Just finished watching the livestream for this month’s edition of the Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading series (hosted by Matthew Kressel and Ellen Datlow). Tonight’s event featured two of my favorite writers (and two absolute giants of genre fiction): Laird Barron and Joe Hill. They each gave a spirited reading of their work: Barron of a creepy story in progress called “Lorn”, and Hill of an excerpt from his mind-blowing novella Faun. The readings are bracketed by an opening chat with the hosts and a concluding Q&A segment (the authors address such topics as their favorite read of the year, their favorite villain, their recommended horror film for Halloween-time viewing). Barron and Hill definitely have different personalities (the former being more laid back, and the latter an unabashed cut-up), but made for a great pairing; both shared wonderful insights about the horror genre. Two hours of pure entertainment that seemed way too short. I could listen to these guys talk 24/7.

Don’t fret if you missed the live event; here’s the video (which has already been posted to YouTube):