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Secret Life of Books

Secret Life of Books

Gothic horror in the age of AI: Alma Katsu on her new novel Incarnate

Oct 2, 2026 · 31m

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About this episode

What do you get when you cross an NSA and CIA analyst with a bestselling horror writer? You get Alma Katsu, who talks to Sophie and Jonty about publishing her new novel Incarnate at the exact moment when the threats and unregulated dangers of A.I become horrifyingly real. In this special bonus episode, we talk about about horror and its contemporary manifestations in fiction and real life. What makes horror such an important and enduring literary form, one that tells urgent stories about our present as well as looking backwards into the literary past? Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray , two SLOB stalwarts, are major influences on Alma’s Incarnate . It's pretty weird that long…