Cognitohazards abound this week, as Marcus Kliewer joins me for a conversation about the reality-shredding We Used to Live Here and his new novel of obsessional rules, The Caretaker. In both books, there are things that should not be known, and certainly not questioned. Yet questioning is my job – so we get into the expansive and weird universe Marcus is building, and the process of playing games and leaving clues for the reader. We talk about how his own terrors and neurodivergence informs his fiction, and I pass on a lecture from my wife that these books should come with an OCD trigger warning. Plus – you get not one but TWO recommendations for true existential horror reads. Enjoy! Other books mentioned: We Used to Live Here (2025), by Marcus Kliewer House of Leaves (2000), by Mark Z. Danielewski The Denial of Death (1973), by Ernest Becker A Short Stay in Hell (2009), by Steven L. Peck The Divine Farce (2009), by Michael Graziano Japanese Gothic (2026), by Kylie Lee Baker 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.