Uncanny Women

In this episode of Uncanny Women Podcast, KJ Brantley sits down with V.S. Lawrence, prolific indie horror author of 80s Ghosts, With Friends Like These, and the upcoming Just Us Here.Together, they discuss women's friendships in horror, growing up as '90s kids, religious upbringing and religious horror, cults, nostalgia, and the ways our childhood and life experiences shape the stories they tell. V.S. also shares how her own experiences with isolation and illness influenced her recurring themes of friendship and found family.They also talk about indie publishing, horror community, book festivals, gothic horror, and the books and women in horror authors they think more readers should discover.Books by V.S. Lawrence Mentioned80s Ghosts https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9798223965145With Friends Like These https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9798224335930Just Us Here (coming July, 2026) https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9798233648779Books & Authors Recommended in This EpisodeThe Auctioneer by Joan Sampson https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781948405706Trifles by Susan Glaspell https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781420970067When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9780063035041Work by A.C. Hessenauer, including the upcoming Going to the SixWork by Candace NolaWork by Red LagoePlease see the Uncanny Women Podcast affiliate store at Bookshop.org for full list of books featured with each episode: https://bookshop.org/lists/books-featured-on-uncanny-women-podcastConnect with V.S. LawrenceWebsite: V.S. Lawrence: https://vslawrence.com/Instagram: @vslawrence.author

In the debut episode of Uncanny Women Podcast, KJ Brantley sits down with author Sara van Os to discuss horror, wilderness survival, queer identity, and the strange confidence that comes from watching far too much Naked and Afraid.Together, they dive into van Os’s debut novel Decomposition Book, writing deeply flawed characters, survival narratives, and women in horror fiction.The conversation also explores:writing protagonists with OCDopera and performancegender presentationSara’s writing processwriting women with agencywhy Sara believes she would absolutely survive Naked and AfraidIf you enjoy dark humor, survival horror, and conversations about women writing horror on their own terms, this episode is for you.Books and Authors Mentioned in This EpisodeFollow Sara van OsInstagram: @saramcclarinethttps://www.instagram.com/saramcclarinet/By Sara van OsDecomposition BookPurchase Here: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781335001894Books Mentioned in the ConversationInto the Wild by Jon KrakauerPurchase Here: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9780385486804Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire FranklinPurchase Here: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781638932826The Grace Year by Kim LiggettPurchase Here: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781250145451Follow Uncanny Women PodcastInstagram: @uncannywomenpodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/uncannywomenpodcastFollow Host, KJ BrantleyInstagram: @authorkjbrantleyhttps://www.instagram.com/authorkjbrantleyThreads: @authorkjbrantleyhttps://www.threads.com/@authorkjbrantleyTikTok: @authorkjbrantleyhttps://www.tiktok.com/@authorkjbrantleyFollow the SoCo Women in Horror FestivalInstagram: @womeninhorrorfestivalcohttps://www.instagram.com/womeninhorrorfestivalcoTikTok: @socowomeninhorrorfesthttps://www.tiktok.com/@soco.women.in.horror

In this episode of Uncanny Women Podcast, KJ Brantley sits down with Shirley Jackson and Stoker Award-nominated author, editor, and scholar R.J. Joseph to discuss horror through the lens of history, identity, monstrosity, and the Black lived experience.Together, they explore Joseph’s acclaimed collection Hell Hath No Sorrow Like a Woman Haunted, her upcoming collection My Monsters Ain't Like Yours, the idea of literary splatterpunk, Blackademic scholarship, motherhood in horror, and the lasting influence of Beloved on horror literature and storytelling.The conversation also dives into:horror as historical reckoningthe monstrous feminineBlack womanhood in horrorthe intersections of academia and genre fictionhow horror reflects real-world trauma and violencewhy monstrosity can be a powerful literary lensBooks, Stories, and Authors Mentioned in This EpisodeFollow R.J. JosephWebsite: https://www.rjjosephwrites.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjjosephwrites/Threads: https://www.threads.com/@rjjosephwritesBy R.J. JosephHell Hath No Sorrow Like a Woman HauntedPaperback: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781990082184Hardcover: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781990082191My Monsters Ain't Like Yourshttps://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781967911448“Screams from the Bayou”https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781970383027Other Books MentionedProgeny by Kenya Moss-Dymehttps://bookshop.org/a/111724/9798330337644Beloved by Toni Morrisonhttps://bookshop.org/a/111724/9780525659273The Dead Spothttps://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781958598276