Episode 113 - The Creeps
Next up is Episode 13 - The Creeps. The panel discusses the spec-fic books that creep them out and make their skin crawl. Hear about Sandkings by George RR Martin, We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer, The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, and Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill.
Sandkings by George R. R. Martin
Sandkings is a sci-fi horror story about Simon Kress, a wealthy and sadistic collector of exotic pets . When most of his previous creatures die from neglect, he visits a mysterious pet shop and buys a new species called sandkings — small, intelligent insect-like creatures that live in colonies, build elaborate castles in sand, and worship their owner.
At first, Kress is fascinated by them, but he soon begins to torment the creatures for amusement, manipulating their wars and starving them to make their behavior more dramatic. Over time, the sandkings become increasingly intelligent and vengeful, and their sculptures begin to depict Kress himself—first worshipfully, then with growing hostility. Eventually, they escape their enclosure and turn on him, bringing his cruelty full circle in a darkly ironic ending.
A chilling exploration of hubris, cruelty, and the consequences of playing god—and one of Martin’s most famous pre-Game of Thrones stories.
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
Eve Palmer and her girlfriend Charlie have just bought an old house in the Pacific Northwest to flip. One evening, a strange family shows up at their door: the father claims he used to live in the house, and asks to give his kids a quick tour. Eve, who struggles with being a people-pleaser, lets them inside. From that moment, unsettling things begin: the family won’t leave, a child disappears, the basement reveals eerie secrets, and Charlie vanishes. As reality unravels, Eve must question: Is the house haunted? Or is she losing her grip on what’s real?
The story constantly blurs the line between what’s real and what’s imagined. As Eve’s grasp on reality weakens, the reader is forced to question whether the horror stems from the house itself or from her own deteriorating mind.
Purchase:
The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
The story begins when a plane lands at JFK Airport in New York City with nearly everyone on board mysteriously dead. Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather, head of the CDC’s Canary Project, is called in to investigate. What seems like a strange contagion soon reveals itself to be something far darker — a parasitic virus that turns humans into monstrous, bloodthirsty vampires.
As the infection spreads across the city, Eph teams up with Abraham Setrakian, an elderly Holocaust survivor and vampire hunter, and Vasiliy Fet, a tough exterminator. Together, they try to stop the Master, an ancient vampire leading the invasion and seeking to dominate humanity.
It’s a fast-paced blend of science fiction, horror, and apocalyptic thriller, exploring themes of disease, survival, and the loss of control in the face of ancient evil — with del Toro’s signature cinematic flair.
Purchase:
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
This is a supernatural horror novel about Judas Coyne, an aging heavy metal rock star with a morbid fascination for dark curiosities. When he hears about an online auction selling a ghost, he buys it on a whim—only to discover the ghost is very real and terrifying.
The spirit belongs to Craddock McDermott, a vengeful old man connected to Judas’s troubled past. The ghost begins haunting Judas and his girlfriend, Georgia, driving them toward madness and violence. As Judas digs deeper, he uncovers the truth behind the haunting—Craddock’s link to a dead ex-girlfriend and the guilt Judas has long buried.
The story becomes a brutal, emotional road trip through guilt, redemption, and survival as Judas fights both the ghost and his own demons.
Purchase:
