Uncanny Women

EP. 1 | Sara van Os — Survival Skills, Opera Drag, and Why Women Are Better

In the debut episode of Uncanny Women Podcast, KJ Brantley sits down with author Sara van Os to discuss horror, wilderness survival, queer identity, and the strange confidence that comes from watching far too much Naked and Afraid. Together, they dive into van Os’s debut novel Decomposition Book, writing deeply flawed characters, survival narratives, and women in horror fiction. The conversation also explores: * writing protagonists with OCD * opera and performance * gender presentation * Sara’s writing process * writing women with agency * why Sara believes she would absolutely survive Naked and Afraid If you enjoy dark humor, survival horror, and conversations about women writing horror on their own terms, this episode is for you. BOOKS AND AUTHORS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE FOLLOW SARA VAN OS Instagram: @saramcclarinet [https://www.instagram.com/saramcclarinet/] https://www.instagram.com/saramcclarinet/ [https://www.instagram.com/saramcclarinet/] BY SARA VAN OS Decomposition Book Purchase Here: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781335001894 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781335001894] BOOKS MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Purchase Here: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9780385486804 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9780385486804] Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin Purchase Here: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781638932826 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781638932826] The Grace Year by Kim Liggett Purchase Here: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781250145451 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781250145451] Follow Uncanny Women Podcast Instagram: @uncannywomenpodcast https://www.instagram.com/uncannywomenpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/uncannywomenpodcast] Follow Host, KJ Brantley Instagram: @authorkjbrantley https://www.instagram.com/authorkjbrantley [https://www.instagram.com/authorkjbrantley] Threads: @authorkjbrantley https://www.threads.com/@authorkjbrantley [https://www.threads.com/@authorkjbrantley] TikTok: @authorkjbrantley https://www.tiktok.com/@authorkjbrantley [https://www.tiktok.com/@authorkjbrantley] Follow the SoCo Women in Horror Festival Instagram: @womeninhorrorfestivalco https://www.instagram.com/womeninhorrorfestivalco [https://www.instagram.com/womeninhorrorfestivalco] TikTok: @socowomeninhorrorfest https://www.tiktok.com/@soco.women.in.horror [https://www.tiktok.com/@soco.women.in.horror]

EP. 2 | R.J. Joseph — Literary Splatterpunk and Being the Monster

In this episode of Uncanny Women Podcast, KJ Brantley sits down with Shirley Jackson and Stoker Award-nominated author, editor, and scholar R.J. Joseph to discuss horror through the lens of history, identity, monstrosity, and the Black lived experience. Together, they explore Joseph’s acclaimed collection Hell Hath No Sorrow Like a Woman Haunted, her upcoming collection My Monsters Ain't Like Yours, the idea of literary splatterpunk, Blackademic scholarship, motherhood in horror, and the lasting influence of Beloved on horror literature and storytelling. The conversation also dives into: * horror as historical reckoning * the monstrous feminine * Black womanhood in horror * the intersections of academia and genre fiction * how horror reflects real-world trauma and violence * why monstrosity can be a powerful literary lens BOOKS, STORIES, AND AUTHORS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE FOLLOW R.J. JOSEPH Website: https://www.rjjosephwrites.com [https://www.rjjosephwrites.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjjosephwrites/ [https://www.instagram.com/rjjosephwrites/] Threads: https://www.threads.com/@rjjosephwrites [https://www.threads.com/@rjjosephwrites] BY R.J. JOSEPH Hell Hath No Sorrow Like a Woman Haunted Paperback: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781990082184 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781990082184] Hardcover: https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781990082191 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781990082191] My Monsters Ain't Like Yours https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781967911448 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781967911448] “Screams from the Bayou” https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781970383027 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781970383027] OTHER BOOKS MENTIONED Progeny by Kenya Moss-Dyme https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9798330337644 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9798330337644] Beloved by Toni Morrison https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9780525659273 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9780525659273] The Dead Spot https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781958598276 [https://bookshop.org/a/111724/9781958598276]