Corporate culture is a nightmare, but getting out of the office brings its own problems in Carter Keane’s debut novella – Morsel. It’s a story about monsters and eldritch beings, about killer cults and evil law-enforcement, about wellbeing scams and a boss from hell – but it’s also a springboard for a whole conversation about the cons (many) and pros (debatable) of capitalism. Carter indulges my devil’s advocacy, before we get back to the matter of strange forest disappearances and horrible shit that happens with bears. It’s a whole range of ways to feel scared of the world. Enjoy! Other books mentioned: The Ritual (2011), by Adam Nevill Last Days (2012), by Adam Nevill All the Fiends of Hell (2024), by Adam Nevill The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion (2017), by Margaret Killjoy Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism (1989), by Frederic Jameson Debt: The First 500 Years (2011), by David Graeber Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist (2017), by Kate Raworth The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America’s Wildlands (2020), by Jon Billman Rust Belt Femme (2020), by Rachael Anne Jolie Night of the Grizzlies (1969), by Jack Olsen 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.