – Drowning Fairies & Mermaid Curses: Dutch Folklore Explained12:53 – Being a Triplet & Channeling Sibling Dynamics into Middle-Grade Fiction15:21 – A Modern Millennial Meet-Cute: Tumblr Fanfiction17:08 – The Tumultuous Road to Publication & Scrapped First Drafts30:17 – My Darling, Dreadful Thing: Grief, Mediums, and Comforting Monsters39:54 – Blood on Her Tongue: Vampires, Unlikable Women, and Forms of Hunger45:54 – Book History, 17th-Century Gratitude Journals, and Puritans53:28 – Power Structures & Why Queer Romance Belongs in Gothic Fiction57:33 – Bone of My Bone: The Thirty Years' War and Bedazzled Skeletons1:06:25 – Future Releases & Rapid-Fire Gothic GameConnect with Johanna Van Veen:Website: https://johannavanveen.com/Instagram: @johannavanveen1997Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42245290.Johanna_van_VeenFollow Talking Horror Podcast:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelreddIf you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!