Splatter, Shadows, and Storytelling – A Deep Dive with Horror Author Robert Essig
In this chilling and candid episode of Ink Blots: The Author Podcast, host Rob Southgate is joined by horror master Robert Essig, whose prolific career spans over 30 books and 120+ short stories.
From his unsettling novel Disco Rice to the haunted corridors of This Damned House, Essig shares what it takes to terrify readers with nuance, depth, and disturbing imagination. The two discuss the evolution of splatterpunk, the literary value of horror, and how parenting and real life intersect with monsters on the page.
If you're a horror writer, reader, or just fascinated by the art of fear, this episode is for you.
🧠 Find Robert's books on Amazon:
👉 Robert's Author Page
🪓 Find Robert's books on Bookshop.org:
👉 Robert's Books can be purchased at Bookshop.org
Why splatterpunk is more than gore—it's emotional and political
What inspired the bizarre brilliance of Baby Fights
The horror writer's responsibility to the genre and audience
How horror functions as both catharsis and commentary
Behind-the-scenes of writing, editing anthologies, and surviving the publishing world
"I don't write to shock—I write to reveal something awful that's already lurking underneath."
"Sometimes the most terrifying thing is what people do to each other without a single monster in sight."
Author of 30+ books, including Disco Rice, This Damned House, Baby Fights
Published in 120+ short stories
2-time Splatterpunk Award nominee
Editor of 3 anthologies
Based in East Tennessee
Known for visceral, boundary-pushing horror with depth and voice
📚 Explore Robert's work on Amazon
📱 Connect on Socials:
Instagram/Facebook: @robertessig
TikTok: @robertessig_author
Substack: @Robert Essig
Robert Essig, Splatterpunk, horror fiction, indie horror, Disco Rice, Baby Fights, horror author interview, This Damned House, horror podcast, writing horror, visceral fiction, dark fiction, editing anthologies, Substack authors
#InkBlotsPodcast #RobertEssig #Splatterpunk #HorrorFiction #DiscoRice
#ThisDamnedHouse #BabyFights #HorrorAuthors #WritingHorror #IndieHorror
