Show Notes
Finally, we dare venture to the darkest land of all. Wales!
After years of avoiding the terror of the Valleys, Liam Higginson takes us to The Hill in the Dark Grove – his debut novel of isolation, folk-memory, and things unearthed from the soil of a mountain farm.
We talk about the link between folklore and nationalism, about marriage and madness (not linked) and why it’s always men who go barmy in these situations.
This is up there with my favourite books of the year.
Enjoy!
Other books mentioned:
The Shining (1977), by Stephen King
Incidents Around the House (2024), by Josh Malerman
The Salt King (2026), by Natasha Pulley
Small Gods (1992), by Terry Pratchett
Meet Me at the Surface (2024), by Jodie Matthews
Boss in the Wall: A Treatise on the House Devil (1998), by Avram Davison and Grania Davis
North Woods (2023), by Daniel Mason
Country People (2026), by Daniel Mason
Support Talking Scared on Patreon
Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch
Come talk books on Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email direct to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Talking Scared
The 300th author interview is here. And I’m delighted it’s with a debut author, about a truly wonderful book.
In Solace House, Will Maclean takes us back to the 90s for a drug-fuelled trip through some mindbending architecture. It’s a chance to get nostalgic for a more innocent time, when the clothes were baggy, the music was better, and you could spend a summer spent renovating an old asylum without needing to put in on TikTok.
This episode needs no attempt at a witty introduction. Stephen King is back to talk about Other Worlds Than These – the concluding volume of The Talisman saga, begun with Peter Straub 45 years ago.
Leaning into absolute high geekery this week – with Kyle Winkler’s novel of how family game night can go badly wrong!