Episode list

Tormented by a chronic case of writer's block, David hitchhikes across the country to Stephen King's house to find a cure. Along the way, David explores how Stephen King has cast a spell on millions of readers over five decades, why King is such a monolithic presence in popular culture, and sheds some light on the so-called "King of Horror" being so much more than just a horror writer. After uncovering a magic typewriter in King's garbage, David is cured of his writer's block and hints at the next chapter in the series, the novel that jump-started King's career in the 1970s: CARRIE.

In this first part of a multi-part CARRIE Megasode, David takes us back to the mid-70s to explore the circumstances that nearly resulted in a wildly different narrative for Stephen King, a dark alternate universe where CARRIE never became a sensational phenomenon. We'll delve into King's early days as a struggling writer, a young Doubleday editor who believed in him, and a series of happy accidents that led to King becoming one of the biggest bestselling authors of all time.

In Part Two of the ongoing multi-part CARRIE Megasode, David makes his way to Chamberlain, Maine to explore firsthand the origins of Stephen King's debut novel. Riding on the coattails of horror leviathans like THE EXORCIST, ROSEMARY'S BABY, and JAWS, the stage was set for CARRIE, assuming King could successfully maneuver the perplexing publishing world of the mid-70s. And as it turns out, this little telekinetic tale had a few surprises up its sleeve.

David's great-grandfather Dilfred J. McCracken takes over hosting duties and transports the audience to the sinister world of Stephen King's grim novella, "1922," from the collection FULL DARK, NO STARS. While plotting the murder of his loathsome wife, Dilfred caught up in a harrowing journey of cows, rats, and Gremlins. Featuring special guest appearances from Zak Hilditch (Writer/Director of "1922" and "These Final Hours") and Chris P. Rat (Rat Ambassador from the Kingdom of All of Ratdom).

In Part Three of the epic CARRIE Megasode, David hangs out at the Maine Public Library to explore Stephen King's pre-CARRIE works and some of the factors that gave him just the right kick in the pants to start writing a novel that would become a horror classic. Along the way, David tussles with his own Belly, his Nerd alter ego, and a librarian whose relentless shushing is way too loud for the library.

POW. This is how Stephen King describes the elements in his life colliding to form his first novel CARRIE. In Part Four of the CARRIE Megasode, David ventures through the rural outskirts of Maine to explore King's struggles with writing the world of teenage girls, as well as the two real-life girls from his past who informed the character of Carrie. Along the way, David chats with renowned skeptic and paranormal investigator Benjamin Radford to discuss the big question on all our minds: is telekinesis real?

REVENGE vs JUSTICE. After murdering his wife in our "1922" episode, Dilfred (David's great-grandfather) is on the run from her Zombie corpse. But that doesn't stop him from hosting "BIG DRIVER, " the second novella in Stephen King's FULL DARK, NO STARS collection. It's the story of a woman raped and left for dead who fights the odds and takes vengeance on her assaulter. Dilf examines this novella in the context of Revenge Cinema through the lens of three movies King name-drops in the story: Jodie Foster's "THE BRAVE ONE," Charles Bronson's seminal 70's revenge flick "DEATH WISH," and the classic noir "KISS OF DEATH."

Detectives Bill Finger and Bob Kane are hot on the heels of Dilfred McCracken as he wraps up hosting duties on Stephen King's "BIG DRIVER." King roots this novella firmly in the tradition of Rape Revenge Cinema, and Dilf takes us through the long and complicated history of how this fraught subgenre went from fringe outcast to respected mainstream. Along the way he speaks with Intimacy Coordinator Deven MacNair about the difficulties of filming rape scenes and the potential harmful effects they can have on the actors, filmmakers, and audience. Featuring special guest Deven MacNair (Intimacy Coordinator).

Stephen King's CARRIE is a tightly constructed masterpiece of horror fiction. In Part Five of our CARRIE Megasode, David dines out on the power of CARRIE's shifting POV, and chows down on CARRIE as a prime example of an epistolary novel in the grand tradition of Bram Stoker's DRACULA. And if that isn't enough, David encounters googly-eyed Complimentary Rolls, a Cranky Toddler, and a Russian Spy hellbent on taking control of THE STEPHEN KINGDOM.