Runalong the Short Shelves - Pseudopod December and January
Source Pseudopod available at all good podcasting places
Ah my audio catch up gets me up to date with Pseudopod and 2026 marks twenty years of this podcast devoted to horror and while often things that are long-lasting get overlooked or taken for granted. However perhaps we need to remember that putting the effort in, being creative and still delivering great criticism too is actually rather hard. Catching up on December and January’s episodes have been a delight and a chance to reflect on why although they can make it easy this is a tremendous group effort.
“PseudoPod, episode 1005, November 28th, 2025. This week's story, Do It, by Paul Tremblay. Hosted by Alasdair Stuart”
Starting December was this and it was a triple chef’s kiss of an episode. Paul Tremblay delivers a startling authentic generation X teenager voice that combined with Rosie Sentman’s amazing performance with the excellent performance of walking us through school days in the 90s capturing a mix of the need to always be cool and yet simmering under a growing horror at how cruel the world can be. You may at first not think exactly what type of horror story is this but the escalating battle of the main character Kelly G with a worrying intense fellow student turns brilliantly into a coin toss of an ending that brings all we have heard to an unforgettable conclusion.
The final delight is Stuart’s commentary at the end. Delving deep into the story and importantly Stuart’s own experiences of growing up in this period. The Pseudopod hosts always give us good analysis of why does a story work and what it says not, and this one really hits all its points powerfully. Its excellent
“PseudoPod, episode 1006 for December 5th, 2025. Give A Dog A Bone by Richard Dansky. Narrated by Trendane Sparks. hosted by Kat Day
oh my this was a gorgeous listen. Sparks’ performance combined with Dansky’s language is a treat of a character offering southern American charm, humour and a touch of grumpiness. Just when you think think this is about simply relationship issues it becomes a monster battle and then it ends with a touch of romance. Jump into this without warning and just enjoy it
“Pseudopod, episode 1007, December 12th, 2025. This week's story, The Children of the Event by Carson Winter, narrated by Matt Arnold, hosted by Alasdair Stuart”
Hey, I always tend to think of Kaiju as fun. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing giant cities destroyed by monsters, but this story makes us think of the consequences and being left behind by the world. Matt Arnold delivers a fascinating performance in the style of a long-read article but as we slowly see also a confessional as our narrator too was a witness to the creature they called the Event, its description and the mysterious ‘Children’ that arrived next. The focus on the aftermath and the unsettling reactions people must persecute people simply because the look different to everyone else rings harder in these times and the ending is very downbeat.
Again, Stuart does a great job of unpicking this story and it relevance to now, growing old and being the face of the people you’re looked down on. Another standout listen
“PseudoPod, episode 1008, December 19th, 2025. This week's story, Cyanide Constellations, by Sara Tantlinger, narrated by Tanya Milosevic. Hosted by Alasdair Stuart”
Now this story is all about the language and the dissonance between the flowing prose and the actual acts taking place underneath, murder, poison, self-harm, family abuse and more circle around the desire for freedom and perhaps even a realisation that the price for such freedom is too high. The performance of Tanya Milosevic is stellar capturing am ain character who seems dark, mad, desperate and yet also sympathetic after all she does. Is there a happy ending – not really but it’s a powerful experience. Stuart again has some interesting delves into this story’s work and what it says about how violence in some people becomes a form of love. It’s a dark treat of analysis to ponder upon.
“PseudoPod, episode 1009, December 26th, 2025. Christmas at Beach House by E Lynn Linton. Narrated by Lewis Davies.
Hosted by Cat Day.”
Now this story I admit was not really quite to my tastes. It feels a little over-long, a little too predictable and the characters for me really did not really ever come alive. The ending is signalled very early but I do admire that Kat day in their end of the episode commentary points out that this story in some ways has some piece so of rebellion in the female characters that fit the constraints of the time. Food for thoughts about context.
“PseudoPod, episode 1010, January 2nd, 2026. A Rose For Emily by William Faulkner, read for us by Ben Phillips, with audio production by Chelsea Davis, and hosted byAlasdair Stuart.”
Context rises again in this story which apparently was Faulkner’s first published story. I’ve mixed feelings about it. The language at times feels a little too considered and poised and yet also shows the ugly side with how Black people working for a mysterious lady are described. The overall feeling is a little cross of Miss Havisham mixed with a horror story. Stuart in the narration finds a bit more and delves into how we need to feel sorry for some people to make ourselves feel better and highlights the prose that really does pack a punch. Sometimes you need this commentary to just make you have a second look at a story and while I still can’t say I loved it I appreciated it more as a result.
“PseudoPod, episode 1011, for January 9th, 2026. Tailpiece by Henry Graham, and The Second Awakening of a Magician by SL. Dennis.Narrated by Kaz, hosted by Scott Campbell”
This episode is mysteriously light-hearted until it really is not. The first is a little dark humour in poem form while the second starts more as a cautionary tale of a henpecked husband who decides he needs to match the strength of his wife’s lover. Its all seems purple prose, almost silly and then in a wonderful bit of misdirection it is not. The power granted comes with a price that actually as I listened really stunned me with viciousness and makes you re-evaluate the main character who we may have felt pity for. This is really explored well by Scott Campbell who shows us how a 1930 story still work 95 years later in dissecting male pride and fragility. I am not totally fine wit the final ending of the story, but this packs a punch.
“PseudoPod, episode 1012, for January 16th, 2026. The Book by Margaret Irwin. Narrated by Alasdair Stuart, hosted by Cat Day,”
Now again this story wrongfooted me. I thought this was a story of one of my worst horrors losing a book from the bookshelves and not finding it but actually this story explores very cleverly how people change their motivation. A kindly father who appreciates the written word thanks to a mysterious new book sees the world differently. None of his comfort reads now comfort and he becomes greedy, cruel and selfish and as we find driven to more and more dangerous ideas. When that moves towards pets and children the story dances on a knife-edge where it goes. Kay day des a great job of exploring the powers of written words to change with time for us. How they can inspire and destroy us. A really fascinating story.
“PseudoPod, episode 1013 for January 23rd, 2026, The End Of The Story by Clark Ashton Smith, narrated by Tal, hosted by Joshua Tuttle”
Now this story I am afraid feels all a bit OTT. Very purple prose. Monks, hidden documents and dark secrets. All goes badly as I expected but for me but the one saving grace was how one character saved at the last minute we see really does not appreciate that grace.
“PseudoPod, episode 1014, January 30th, 2026. This week's story, Faith, Hope and Charity, by Irvin S. Cobb.
Narrated by Kevin M. Hayes. Hosted by Alasdair Stuart,”
The final story for January really worked for me thanks to Stuart’s criticism at the end. One the one hand in 2026 a story of dangerous immigrant ex-cons really does not feel it should work but there is also nevertheless an Final Destination like charm in these horrible people getting their justice. Stuart indeed pleasingly made the same reference I was thinking of. What I appreciated is how Stuart explores how stories can age and be problematic and yet still hit some points making them work – the trick is acknowledging both statements can be true at once and accepting that. Far too many fans of old stories seem incapable of that still, but Pseudopod I have learned to trust know what they are doing.
