Last week, three masters of horror—Victor LaValle, Paul Tremblay, and Laird Barron—read from their latest works at Book Culture Columbus in New York City, and stopped by The Wall Street Journal‘s Speakeasy Podcast to discuss dark fiction, H.P. Lovecraft, and the roots of psychological dread with Michael Calia.

The three authors discussed the first books and movies that scared them, and how those early experiences of horror fiction resonate in their work today. All thread relatable fears through their uncanny tales: LaValle’s The Ballad of Black Tom connects cosmic horror to the visceral perils of prejudice, while Tremblay’s new novel Disappearance at Devil’s Rock revolves around the fraught relationship between children and parents. Barron’s upcoming collection, Swift to Chase, combines dark fantasy with tangible terror, and incorporates noir into his stories of horror in the Alaskan wilderness.

Listen to LaValle, Tremblay, and Barron discuss fiction, fear, and things that go bump in the night on the Speakeasy Podcast now!