EPISODE · Feb 20, 2026 · 19 MIN
Robots, Vampires, and Writing the Uncanny with Monte Crabbs
from Plot Twist Radio · host Erin Egnatz
What happens when someone who spent a lifetime recommending books finally decides to write one?In this episode of Plot Twist Radio, Erin sits down with author and retired school librarian Monte Crabbs, whose collection The Drum Tech and Other Stories explores the thin line between ordinary life and the uncanny: from a robot posing as a student teacher to a vampire musician and a fly-fishing tale with a surreal twist.Monte shares his journey into writing later in life, the influence of horror and fantasy classics, why short stories live or die by their endings, and how real-world experiences quietly evolve into strange fiction. The conversation also dives into creativity after retirement, overcoming the fear of starting “too late,” and why sometimes the best stories arrive when you stop trying to force them.If you’ve ever thought about writing a book someday… this episode might convince you that someday can still be now. Find Monte and his work: montecrabbs.com Follow Plot Twist Radio for more conversations with authors, filmmakers, musicians, and creators behind the stories you love.
What this episode covers
What happens when someone who spent a lifetime recommending books finally decides to write one?In this episode of Plot Twist Radio, Erin sits down with author and retired school librarian Monte Crabbs, whose collection The Drum Tech and Other Stories explores the thin line between ordinary life and the uncanny: from a robot posing as a student teacher to a vampire musician and a fly-fishing tale with a surreal twist.Monte shares his journey into writing later in life, the influence of horror and fantasy classics, why short stories live or die by their endings, and how real-world experiences quietly evolve into strange fiction. The conversation also dives into creativity after retirement, overcoming the fear of starting “too late,” and why sometimes the best stories arrive when you stop trying to force them.If you’ve ever thought about writing a book someday… this episode might convince you that someday can still be now. Find Monte and his work: montecrabbs.com Follow Plot Twist Radio for more conversations with authors, filmmakers, musicians, and creators behind the stories you love.
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Robots, Vampires, and Writing the Uncanny with Monte Crabbs
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