Kyle Winkler writes weird-horror and is the author of "The Ship of Death," which comes out from Harper Collins on September 29, 2026. He's also written "The Nothing That Is," "Tone-Bone," "Enter the Peerless" and more, all of which are either partially or completely set in Indiana. We chat about the publication of his first novel, his life inside academic and its influence on the genre he writes, where the word "necropotent" comes from, the ol' familiar specter of self doubt and its role in a writer's life, but also how community plays a role in each of our creative lives. It's an awesome chat that left me ready to get back to the keyboard!

Read more about Kyle's work at KyleWinkler.net and go to Bookshop.org to preorder "The Ship of Death" which Wil Wheaton has already blurbed by saying, "You're giving me cosmic horror, literary found footage, and a tabletop game, all in the same novel? It's wickedly funny and weird? Sign me the f*ck up right now." You won't want to miss this one folks.

Thank you!

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Please rate and review Ledger wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction.

Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson

Follow the show through our Instagram account @MossHeartBooks and order books through our website or our Affiliate link on Bookshop.org.

Thank you so much!

Ira Rat is the owner/operator, publisher, editor, and graphic designer behind Filthy Loot Press, one of the best publishers for transgressive, weird, and underground fiction, both horror and otherwise.

Is there such a thing as *too* weird for Filthy Loot? Should your poop-centric story have at least some artful storytelling? (Yes.) We also discuss why you should pay EXTRA SPECIAL ATTENTION (all caps, so you know it's legit) to a publisher's call for stories, rather than just submitting whatever the heck you have. And, finally, straight from a publisher and editor: how should you respond to having your work rejected?

Find Filthy Loot on Instagram @filthyloot and head to FilthyLoot.com to buy books.

Thank you!

- - - - -

Please rate and review Ledger wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction.

Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson

Follow the show through our Instagram account @MossHeartBooks.

Thank you!

Joshua Hull is a screenwriter and author from Indiana, which means he and I have a lot in common. His novel "8114" is out from Clash Books on August 26, 2025 and is intended to unsettle you in many ways.

Are there rules to writing screenplays and prose stories? What's it feel like to have a book so close to publication? Is the setting you grew up in the one you *should* be writing in? We also chat about how important it is to hang onto fun and reject the faux anger and weird outrage people seem to love, nowadays.

Find Joshua on Instagram and Facebook @joshuathehull and check out his work from Tenebrous Press, Clash Books, and on Shudder!

Thank you!

- - - - -

Please rate and review Ledger wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction.

Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson

You can now support the show through Patreon at https://patreon.com/LedgerPodcast and get exclusive written posts, behind-the-scenes info about episodes, Q + A sessions with me about podcasting and writing, as well as co-writing sessions/hangouts. I'm exploring the possibility of adding a script coverage and notes tier if there's enough interest, so keep your eyes out for that.

I am already offering my services as a reader outside of Patreon, focusing on developmental/story analysis, proofreading, and offering coverage for scripts of all kinds. Contact me via my website for rates and availability, or on my Instagram account, @MossHeartBooks.

Thank you!