This week we’re sharpening our swords and checking our armpits for boils! Christopher Buehlman is the guest, author the hugely-acclaimed 2012 medieval horror fantasy, Between Two Fires – now being reissued for a new, wide audience. It’s a book that everyone has been screaming at me to read, and I’m glad I did. Christopher and I get hellishly geeky, talking history, plague, angelology and demonology, Biblical reference and epic poetry. But he also tells us about his past career insulting drunk people at ren-fairs. Enjoy! Other books mentioned: Those Across the River (2011), by Christopher Buehlman The Blacktongue Thief (2021), by Christopher Buehlman The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death (2005), by John Kelly Angel Down (2025), by Daniel Kraus The Starving Saints (2025), by Caitlin Starling 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

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.