Nearly 5 years ago to the day, we reviewed The Horse of the Invisible with our very best podfriends the Antiques Freaks. Years later, we realized that we had never actually read the story aloud as we had promised you, as we've done with all the other Carnacki stories. Once again, we were wrong - there is yet one more 'nack to Carn, so the Terrible Antique Book Freaks assembled anew!

Dust off your Carnacki Bingo cards and enjoy a second round of the gobble-neighing contest, all set to the impeccable scoring and SFX talents of Chris (Oselka Sound).

If you haven't had enough invisible horse after you listen to this episode, you can also hear our review of the story from April of 2020 in Episode 83 - The Horse of the Invisible from Carnacki, the Ghost Finder by William Hope Hodgson *Special Guests D & Ken from Antiques Freaks*

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson has been floating around in the American pop cultural stew for the last 22 years. Paris had always been interested in reading it, so when it happened to be in a pile of books some friends were giving away, she heeded the call of our dark lord and tossed it on the schedule for 2025.

Get on your fancy new bicycles, affix a lightbulb to the front, grab a can of PBR, and somehow also balance a bowl of Shredded Wheat while you're at it for a wild journey from the 1880s through the early 20th century. Paris leads us through Larson's dual accounts of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and its Director of Work, Daniel Hudson Burnham, alongside the Chicago years of "America's first serial killer", H.H. Holmes (Herman Webster Mudgett). If you think you know the Holmes story because you already read this book or saw some TV dramatization - you don't. Together, we'll discover that misinformation and disinformation have suffused this story for 120 years (and counting)!

Thanks to Ken from the Antiques Freaks for helping me down the research rabbit hole & to Adam Selzer for a stellar book, without which much of our disappointment in and suspicions of Larson's tale would not have been justified and relieved.

In addition to our usual barnyard language, today’s episode includes swindling/fraud, infidelity, sexism, racism, and murder.

Links & References:

• H.H. Holmes: The History of the White City Devil by Adam Selzer

Chris had to go to space again this week. This time, he takes us to a galaxy kinda far away and sort of a while ago (or maybe now? or in the future?) because our Patron Miles requested Black Moon Rising for his Patron's Choice this year.

Miles wrote to us saying, "Since I requested two books in a row that were both deeply political, I figured I'd instead give you guys something lighter: published Star Wars fanfiction. The book I'm referring to is Black Moon Rising by Frankie Rose and Callie Hart...to give you an idea of how egregious it is, it starts with a prologue that feels designed to be turned into a Star Wars text crawl. It then jumps directly to [the protagonist] who[se] name is literally Reyza, having a graphic sex dream involving the main antagonist, Jass Baylar."

We hope you enjoy the episode, Miles! Thank you for your support for TBC throughout the vast spacetime continuum.

Remember that if you, too, would like to have us read and review a book of your choice on the show, you can gain that power by joining our Patreon at the appropriate tier.

Today’s episode includes our usual barnyard language plus some sexual content, Star Wars violence, and weaponry.

Links & References:

Other commentary on this book:

• Jenny Nicholson: This is DEFINITELY not a published Reylo fanfic novel

Somehow we ended up with another zombie romance around Valentine’s Day for the second year in a row. Paris chose Rabid Heart for this season after her partner randomly turned to her one day last year and said, “Hey did you realize Jeremy Wagner from Broken Hope is an author?” This piqued her interest since she fondly remembers being at Broken Hope’s comeback show at Maryland Death Fest 13 years ago.

It’s not usually her type of death metal, but something about that show was extra fun and every now and then when she's feeling ignorant and wants some dumb slammy shit, she may put on Grotesque Blessings. When reading for TBC that’s kind of peak “I am feeling dumb and also full of rage”, so she listened to a lot of Broken Hope while reading this. Wagner sure has a theme and he’s sticking to it!

In addition to our usual barnyard language, today’s episode includes gore, guns, kidnapping, sexual assault, general violence, weapons, and - of course - zombies. Have you listened to a brutal slam record recently? It’s that.

Links & References:

• The publisher's website: Riverdale Avenue Books

• Jeremy Wagner's band:

  • https://brokenhope.com/
  • Metal Archives - Broken Hope

Our Patron Beastwiththeleast sent us Lunar Justice through the mail, presumably straight from his colony on the moon. This may be our favorite way of receiving Patron requests. Join us today for a very 1990s version of the future, including judicial malfeasance, musical patents, jurisdictional insanity, and guillotines - in space!

We hope you enjoy the episode, Beastwiththeleast. Thank you for your steadfast support (and for sending us this book)!

Remember that if you, too, would like to have us read and review a book of your choice on the show, you can gain that power by joining our Patreon at the appropriate tier.

Today’s episode just includes our usual barnyard language.

Links & References:

Turning Jupiter into a Red Dwarf/Second Star:

• What would the effects be if Jupiter was turned into a star?

• Physics Stack Exchange: Could Jupiter become a star?

• Science Focus: Could Jupiter become a star?

Podcast Episode Recommendation:

• The Emerald - Your Consciousness Comes from the Moon

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Paris tackles today's selection, which was suggested by listener Deborah, self-proclaimed Unrepentant Sinner!

She wrote in to us last summer saying, "Would you consider an episode on a book popular in another era but one that is actually currently being sold to indoctrinate the home school religious zealots? Elsie Dinsmore was popular after the Civil War. I first read a copy that was my mother’s or grandmother’s. Elsie is this smarmy goody-goody who is despised by her daddy and the aunt, uncle, and cousins she lives with for being such a devout Christian...I have abhorred this book since I first read it but I so enjoy tearing it apart. The fact that people still buy it is so disturbing!”

We had never heard of this series before so we were excited to add it to the schedule as it was a different terrible flavor for us - Victorian Christian child lit. Thanks so much, Deborah! We hope you enjoy the episode.

Musings and derailments in this episode include: Gentle Giant - I Lost My Head (Live, 1976)

In addition to our usual barnyard language, today’s episode includes discussion or mention of ableism, grooming, parental abuse, racism, slavery, and Victorian-flavored Christianity. Mmm - lead!

Happy (?) new year, listeners. We discuss Chris's journey through the latest Maradonia book that reboots the series entirely, proving that we are all caught in this loop together within the worst timeline.

Although not strictly necessary, we recommend listening to the other Maradonia episodes in the following order:

• • Maradonia and the Seven Bridges (Book 1 of the Maradonia Saga/Series) by Gloria Tesch - Episode 11 (2015)

  • Maradonia and the Escape from the Underworld (Book 2 of the Maradonia Saga/Series) by Gloria Tesch - Episode 62 (2019)

  • Maradonia and the Gold of Ophir (Book 3 of the Maradonia Saga/Series) by Gloria Tesch *Patron's Choice* - Episode 63 (2019)

  • The Secret of Moon Lake by Sofia Nova (Gloria Tesch) *Patron’s Choice* - Episode 86 (2020)

  • Maradonia and the Law of Blood (Book 4 of the Maradonia Saga/Series) by Gloria Tesch *Patron's Choice* - Episode 87 (2020)

Today’s episode just includes our usual barnyard language.

It's the final episode of Season 9! Luna's Edge was self-published in June of 2024 by author Roxana Macias. Just like our last episode, this author contacted us and asked us to read their book. While we normally don't take authors up on these offers, the book was described as a bilingual sci-fi novel which sounded like a new and potentially fun concept for us. While we thought the bilingual aspect was squandered and this was more draft than final manuscript, this concept could work with a more narrow focus, deeper emotional nuance, and a second editor.

Thanks to Roxana for giving us a free review copy of the book (and for welcoming a potential skewering)! If you've got young ones at home, perhaps check out her newest bilingual children's book, Butter & Cinnamon/ Mantequilla y Canela: A Christmas Story/ Un Cuento de Navidad

Musings and derailments in this episode include: Terrifying university degrees, Lu Elizondo & disclosure, and The Emerald: So You Want to Be a Sorcerer in the Age of Mythic Powers… (The AI Episode).

Happy New Year, folks! May 2025 be full of great books and good times. For us, 2025 will mean a decade of terrible books and a new format for the show as previewed in our 200th Episode Twitch Livestream Extravaganza.

In addition to our usual barnyard language, today’s episode includes discussion or mention of aliens, guns, action-movie level violence, eugenics, and miscarriage.