Kitten, Chaos, and Coming of Age with Stacey Yu

Welcome to episode 2 of This Might Sound Strange, a horror fiction podcast where tarot cards guide the conversation. Today our guest is Stacey Yu, whose debut novel KITTEN came out on August 4th, 2026. Although Kitten skews more weird literary fiction than horror, it really made us feel our feelings. Is there anything scarier than that? The book follows our main character, Katie, shortly after her college graduation. We watch her struggle to navigate this moment and witness her complicated relationships—with her estranged mother, her wealthy older boyfriend, and his family’s cat, Silver. As you’ll hear, the cards prompted us to go deep on class, self-actualization, complex family dynamics, and much more. Since we’re a brand-new show, reviews matter now more than ever. Consider writing a review to help others find the show! If you email us at [email protected] with a screenshot of your review and your best mailing address, we’ll send you a sticker designed by Chris Panatier, who made the logo for our show. Until next time…stay strange! xoxo, Michelle & Maya Credits: Logo and artwork by Chris Panatier Music by Tony Morales Books mentioned Hot Milk by Deborah Levy NP by Banana Yoshimoto Nana by Ai Yazawa (manga series) Hotel Iris by Yōko Agawa Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata (short story collection) Films mentioned Poor Things (Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos) Stay in touch: IG: https://www.instagram.com/sound_strange_pod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sound_strange_pod Website: https://www.soundstrangepod.com/ Newsletter: https://sound-strange-pod.beehiiv.com/