In this bonus “Chatroom” episode of Drawn To Darkness, I (Annie) chat with horror author Josiah Furcinitti to discuss his chilling short story Bedguard, featured in the anthology Lies Beyond, a horror anthology exploring death, fear, and the unknown. In Bedguard, Anna is at first only worried about the growing distance between herself and her husband David. But when he starts suffering from terrifying nightmares, seeing mysterious scratches on his body, and falling violently out of bed, Anna realises too late that something unspeakable is targeting them.
Listen to me read Bedguard, then stick around for our conversation on horror tropes (something under the bed, creatures that feed on fear, creepy kids, dolls), our horror origin stories, deeper fears, and our some of our favourite books and movies.
We also discuss the ambiguity of storytelling and what happens to a story when it’s released into the world, and the relationship between anxiety and horror consumption.
Meanwhile, we gush over the media that scared and shaped us, including Revival, It, The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon, Pet Semetary and Carrie by Stephen King, as well as The X-Files, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Midsommar, Sinners, Candyman, and Peter Jackson’s King Kong. But it’s not all horror. Josiah also loves Parks and Rec.
Where you can find Lies Beyond:
You can find Lies Beyond on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IngramSpark. Follow Josiah on Instagram on @authorjosiahfurcinitti.
Homework for Next Episode
Watch: West of Memphis
Our next episode will feature Gillian Pensavalle from True Crime Obsessed and The Hamilcast to discuss the West Memphis Three, and the ongoing fight for their full exoneration.
Then, back to horror with Sinners, featuring Choctaw vampire hunters and 16 Academy Award nominations!
Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify).
