The Dark Mind Podcast

Join your intrepid host, Vincent Midgard, as he interviews writers and filmmakers who produce works in dark literature and film, including horror, noir, gothic, as well as nonfiction and documentaries on dark subject matter.

The Dark Mind Podcast is a arts podcast hosted by Vincent Midgard, with 219 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Vincent Midgard hosts The Dark Mind Podcast, a arts show with 219 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #3

  A.P. Thayer: Hunger, Identity, and Parasitic Horror

  Aug 18, 20261h 10mS25

  A.P. Thayer joins The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his debut horror novel, Tapeworm.Set in the isolated California desert, the novel combines parasitic vampires, body horror, sexual tension, and the unraveling of longtime friendships.Thayer discusses the real writing retreat that inspired the story and his decision to replace traditional gothic vampires with something stranger, sexier, and more grotesque.The conversation explores aging, identity, buried desire, queer horror, and the instability of the human body.Thayer also discusses his other fiction, his writing process, his concept of nightmarism, and receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult.GUEST LINKSWEBSITEOfficial Websitehttps://www.apthayer.com/Newsletter: Strange Speculationshttps://apthayer.substack.comContact Pagehttps://www.apthayer.com/contactSOCIAL MEDIAInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/apthayerBlueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/apthayer.bsky.socialThreadshttps://www.threads.com/@apthayerGoodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17770269.A_P_ThayerReddit AMAhttps://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/rlfgez/im_ap_thayer_a_published_short_story_author/BUY OR LISTEN TO TAPEWORMEvil Twin and Zando: Hardcoverhttps://zandoprojects.com/books/tapeworm-hardcoverEvil Twin and Zando: Ebookhttps://zandoprojects.com/books/tapeworm-ebookEvil Twin and Zando: Audiobookhttps://zandoprojects.com/books/tapeworm-audiobookPenguin Random House: Hardcoverhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/811852/tapeworm-by-a-p-thayer/Penguin Random House: Audiobookhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/834553/tapeworm-by-a-p-thayer/Amazon: Hardcoverhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1638933456Amazon Canada: Hardcoverhttps://www.amazon.ca/dp/1638933456Barnes and Noble: Hardcoverhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tapeworm-a-p-thayer/1149462667Barnes and Noble: Nook Ebookhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781638933939Barnes and Noble: Audiobookhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=2940202156281Bookshop.orghttps://bookshop.org/p/books/tapeworm-a-vampire-novel-a-p-thayer/487f028c9b6f65c9Targethttps://www.target.com/p/tapeworm-by-a-p-thayer-hardcover/-/A-95278559Apple Books: Ebookhttps://books.apple.com/us/book/tapeworm/id6759136577Google Play Books: Ebookhttps://play.google.com/store/books/details/A_P_Thayer_Tapeworm?id=LC_BEQAAQBAJGoogle Play: Audiobookhttps://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/A_P_Thayer_Tapeworm?id=AQAAAEAaf2g_YMAudiblehttps://www.audible.com/pd/Tapeworm-Audiobook/B0GNFVR18KLibro.fmhttps://libro.fm/audiobooks/9798217410583Spotify Audiobookshttps://open.spotify.com/show/0OEDJ32TyYbuRoiQNNqYTcChirphttps://www.chirpbooks.com/isbn/9798217410583Audiobooks.comhttps://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/9798217410583AudiobookStore.comhttps://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/tapewormLibby and OverDrive: Audiobookhttps://www.overdrive.com/media/12891079/tapewormLibby and OverDrive: Ebookhttps://www.overdrive.com/media/12891923/tapewormWaterstoneshttps://www.waterstones.com/book/tapeworm/a-p-thayer/9781638933458Blackwell’shttps://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781638933458Penguin Books New Zealandhttps://www.penguin.co.nz/books/tapeworm-9781638933458Support The Dark Mind Podcasthttps://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

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  Episode #2

  Lauren Lee Smith: The Night Pool, Feminist Horror, and Forgotten History

  Aug 11, 202655 minS25

  Author Lauren Lee Smith joins The Dark Mind to discuss her debut novel, The Night Pool. Set in Gold Rush-era Coloma, California, the novel follows three women confronting human brutality, supernatural forces, and the histories buried beneath the mythology of the American West. Lauren discusses transforming the land itself into a source of possession horror and using monsters as vessels for grief, rage, and resistance. She also examines the destruction of Nisenan communities, violence against Chinese immigrants, and the challenge of writing experiences that have been neglected by the historical record. The conversation explores her severe postpartum depression and anxiety, the personal origins of The Playroom Ghost, her rural Northern California childhood, and the horror films that shaped her imagination. Lauren also reveals that The Night Pool has been optioned, discusses the screenplay adaptation, previews her Mojave vampire novel, and explains why she believes human intention cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence. The Night Pool will be published by Blackstone Publishing on August 25, 2026. GUEST LINKS Lauren Lee Smith Website http://laurenleesmith.net/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lololeereverie/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@lololeereverie Threads https://www.threads.com/@lololeereverie X https://x.com/lololeereverie Substack https://substack.com/@laurenleesmith Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/61062312.Lauren_Lee_Smith THE NIGHT POOL Blackstone Publishing https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/products/book-jqoy Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/9798228350274 Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-night-pool-lauren-lee-smith/1148495489?ean=9798228350274 Barnes & Noble Audiobook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-night-pool-lauren-lee-smith/1148495489?ean=2940201219772 Audible https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Night-Pool-Audiobook/B0FW7LWFS8 Google Play Books https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lauren_Lee_Smith_The_Night_Pool?id=CCeOEQAAQBAJ Target https://www.target.com/p/the-night-pool-by-lauren-lee-smith/-/A-95269156 Indigo https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-night-pool/9798228350274.html OTHER WORK Pretend You Don’t See Her: The Invisible Woman Includes Lauren Lee Smith’s story Selkie’s Stew Kandisha Press https://kandishapress.com/pretend-you-dont-see-her/ Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H7G21ZDY The Playroom Ghost FOLIO Literary Journal https://www.folioliteraryjournal.com/2023-horror Support The Dark Mind Podcast https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

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  Episode #1

  Kailee Pedersen on Opera, Horror, and the Cost of Perfection

  Aug 4, 20261h 8mS25

  Kailee Pedersen returns to discuss her new psychological novel, The Minimalist. The story follows gifted composer Mia Voss as she inherits her late mentor’s unfinished final composition and confronts the destructive legacy surrounding it. Kailee explores how classical music, repetition, perfectionism, and artistic scrutiny shaped the novel’s structure and psychological intensity. We also discuss Asian American adoptee identity, assimilation, grief, self-harm, and the mythology surrounding artistic genius. Kailee reflects on writing without an outline, deleting half a manuscript, balancing revision with instinct, and knowing when creative work is finally complete. The conversation also touches on opera, software engineering, video games, and her research for a forthcoming Western about a Chinese American family in Hell’s Canyon. KAILEE PEDERSEN Official Website https://kaileepedersen.com/ Events https://kaileepedersen.com/events/ Press https://kaileepedersen.com/press/ Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Kailee-Pedersen/e/B0C7NPQ67L Goodreads Author Page https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/18460978.Kailee_Pedersen SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kailee_pedersen/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/kaileepedersen.bsky.social Threads https://www.threads.net/@kailee_pedersen X https://x.com/KaileePedersen THE MINIMALIST Official Book Page https://kaileepedersen.com/the-minimalist/ Macmillan https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250328274/theminimalist/ Amazon Hardcover https://www.amazon.com/Minimalist-Kailee-Pedersen/dp/1250328276 Amazon Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Minimalist-Novel-Kailee-Pedersen-ebook/dp/B0FMSDQXYZ Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-minimalist-kailee-pedersen/1148028599 Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-minimalist-a-novel-kailee-pedersen/74a63d1b17d3a226 Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-minimalist/id6751198732 Google Play Books https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kailee_Pedersen_The_Minimalist?id=fnF-EQAAQBAJ Audible https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Minimalist-Audiobook/B0GTX94PVD Powell’s Books https://www.powells.com/book/9781250328274 Books-A-Million http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781250328274 Target https://www.target.com/p/the-minimalist-by-kailee-pedersen-hardcover/-/A-1005450482 Signed Copies https://murderbooks.com/pedersen Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240019985-the-minimalist SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS Official Book Page https://kaileepedersen.com/sacrificial-animals/ Macmillan https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250328243/sacrificialanimals/ Titan Books UK https://titanbooks.com/71950-sacrificial-animals/ Amazon Hardcover https://www.amazon.com/Sacrificial-Animals-Novel-Kailee-Pedersen/dp/1250328241 Amazon Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Sacrificial-Animals-Novel-Kailee-Pedersen-ebook/dp/B0CGRY74QK Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sacrificial-animals-kailee-pedersen/1143881197 Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/sacrificial-animals-a-novel-kailee-pedersen/3c7d99648106284d Apple Books Ebook https://books.apple.com/us/book/sacrificial-animals/id6476883510 Apple Books Audiobook https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/sacrificial-animals/id1707863330 Google Play Ebook https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kailee_Pedersen_Sacrificial_Animals?id=BlHTEAAAQBAJ Google Play Audiobook https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Sacrificial_Animals_A_Novel?id=AQAAAECSQ3gD-M Audible https://www.audible.com/pd/Sacrificial-Animals-Audiobook/B0CKM6BMJ1 Libro.fm https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781250349880-sacrificial-animals Powell’s Books https://www.powells.com/book/9781250328243 Books-A-Million http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781250328243 Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195790677-sacrificial-animals SUPPORT THE DARK MIND PODCAST https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

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  Episode #9

  T. R. Napper: AI, Oligarchs, and the God of Technology

  Jul 28, 202657 minS24

  T. R. Napper returns to The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his new collection, This Machine Kills Billionaires. Anchored by the award-winning novella The Hidden God, the collection explores artificial intelligence, concentrated wealth, corporate power, inequality, and the dangers of allowing oligarchs to control transformative technology. Napper discusses the possibility of AI becoming a new religion, whether a benevolent artificial intelligence could still become a tyrant, and the moral consequences of giving any person or machine absolute power. The conversation also examines why younger generations are rejecting generative AI, the deterioration of higher education, billionaire isolation, the difference between human creativity and algorithmic imitation, and why cyberpunk is no longer a distant future. This Machine Kills Billionaires also includes the connected stories Highway Requiem, Burned Like Coal, and Jack’s Fine Dining. T. R. NAPPER Official Website https://nappertime.com This Machine Kills Billionaires https://nappertime.com/this-machine-kills-billionaires-where-to-preorder-your-copy/ Amazon Paperback https://www.amazon.com/This-Machine-Kills-Billionaires-Napper/dp/1625678215 Amazon Kindle https://www.amazon.com/This-Machine-Kills-Billionaires-Featuring-ebook/dp/B0GX35RRT6 Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/trnapper.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trnapper Facebook https://www.facebook.com/trnapper X https://x.com/TheEscherMan Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7826255.T_R_Napper THE DARK MIND PODCAST T. R. Napper joins The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss This Machine Kills Billionaires, AI as religion, tech oligarchs, moral power, inequality, and why cyberpunk is already here. #TRNapper #ThisMachineKillsBillionaires #ScienceFiction #Cyberpunk #ArtificialIntelligence #DarkMindPodcast

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  Episode #7

  Jeff Strand: The Dark Comedy of Digital Addiction

  Jul 14, 20261h 11mS24

  Jeff Strand joins The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his new novel, Fun Times at the Bloodbath. The book follows Margo, whose brother dies during the beta test of a video game so addictive that players stop eating, sleeping, and caring about anything outside the screen. When anyone tries to make them stop, the obsession turns murderously violent, and the private addiction soon threatens to become a nationwide catastrophe. In this conversation, Jeff breaks down how he built the concept around the feeling of “just one more level.” We talk about balancing dark comedy with genuine brutality, keeping the horror grounded instead of supernatural, and using the story as satire on how games are designed to keep us playing. Jeff also discusses his wider career, including Pressure, Bloodsucker County, Your Body Will Never Be Found, and his novelization of the cult classic Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. It is a fun, bloody, and surprisingly thoughtful conversation about addiction, entertainment, and what happens when we refuse to look away. JEFF STRAND LINKS Official Website https://www.jeffstrand.com Patreon https://www.patreon.com/JeffStrand Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/jeffstrand Barnes & Noble Author Page https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Jeff+Strand Twitter / X https://x.com/JeffStrand Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jeffstrandauthor/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JeffStrandAuthor/ SUPPORT THE DARK MIND PODCAST https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

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