Grimoire of Horror, Volume 3
Summary
In this episode of Stuff To Blow Your Mind, hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss two short horror stories for their Grimoire of Horror series. They analyze Jorge Luis Borges' "There Are More Things," a Lovecraftian tale about an alien occupant in a suburban house, and Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Wife's Story," a variation on the werewolf myth. The hosts explore how these authors, not primarily known for horror, use understated horror and narrative curiosity to create effective and thought-provoking tales.
Topics discussed
Introduction to Grimoire of Horror Volume 3
Context: Returning to written fiction and short horror
Recommendation: E.M. Forster's 'The Machine Stops'
Selection: Borges' 'There Are More Things'
Background on Jorge Luis Borges and his style
Borges' relationship with Lovecraftian fiction
Sponsor segments and transition to story analysis
Plot summary: The Red House and its history
Character analysis: The narrator's eccentricity
The renovation and the mysterious architect
Description of the alien furniture and interior
Cosmic horror elements and the Amphisbaena
Historical context: Pliny and the two-headed snake
Sponsor segments and transition to second story
Introduction to Ursula K. Le Guin's 'The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas'
Plot summary: The wife's perspective and the husband's change
The twist: The husband is a wolf
Analysis: Writing from a non-human perspective
The climax: The pack vs. the 'man thing'
Sponsor segments and thematic discussion
Theme: Humans as the ultimate monsters
The horror of human tool use and intelligence
Discussion on werewolf tropes and wolf symbolism
Call to action for listeners
Show schedule and final sponsor reads
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