The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast

One club welcomes another on the latest installment of The Losers’ Club’s On Writers series. This week, Losers Randall Colburn and Mel Kassel chat with acclaimed novelist Paul G. Tremblay about last year’s The Pallbearers Club. Tremblay unpacks his careful approach to ambiguity and the necessity he feels to earn his experiments with narrative. He also discusses A Knock at the Cabin, the M. Night Shyamalan-directed adaptation of his Bram Stoker Award-winning novel The Cabin at the End of the World, and his experience as a novelist in Hollywood. He also teases his next novel, which centers around a “cursed” film production, and offers an update on the long-gestating film adaptation of his 2015 breakout A Head Full of Ghosts. And, yes, Stephen King is discussed.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Winter is fierce, but the heat is on across King's Dominion. So, once again, The Losers' Club is putting on their shades, revving up their Plymouth Fury, and feeling the breeze in Hollywood King. Topics include the just-released trailer for Rob Savage's The Boogeyman, all the updates surrounding King's next novel Holly, Kurt Wimmer's finally-to-be-released Children of the Corn, and all those King tweets you've been retweeting throughout January. Elsewhere, they also share their King crushes ahead of Valentine's Day and banter about banned books.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a clip of our Patreon exclusive series the Dark Tower Detour, which sees co-hosts Dan Pfleegor and Dan Caffrey studying the minutiae of Roland Deschain’s epic quest. Now that they’ve completed their run through Mid-World, the Dans are going back to the beginning. The very beginning. All the way back to Robert Browning’s poem “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”. Want to hear the full track? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock hundreds hours of exclusive content that includes The Stephen King Archives, dozens of Ka-mmentary tracks for your favorite King flicks, all of our Lobstrosities episodes clawing through those silly King sequels, in addition to spinoffs like The Soul's Midnight, Talkin' Hawkins, and CrichtonCast. Not to mention, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes and one-offs.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest installment of their On Writers' series, Randall and Mel talk with Brian Evenson, author of such eerie and enigmatic works Last Days, Song for the Unraveling of the World, and Father of Lies. Brian discusses his "ruthless" style, body horror, and genre experimentation in his 2021 collection The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell. We also chat about his TV work on Peacock's Friend of the Family and the literary spin-offs of Aliens and Dead Space he's written under the name B.K. Evenson. Brian's got plenty of recommendations, too, so have some pen and paper handy. Learn more about his incredible body of work at BrianEvenson.com. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Losers return to Maine and take a ferry out to Moose-Lookit Island, where they learn about the mystery of The Colorado Kid. It's a slim tale with very little answers, but they quickly learn there's a lot of meat to chew on. Hell, you might even choke on it! Keep all that in mind as you join the Losers for their first book episode of Season 7. Together, they discuss the origins of the Hard Case Crime imprint, how Stephen King got involved, the ways this peculiar parable is built on hard-boiled tropes, and how it all aligns with From a Buick 8 and beyond.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Six years, seven seasons! The Losers reassemble following a much-needed holiday break to look ahead at 2023. Together, they share their own highlights of Season 6, share the Club's reading and viewing lists for the year, dig into some Needful Tweets, and make a stop in Hollywood King to finally discuss all the news surrounding Mike Flanagan's The Dark Tower. Gonna be a real wild year, alright.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In their second episode dedicated to The Dark Tower, the last book in Stephen King’s Dark Tower saga (that isn’t Wind Through the Keyhole), the Losers get caught in the web of the book’s most controversial character: the child-spider Mordred. Is the hungry arachnid one of King’s most vicious villains or a massive letdown? And what of his most controversial kill? They also delve deep into the story’s deep bench of supporting players, which includes some familiar faces from King’s Dominion, and sort through all that’s scary and silly in End-World. As a bonus, the Losers rank the Dark Tower books, which we’re sure won’t make any of you mad.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The beginning of the end has arrived: Join Losers Randall Colburn, Ana Marie Cox, Dan Pfleegor, and Dan Caffrey as they ascend Stephen King's The Dark Tower VII. In the first of two book episodes, they'll discuss endings, second chances, and the weight of expectation. Is The Dark Tower King’s crowning achievement, as so many posited at the time of its release? Also, what has King said about it — and why does he sound so angry saying it? Stay tuned for the second and final episode next week.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a clip of our Patreon exclusive episode that sees the Losers taking inventory on the highs and lows of the horror genre in 2022. Pearl, Barbarian, Smile, Nope, X, Scream, Halloween Ends, it's all discussed. Rest assured, Stephen King's place in the slate is also discussed. Want to hear the full track? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock hundreds hours of exclusive content that includes The Stephen King Archives, The Dark Tower Detour, dozens of Ka-mmentary tracks for your favorite King flicks, all of our Lobstrosities episodes clawing through those silly King sequels, in addition to spinoffs like The Soul's Midnight, Talkin' Hawkins, and CrichtonCast. Not to mention, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes and one-offs just like this.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next week, the Losers will begin their much-anticipated final coverage of The Dark Tower with the first of two book episodes dedicated to the epic 2004 closer. In anticipation, we're unlocking this quirky, spoiler-filled discussion about the Crimson King from way, way back in August of 2020. At the time, we were just wrapping up our book episode on Insomnia, so it felt right to discuss Big Red.Now, as we reach the Tower, it makes even more sense to head into the Court of the Crimson King. So, join Rockin' Randall Colburn, Dan Caffrey, and Dan Pfleegor as they discuss the King's murky origins, the ways he threads the multiverse, and, most importantly, whether or not they think the King is cool. Again, there will be spoilers -- spotty as their memories are -- so listen at your own risk. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | StoreHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's beginning to look a lot like Kingmas. Join Losers Michael Roffman, Jenn Adams, Sammie Kuykendall, and special guest Julia Marchese as they dream up the perfect gifts for Constant Readers both naughty and nice. Think of it as a Stephen King gift guide of sorts. Eh, more like a wishlist.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Losers are joined by author and musician Dave Musson, who has just published The Ultimate Stephen King Quiz Book. An essential tome for Constant Readers and especially Constant Quizzers, the book features more than 3,000 questions spread across 172 individual, 19-question quizzes that cover every novel, collection, and adaptation in King's Dominion. Dave calls it "a true test for Constant Readers everywhere." Naturally, the Losers had to take him up on the challenge.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview of the latest installment of our Patreon exclusive series Stephen King Archives, which finds the Losers returning to the year 1977, a particularly crossroads period for King as he measured his own fame and success following Brian De Palma's Carrie and his chilling blockbuster third novel The Shining. It's also the year he returned to himself in The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah. Why? The Losers weigh in.Want to hear the full track? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock over a hundred hours of exclusive, bonus content that includes our Dark Tower Detour series, our Lobstrosities, our Soul's Midnights, our commentary tracks, spinoffs like Talkin' Hawkins and CrichtonCast, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes, and more.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Dark Tower looms, but first? Dinner at the Dixie Pig. Join Losers Randall Colburn, Ana Marie Cox, Dan Pfleegor, and Dan Caffrey as they unpack the labyrinthian lore behind Stephen King's penultimate entry along the beam: Song of Susannah. Together, they discuss the intriguing array of supporting characters and metafictional flourishes. Does the book’s most infamous cameo work — or is it a case of the author eating his own tail? Also, what does the book have to say about the tension between magic and science?Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hot off our deep dive into The Mist, the great Thomas Jane returns to the show to discuss his life with Stephen King and his latest feature Slayers. He also weighs in on his favorite Hollywood leading men, alternative comic books, current needle drops in his life, his work behind Renegade Entertainment (including an update on From A Buick 8), and his favorite turn in King's Dominion. Is it Dreamcatcher? The Mist? 1922? You'll have to listen to find out. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | StoreHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It appears we may have a problem of some magnitude. Join the Losers at the Food House in Bridgton, Maine as they celebrate the 15th anniversary of Frank Darabont's The Mist. Together, they take inventory of the film's inspired ensemble cast, debate the themes within, marvel at Darabont's handiwork, and sort through all the macabre monsters that still terrify us all these years later. This being a Long Watch installment, it's as immersive as it is exhaustive. Bonus: As part of the celebration, we also spoke to star Thomas Jane again, and you can find that interview in the feed above. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | StoreHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Losers find themselves in Hell where they're surrounded by the most scorching Stephen King hot takes they've read to date. Yes, you've waited long enough -- nearly four years, if you can believe it -- but we're back with another installment of Firestarters. For context, this feature sees the Club sift through hot takes submitted by their Overlook patrons. Each one is classified as mild, medium, or hot, and, let's just say, you're gonna need some milk as this episode rolls on. Want to submit a hot take next time around? Become a member of The Barrens at patreon.com/thebarrens Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | StoreHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the 40th anniversary of Creepshow! To celebrate, we're heading to the basement of Horlicks University with special guest Daniel Kraus. Kraus has a special connection to the Godfather of the Dead. The New York Times best-selling author published his posthumous collaboration with Romero, The Living Dead. Head to Kraus' official site for more information on his outstanding works, which include more novels, several comics, and two works he co-wrote with Guillermo del Toro. But for now, join us for the most fun you've ever had being scared. (Note: This episode was recorded in October 2020 and has since been unlocked from the Derry Private Library in light of the anniversary.) Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | Store Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a preview our Patreon exclusive series Randall, Dan, and Mel's Halloween Hell 2022. All three Losers watched a horror movie every day in October and now they're breaking down the highs and lows of their cinematic journeys. Want to hear the full track? Become a member of The Barrens (Patreon) by visiting www.patreon.com/thebarrens. You'll unlock over a hundred hours of exclusive, bonus content that includes our King archival series, our Dark Tower Detour series, our Lobstrosities, our Soul's Midnights, our commentary tracks, dozens upon dozens of locked episodes, and more.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Losers give thanks to Stephen King by naming 10 titles of his that we should all be carving into each Thanksgiving season. So, pour some cider out, grab a plate, and join Michael Roffman, Jenn Adams, and special guests Jason Pellegrini and Janelle Janson for this hearty Kingsgiving meal. Note: This episode was recorded in November 2021 and has since been unlocked from our Patreon's Derry Private Library archives. Join today for over 100 hours of exclusive content! Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon | StoreHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.