PODCAST · arts
The ARC Party
by Robb Olson
Your first look at upcoming books!My goal with the ARC Party is to connect readers with books before they release! Much of the success of a new book is connected to pre-orders and early sales numbers, but sometimes people don't hear about a book until long after it's been released.An episode typically consists of an author giving a quick description of their book, followed by a spoiler free discussion about it. We often talk about themes, characters, settings, etc. But I'm careful to not talk about anything that would ruin the reading experience! www.thearcparty.com
Episodes
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Nick Medina - SAVAGE LAKE
Nick Medina is a fantastic writer, and SAVAGE LAKE is the latest bit of evidence. Set in upstate Wisconsin (is that a thing?) Nell and her son Oscar have to go to their recently-inherited cabin in the woods to get it ready for sale. The cabin, the lake, and the town are choked with ghosts from...
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Bitter Karella - QUAINT FOLK
Yes, I know that this is a long episode, but I promise that it’s worth the time. Bitter Karella is an impressive author, a hilarious social media personality, and a really interesting person. I want to emphasize that Quaint Folk is a seriously entertaining story. It’s imaginative, funny…
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Horror TBR: October Releases
It’s that time again, time to bless you with some titles we are dying to check out. For October, my good friend and horror aficionado Greg Greene joined me to sing the praises of some amazing upcoming books. You probably know Greg best for the amazing shirts that he creates, themed on…
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Horror TBR - September Releases
Horror podcaster and journalist Matthew Jackson from The Scares That Shaped Us was nice enough to help me carry the huge burden of curating a list of September releases to talk about. Matthew’s podcast has a fun theme where he interviews authors about their upcoming books, and as part of the...
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Craig Wallwork - THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL TO BEING A VAMPIRE
I believe it was Clay McLeod Chapman that recently said to me that if you’re going to do vampires in your story, you have to find an original way to do it. Which admittedly in this day and age is a challenge. There are scant possibilities that have yet to be picked clean in books, film, etc. In…
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Michael David Wilson - THE GIRL IN THE VIDEO
The Girl in the Video by Michael David Wilson releases on August 25th Friend of the podcast Michael David Wilson of This Is Horror has a new edition of his breakout novella The Girl In The Video coming out soon, and it was a terrific excuse to get together and talk once again. It’s always the…
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Horror TBR: August Releases
Premium chapbook magnate Mitch Hull joined me in this episode to talk about all the crazy good books that are releasing this month. It’s The ARC Party’s Horror TBR series, and in it we talk about twelve amazing August releases. In the episode we also talk about Mitch’s recent announcement for his...
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Horror Boom StokerCon Virtual Panel
StokerCon 2026 took place in Pittsburgh at the beginning of June, and this year I was part of the programming team. Me and my good pal Greg Greene were tasked with managing the virtual panels for the con, which was an honor and a lot of fun! We pulled together a couple dozen virtual panels that...
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2026 Horror Preview pt 2
New to the ARC Party? If you’re new here, I’ll explain why this episode is so cool. Every six months, I get together with two of the most informed and well-read people in the horror book world… Becky Spratford: Becky Spratford [MLIS] is a Librarian in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages...
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Paul Tremblay - DEAD BUT DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP
As you are about to hear, my Paul Tremblay story goes a long way back. I’ve read almost every book he’s written, and in that time some titles have stood out to me as being extra special. THE PALLBEARER’S CLUB is one of those books, and now DEAD BUT DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP too. At the risk of...
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Joshua Millican - DOPEFOOT
Joshua Millican was first introduced to me through his novella TELEPORTASM, part of Shortwave Publishing’s great series Killer VHS. What became immediately clear about Josh from reading TELEPORTASM is that he is talented. He knows writing, he’s skilled at storytelling, and he can take something…
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StokerCon Virtual Panel spotlight
Introducing Virtual StokerCon 2026 Greg Greene joined me to talk briefly about the virtual programming for StokerCon 2026! We spend a little time explaining what the virtual con is, tease some of the content, and tell you what it costs and how to get it. What you get * Access to all 23 virtual...
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Horror TBR - June Releases
Introducing: Horror TBR episodes! This episode begins a new series of episodes on the podcast, where every month I will have someone on to talk about the books we’re excited for each month! I have enjoyed doing my Horror Preview episodes with Becky Spratford and Emily Hughes - and those will...
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Josh Malerman Interview
I first met Josh Malerman in 2014, not long after the release of BIRD BOX. A friend, Nikki Guerlain, said “you gotta read this book, you’re going to love it.” Nikki was never wrong, so BIRD BOX got put on the roster for a review on my podcast, and through Nikki’s extensive connections, Josh…
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David James Keaton - ALMOST GOOD
David James Keaton has been a friend and a peer since the waning days of 2011. Back then, I was starting a podcast and didn’t really know what I was doing. He was promoting a book about zombies at a bed and breakfast and podcast were kinda brand new. Since then I’ve read a ton of his books, he’s...
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Mitch Hull and Chris Panatier - THE RAPTURE PARTY
Rapture Party again? Honestly, I really just wanted to have a chance to talk to Mitch and Chris again, so when Rapture announced a hefty double release for December, that was all I needed. For those who are not aware, Rapture Publishing has created (and therefore dominated) the market for premium...
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2026 Horror Preview pt 1
2026 is around the corner, and if you’re worried you’ll have no idea what to read in the coming year, you can breathe easy. I’ve assembled a team of the most informed and well read folks to ease your book-finding burden. Every six months, Emily Hughes, Becky Spratford, and myself congregate to...
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Macabre Daily - ROBB OLSON INTERVIEW
Recently, Sean O’Connor of Macabre Daily’s series Paper Cuts asked me to do an interview, and that’s what you get to hear/see today! Sean has been highlighting some of the folks in the horror community who do the work of promoting authors and publishers. So if you’re looking for other folks like...
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Mitch Hull and Chris Panatier - RAPTURE PUBLISHING
Mitch Hull is a brewer and reader who loves books and reading, and is meticulous when he creates a thing. Chris Panatier has a unique and eye-catching artistic style that compliments the stories that Mitch finds. Mitch is also kind of insane, and will get a wild hair to do something nobody’s ever...
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Alan Lastufka - SHORTWAVE PUBLISHING
Waaaaaay back in early 2023, Adam Godfrey’s novella NARCISSUS landed on my radar. I don’t know how or why, but it caught my attention and I was hooked by that evocative cover image. Then by then hook of the story. So I read it and I loved it! Then I had to have Adam on and he talked about how…
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Nick Medina - THE WHISTLER
What could happen if you whistle in the dark? Henry Hotard might just find out in The Whistler - the upcoming novel by Nick Medina. I met Nick back when Paul Tremblay was in town promoting Horror Movie. Paul had a great event, and then an amazing group of folks went out for dinner afterward.…
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Annie Neugebauer - THE EXTRA
Annie Neugebauer’s novella showed up as part of my quarterly box from Shortwave Publishing not so long ago, and the back cover copy just grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Ten people head out on a backpacking trip, but the first night eleven set up camp. Everyone remembers everyone else. Who is the...
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Joshua Hull - 8114
Joshua Hull is from a small town in Indiana, in which his home address was 8114. He has written a book where the protagonist is from a small town in Indiana, in which his home address is 8114. That’s where the similarities begin, but it’s far from where they end. Inspired by a horrible and...
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Chris Panatier - SH!TSHOW
Pre-Order SHITSHOW directly from Sobelo books HERE Chris Panatier came back onto the podcast for my 75th episode to talk about his imminent release: SHITSHOW. It’s a book about a guy who is taking care of his mother who is suffering from dementia. It’s a book about a dark carnival trying to break...
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StokerCon 2025 Horror Podcast Virtual Panel
Folks, a while back I sat down to record a virtual panel for StokerCon about horror’s most vocal champions - the podcasters. Hosted by William Sterling, the panel consisted of Myself, Anna Dupre from Anna Rose Reads, Neil McRobert from Talking Scared, and Trevor Williamson from the Sley House...
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2025 Horror Preview Part Two
Pre-Order all of these books at my Bookshop page. It’s that time of year, where I am graced with the presence of two of Horror’s biggest and most esteemed advocates to talk about what books we’re looking forward to in the next half-year. Becky Spratford is gearing up for a massive launch for her...
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Wendy N Wagner - GIRL IN THE CREEK
Preorder here! Preorder here! Back in January during our 2025 Horror Preview, Emily Hughes picked GIRL IN THE CREEK by Wendy Wagner as one of her June books that she was looking forward to. So that’s when I first saw the cover, heard the pitch. Man, it sounded good. Cut to I’m taking a quick...
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Sam Rebelein - THE POORLY MADE AND OTHER THINGS
Buy Sam’s Books and preorder GALLOWAY’S GOSPEL Something’s Wrong in the Hudson Valley Guys, if there’s one thing I’ve been consistent on when it comes to author Sam Rebelein, it’s dragging my ass — to my own detriment. Back when his debut novel EDENVILLE released last about a year ago, I heard...
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Todd Keisling - THE SUNDOWNER'S DANCE
Preorder signed copies here! Hey, neighbor! When I heard Todd Keisling — an author I knew as a writer of Appalachian horror/cosmic horror — was writing a book about a widower moving to a retirement home… I couldn’t resist. There was no way this was going to be anything but awesome. And I was…
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Michael David Wilson - DADDY'S BOY
Preorder directly from This Is Horror I was on ‘Naked Attraction’ Michael David Wilson has established himself as a horror institution over the last decade and a half, and so naturally when there’s a new novel out with his name on it, it’s gonna be horror right? Nah. But don’t let that deter you,...
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Nick Kolakowski - WHERE THE BONES LIE
Buy this book and support the podcast! This guy walks into a bar… Nick Kolakowski has been in the writing business for a long time, and his come up has been sort of split between horror and crime. He’s got impressive credentials in horror and crime anthologies and magazines, as well as his own...
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Jon Bassoff - THE MEMORY WARD
Buy Jon’s Books! Reunited after all these years The last time I interviewed Jon Bassoff about a book, Barack Obama was president. Yeah. Jon has had a rewarding career of great book releases since then, and when I saw the synopsis for THE MEMORY WARD, I knew I had to read it and get him back on a...
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Chris Panatier - DEATH ON THE SWAYBACK
Get your copy of Death on the Swayback (hopefully) Shop for Chris’ other books on my Bookshop page Love At First Day of the Convention I want to tell you a story about a boy and a boy. It all started one afternoon in the most romantic of locations, the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel. I was...
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PUNK GOES HORROR! Anthology with William Sterling and Brian McAuley
Preorder Special Backstage Package from Truborn Preorder the regular edition from Truborn Punk is horror. Horror is punk. Though there seems to be a particular empathy between punk music and horror, the concern could be, if you were to collect a bunch of horror stories themed to punk rock songs,...
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Chuck Wendig - THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS
Preorder THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS Five friends go into the woods, four come out. I’ve been reading Chuck Wendig books since the early 2010s, when he had back to back releases of BLACKBIRDS and MOCKINGBIRD, the first two books in the Miriam Black series of (six) books. Since then, I’ve read…
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Crossover: Ryan McRae Interviewing TJ Klune
Introducing: Three Chapters a Day with Ryan McRae My good friend Ryan McRae is an avid reader like myself, but he goes in for a different type of story. While I’m mucking around in horror and crime, Ryan is traveling to other worlds and universes and realities in the pages of Sci-Fi and Fantasy...
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Sadie Hartmann's Horror Preview 2025
Streamin and Dreamin In the looming orange-tinged shadows of the current political situation, six lovers-of-story got together to have a chat about books. Why? Because first of all: they love books. Second of all: Because books shine light on darkness, give voices to those silenced, record…
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Craig Clevenger - THE CONTORTIONIST'S HANDBOOK
Buy THE CONTORTIONIST’S HANDBOOK here! Craig Clevenger is a hell of a writer. But don’t take my word for it. Chuck Palahniuk has praised The Contortionist’s Handbook. Irvine Welsh has. Jordan Harper has, Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly has, Stephen Graham Jones has, Paul Tremblay has… many...
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Eric LaRocca - AT DARK I BECOME LOATHSOME
Preorder Here At Dark, I Have Hope It may seem like a contradiction that someone who can write such brutal things is such a lovely and sweet human being, but I think that in this episode, we tapped into a possible reason that it’s not a contradiction at all that Eric Larocca will destroy you with...
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Clay McLeod Chapman - WAKE UP AND OPEN YOUR EYES
Get Clay’s books here! Welcome to my new show, Couchsurfing Critics! The ever-talented and amazing Clay McLeod Chapman has returned for another epic round of conversation with yours truly. This time, we’re smashing duration records and defying interview conventions. It is, I would say, the…
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2025 Horror Preview
Welcome to 2025! This is the semi-annual Horror Preview episode, with my treasured guests Becky Spratford and Emily Hughes. Every six months, we gather to share with you all the extensive list of books we’re looking forward to in 2025. As is tradition, we talk about six months at a time, so I’m…
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2024: SGJ Recap
It’s been a big year for the Stephen Graham Jones fans out there. It started with a couple of new novels, and then it was a reissue. Then it was five more reissues. Then there was that short story on Tor. And it just kept going. So, I convened the SGJ nerd triumvirate to talk about all of the...
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Scared Up The Vote
I’m not going to give a beat by beat, but I want to start by sharing how I got involved with Scare Up The Vote. I am driving in highway traffic when I get a text from Becky Spratford. It just says: “Can you talk. It’s big. Call when you can.” I never thought of myself as an awfulizer, but a vague...
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Dan Howarth - LAST NIGHT OF FREEDOM
Order your copy here! The ages-old tradition. The last night as a free man. Some of us have participated in this tradition. Some, more than others. Usually it’s going to include some booze, some lewd behavior, some macho nonsense, and maybe the drunken utterance “I’d die for you, man.” But. Would...
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Keith Rosson - THE DEVIL BY NAME
THE DEVIL BY NAME I know, I know. You’re wondering why I’m posting an interview with Keith Rosson after the book is already available. Sometimes in life, plans change. In this case I was originally planning to talk to Keith several weeks earlier, but circumstances changed plans, and as we’re busy...
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Nat Cassidy - REST STOP
PREORDER REST STOP Nat Cassidy was kind enough to join me once more on the podcast to talk about his upcoming novella, out on Shortwave, called REST STOP (preorder link above the cover image). While REST STOP is a quick read, and pretty chock-full of violence and creepy crawlies, we managed to…
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Sofia Ajram - COUP DE GRÂCE
Pre-Order HERE Content Warning: In this episode, we discuss suicide, depression, and self harm Sofia Ajram joined me to talk about COUP DE GRÂCE, her upcoming novella, an intense, personal, existential, liminal nightmare that will make you think deeply about what life is all about. In our talk…
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David James Keaton - SHALLOW ENDS
David James Keaton is a brilliant and hilarious author. He’s put out a hefty stack of books, and created some of the most entertaining podcast moments I’ve captured in the thirteen years I’ve been doing this. For this episode, we’re looking at his upcoming release, SHALLOW ENDS, which may or may...
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Podcasts that love horror books pt 2
So many podcasts! I thought I could make one podcast episode where I talked to some folks who podcast about horror, and it would be a one-stop-shop for folks looking for a new favorite commute time killer (hmm. commute-time killer? commute time-killer?) Well, as is often the case, it wasn’t until…
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Podcasts that love horror books pt 1
So many podcasts! I thought I could make one podcast episode where I talked to some folks who podcast about horror, and it would be a one-stop-shop for folks looking for a new favorite commute time killer (hmm. commute-time killer? commute time-killer?) Well, as is often the case, it wasn’t until…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Your first look at upcoming books!My goal with the ARC Party is to connect readers with books before they release! Much of the success of a new book is connected to pre-orders and early sales numbers, but sometimes people don't hear about a book until long after it's been released.An episode typically consists of an author giving a quick description of their book, followed by a spoiler free discussion about it. We often talk about themes, characters, settings, etc. But I'm careful to not talk about anything that would ruin the reading experience!
www.thearcparty.com
HOSTED BY
Robb Olson
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The ARC Party have?
The ARC Party currently has 98 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The ARC Party about?
Your first look at upcoming books!My goal with the ARC Party is to connect readers with books before they release! Much of the success of a new book is connected to pre-orders and early sales numbers, but sometimes people don't hear about a book until long after it's been released.An episode...
How often does The ARC Party release new episodes?
The ARC Party has 98 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The ARC Party?
You can listen to The ARC Party on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The ARC Party?
The ARC Party is created and hosted by Robb Olson.
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