Dark Natter
103 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 7 hours ago - ★★★★ - 2 ratingsDark Natter is the podcast where your favourite works of horror and other dark fiction are sliced, diced and dissected for forensic analysis! Enter the Hall Of Pain, where creepy custodians Jon Richter (dark fiction writer and video game developer) and Liam Martin (dark fiction connoisseur and professional video game writer) will guide you through a fun and usually downright daft examination of your favourite sinister creations.
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Episodes
Silent Hill: The Short Message
July 13, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBJon considers himself the world's biggest Silent Hill fan, and Liam has also been a lifelong series aficionado - so when Konami FINALLY released the first new console game in the franchise in an entire decade, the lads couldn't resist recording a special episode to revisit the fog-shrouded town. But was this (weird) new release worth the wait, or has Konami mist the mark? (Sorry.) Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but fu...
Elden Ring
June 29, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 48.7 MBJon and Liam are massive fans of From Software's rock hard dark fantasy games, and Elden Ring is the biggest and most renowned of them all... but has the formula become too fat and bloated to fit through the doors of the Hall of Pain?? Tune in to find out what the lads made of Miyazaki's latest epic adventure!! Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
The X-Files
June 10, 2024 17:00 - 1 hour - 42.2 MBThe lads are dropping a new episode slightly ahead of schedule because Jon is naffing off for a bit in order to get married! Almost as horrifying as the life that awaits his long-suffering partner is this episode's topic, Chris Carter's staggeringly popular and enduring series, The X-Files... join us to find out whether Mulder & Scully can avoid the attentions of aliens, monsters and an ageing chainsmoker to sneak into the Hall of Pain! Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this lin...
Scream
June 02, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 45.2 MBAnother revered horror franchise gets the Dark Natter treatment, and after already escaping somehow unscathed from Halloween, Friday 13th and Nightmare On Elm Street the boys thought it was time to tackle Wes Craven's self aware slasher series, Scream!! Highlights include the usual bickering over ranking the movies, and the revelation that Jon is a passionate Matthew Lillard fan... Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but fu...
Extract from Scarred by Jon Richter (dark fantasy novel)
May 27, 2024 12:00 - 4 minutes - 2.9 MBReleased on 28th June 2024, Scarred is Jon's tenth book and first ever (dark) fantasy novel. If this voice snippet entices you to join Freya and Errick's quest, visit www.jon-richter.com for more information, or get your claws on a copy here... USA: https://shorturl.at/eGS47 UK: https://shorturl.at/bjzHT (Thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the ace background music) Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it ou...
MyHouse.WAD
May 18, 2024 06:00 - 59 minutes - 41 MBDOOM, one of the greatest video games of all time, has already cemented its place in the Hall Of Pain... but Liam and Jon had no idea how far the ancient horror classic could still be pushed. MyHouse.WAD was a custom level released by a mysterious mapper in 2023 that at first glance appears to be nothing more than a cute rendering of a house, posted in memory of a dead friend... but like the house in the literary behemoth that inspired this ingenious creation, there is a LOT more waiting ins...
Lies Of P
May 05, 2024 11:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBThe Hall Of Pain and its creepy custodians are BACK!!!!! Implausibly still alive, Jon and Liam return to shoot the sh*te about more favourite dark fiction works, kicking off with Neowhiz's weird Soulsborne Pinocchio homage, Lies Of P... find out if this grim(m?) video game was worthy of a place in the hallowed halls, or whether you can see the strings... (Addendum/shameless plug! Seek out Jon's new fantasy novel, Scarred, at all good book retailers or via his website at www.jon-richter.co...
The Prestige (2021 Christmas bonus: legendary lost episode!)
December 19, 2021 01:00 - 54 minutes - 37.7 MBMASSIVE SPOILER ALERT for The Prestige!!! Seriously, if you haven’t seen the movie yet, do not listen to this. In fact, do not listen to this at all. It’s our notorious, infamous, legendary LOST EPISODE, considered too shambolic even for Dark Natter. But as the show’s on hiatus, and it’s Yuletide after all, we decided to finally release it as a bit of a festive treat. Listen at your peril… and merry Christmas!! Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! ...
A Nightmare On Elm Street (Season Finale Halloween Slasher Special!)
October 31, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 52.3 MBIt's the end of another sinister series of Dark Natter! And it's also Halloween... so what better way for us to bow out with a bang than by celebrating the Springwood Slasher himself, Freddy Krueger and his Nightmare On Elm Street movies?? Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
Doom and Quake
October 17, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 45.3 MBIt's Jon's turn to pitch to Liam, and you know how Jon gets when he's 'into' something... his recent addiction to revolutionary 90s first person shooter Quake has led him to rediscover genre granddaddy Doom, as well as the host of other 'retro FPS' games now available as other 90s gamers get their nostalgic kicks (and shotgun blasts, and rocket-propelled grenade explosions)! But will these venerable games and their disturbing imagery still hold up well enough to earn a place in the Hall Of P...
Nightbreed
October 02, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 46.3 MBWe're delighted to be joined by cyberpunk writer extraordinaire Nik Whittaker (just look at the beautiful covers of his books... immense author envy!!) to discuss Clive Barker's dark fantasy horror flop, Nightbreed (based on his 1988 novel Cabal). Find out why this bonkers movie has amassed a cult following, learn about David Cronenberg's acting career, and encounter a mask that's creepier than any slasher villain's... Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a me...
The Undertaker
September 19, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBFor Dark Natter's 50th anniversary (thankfully in episodes, not years) we thought we'd attempt an unprecedented four-person discussion about a never-before-touched subject: professional wrestling, and specifically the incredible career and storytelling of legendary grappler The Undertaker!! Liam and Jon are joined by the Brothers Of Destruction, Haydn Kilyan and podcast debutant Jack Kilyan, for an episode as chaotic as you'd expect when Haydn's had a few cans before recording starts. Expe...
Jaws
September 05, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBJoin us and guest Rob Yates, long-time pal of Jon Richter and walking horror library, to discuss one of the greatest movies of all time: Jaws. Will the first film's brilliance secure it a place in our illustrious Hall Of Pain, or will the abject crapness of the sequels prove too much to overcome?? Join us for fun, fins and fishfood... we're gonna need a bigger podcast. Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll ...
Lake Mungo
August 22, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBAfter a couple of glowing recommendations, including from today's guest Mr James, host of the Right In The Schoolies Podcast and fellow dark fiction enthusiast, Jon embarked on a quest to get hold of this elusive movie... When he finally did, he found that its reputation and mysterious aura were thoroughly deserved, and that its ending was even darker than he expected. Tune in to find out why Lake Mungo is almost certainly the best horror movie you've never seen. Trying this new fangled F...
Tales Of The Unexpected
August 08, 2021 00:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MBLiam's back to pitch a classic British TV series, which started as a vehicle for Roald Dahl's sinister short stories... but are these tales twisted enough to secure a place in the Hall Of Pain? Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
Hardware
July 24, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 47.3 MBIn this episode, Jon is joined by science fiction author, comic genius and movie encyclopaedia Matt Adcock, author of the brilliant novel Complete Darkness! Matt is pitching Hardware, a brilliant and underrated gem which Jon hadn't even heard of before Matt's recommendation... but will its robotic techno-horror be enough to secure it a place in the Hall Of Pain? Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it ...
Audio trailer for The Warden
July 17, 2021 09:00 - 2 minutes - 2.11 MBListen to an extract from Jon's latest book, psychological techno-thriller The Warden... if it's up your (dark) alley, head to www.jon-richter.com for more information, or to Amazon to get your claws on a copy at https://amzn.to/3pClPqF Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
Dark Disney
July 11, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 48.9 MBLong-time friend of the show (and even longer-time friend of Jon and Liam!) Haydn Kilyan is back to explore another subject close to his black, shrivelled heart: the disturbing, sinister fiction of Disney Studios! Join us for a whistle-stop tour of the darkest depths of Disney's output over the years, including Pleasure Island, the pink elephant parade and the brutal murder of a harmless firefly. Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or...
Baba Lenka by S.E. England
June 27, 2021 00:00 - 53 minutes - 37 MBIn this episode Jon is joined for the first time ever by an EXISTING resident of the Hall Of Pain, namely fantastic dark fiction writer Mark Tilbury! Tune in for a wide-ranging chat encompassing writing, the ills of capitalism, the paranormal, and the brilliant occult fiction of S.E. England. Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
Big Trouble In Little China
June 13, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 41.3 MBOriginally scripted as a western (!?), that's about the only genre that isn't encompassed in John Carpenter's bonkers action adventure/martial arts/horror/comedy masterpiece - so when the lightning's crashing and the thunder's rolling and the rain's comin' down in sheets thick as lead, you just listen to the old Porkchop Express and do what Jack Burton always says: listen to Dark Natter, particularly this episode where Jon and Liam chat about Jon's favourite movie of all time! Trying this n...
George A. Romero and the Living Dead movies
May 30, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 48.6 MBJon is honoured to be joined by ace horror writer Brian O'Gorman, whose works include the fantastically creepy (in every sense) Dawn Of The Spiders, to talk about George A. Romero and his Living Dead movies. Zombies are such a staple of modern culture that it's incredible to remember a time before they existed in their current shambling, flesh-munching form, so the impact and influence of these films is impossible to overstate... tune in to find out if they're shuffling and groaning their w...
Limbo & Inside
May 16, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 44.1 MBIt's a video gaming double-header as we probe the darkness lurking inside Playdead's brilliant pair of eerie puzzle platformers, Limbo and Inside... but listeners beware, Liam is in a FOUL mood. Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
The Silence Of The Lambs
May 02, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 46.8 MBIn this episode Jon welcomes bestselling cyberpunk writer (and jolly nice chap) Matthew A Goodwin to the show, where they'll be delving into the disturbing mind of none other than Doctor Hannibal Lecter (or is it Lecktor?)... Tune in to see if the psychotic psychiatrist can help them catch Buffalo Bill (if they even remember to mention him) and, more importantly, whether he earns a place in the Hall Of Pain... Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! I...
The Binding Of Isaac
April 18, 2021 00:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBFollowing the recent episodes covering Berserk and Preacher, Liam and Jon thought they'd go for a hat-trick of depraved, disgusting works by trawling through the blood, guts and poo-infested subterranean depths of The Binding Of Isaac! This is a video game that features a sobbing child fighting the demons in his own mind by firing his tears at them; the fact that Jon has sunk over 200 hours into playing it probably says a lot about him... Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this ...
Mark Tilbury
April 04, 2021 00:00 - 41 minutes - 28.4 MBIn today's episode, Jon welcomes book influencer, terrifying superfan and all-round ace human, Donna Morfett! In true Annie Wilkes style, Donna is pitching the books of the brilliant Mark Tilbury for a place in the hallowed halls of the Hall Of Pain, although she assures us this isn't purely because she wants to lock Mark in an inescapable dungeon forever... Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out ...
Preacher
March 21, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 44.5 MBIn this week's episode, Liam and Jon plumb previously un-sunk-to depths of depravity as they accompany Preacher on his quest to confront God himself!! Avoid if you're easily offended, as Jesse Custer's misadventures are soaked in the darkest of dark humour... Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
Children's dark fiction
March 07, 2021 01:00 - 59 minutes - 41.2 MBIn this episode, Jon discusses the wealth of brilliant children's dark fiction that's lurking out there (both nostalgic favourites and some more contemporary stuff) with special guest and extremely talented author of Peter Green and the Unliving Academy, Angelina Allsop! Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
Dark Natter: children's dark fiction
March 07, 2021 01:00 - 59 minutes - 41.2 MBIn this episode, Jon discusses the wealth of brilliant children's dark fiction that's lurking out there (both nostalgic favourites and some more contemporary stuff) with special guest and extremely talented author of Peter Green and the Unliving Academy, Angelina Allsop!
Berserk
February 21, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBJon and Liam's love of the Dark Souls games has led them to explore some of the franchise's biggest influences... thus they embarked down the blood-smeared, corpse-strewn path towards Berserk. Having gorged themselves on the 1997 anime as well as more recent offerings and a bit of the iconic manga, the boys are now fully-fledged fans of Guts, Griffith and their band of mercenary miscreants... but is it enough to secure them a place in the Hall of Pain? Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feat...
Dark Natter: Berserk
February 21, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBJon and Liam's love of the Dark Souls games has led them to explore some of the franchise's biggest influences... thus they embarked down the blood-smeared, corpse-strewn path towards Berserk. Having gorged themselves on the 1997 anime as well as more recent offerings and a bit of the iconic manga, the boys are now fully-fledged fans of Guts, Griffith and their band of mercenary miscreants... but is it enough to secure them a place in the Hall of Pain?
Iain Banks
February 07, 2021 01:00 - 53 minutes - 36.5 MBIn this episode, Jon welcomes the immensely talented, genre-hopping, award-winning writer Isobel Blackthorn to talk about her own dark fiction, as well as her love of the celebrated and sadly-missed author Iain Banks. Fans of his incredible work, from the harrowing Wasp Factory to his universe-spanning Culture novels, should find plenty to gorge themselves upon! Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it ...
Dark Natter: Iain Banks
February 07, 2021 01:00 - 53 minutes - 36.5 MBIn this episode, Jon welcomes the immensely talented, genre-hopping, award-winning writer Isobel Blackthorn to talk about her own dark fiction, as well as her love of the celebrated and sadly-missed author Iain Banks. Fans of his incredible work, from the harrowing Wasp Factory to his universe-spanning Culture novels, should find plenty to gorge themselves upon!
Dark Natter: Demon's Souls
January 24, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 54.6 MBJon and Liam rekindle their love affair with From Software's 'Souls' games, this time celebrating Bluepoint's inspired remake of the game that started it all, Demon's Souls. Join the lads for a light-hearted romp through crumbling castles, mouldy mineshafts and stinking swamps... just do yourself a favour and DON'T TRUST PATCHES.
Demon's Souls
January 24, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 54.6 MBJon and Liam rekindle their love affair with From Software's 'Souls' games, this time celebrating Bluepoint's inspired remake of the game that started it all, Demon's Souls. Join the lads for a light-hearted romp through crumbling castles, mouldy mineshafts and stinking swamps... just do yourself a favour and DON'T TRUST PATCHES. Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
Dark Natter: Ghost In The Shell
January 10, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBIn our first show of 2021, Jon is joined by awesome and intimidatingly cool cyberpunk author Anna Mocikat to discuss the anime masterpiece Ghost In The Shell, as well as its sequel (but not so much the rubbish live action version...) as well as Anna's own brilliant novels. The discussion will lead us deep into the perils of AI and human augmentation, the nature of consciousness, and encompass a tentative prod of the real-life Skynet... Don't forget to check out the following websites for b...
Ghost In The Shell
January 10, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBIn our first show of 2021, Jon is joined by awesome and intimidatingly cool cyberpunk author Anna Mocikat to discuss the anime masterpiece Ghost In The Shell, as well as its sequel (but not so much the rubbish live action version...) as well as Anna's own brilliant novels. The discussion will lead us deep into the perils of AI and human augmentation, the nature of consciousness, and encompass a tentative prod of the real-life Skynet... Don't forget to check out the following websites for b...
Gremlins (2020 christmas special!)
December 26, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 47.2 MBLiam's back for this year's festive, err, festivities, joining Jon for a special episode about one of our favourite Christmas movies: Gremlins!! Tune in to hear us discuss this comedy horror classic and its utterly mad sequel, as well as revealing Liam's favourite Christmas tune. Ho ho ho!! Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
Dark Natter 2020 Christmas Special: Gremlins
December 26, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 47.2 MBLiam's back for this year's festive, err, festivities, joining Jon for a special episode about one of our favourite Christmas movies: Gremlins!! Tune in to hear us discuss this comedy horror classic and its utterly mad sequel, as well as revealing Liam's favourite Christmas tune. Ho ho ho!!
Dark Natter: The Last Of Us
December 13, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 65 MBWith Liam's stint in vampire rehab showing no sign of ending, Jon has roped in another guest for this show! Dark Natter is honoured to welcome returning visitor Ryan Hamann for another in-depth dissection, this time about Naughty Dog's wildly successful, heart-wrenchingly moving and brutally violent PlayStation exclusive fungal zombie franchise, The Last Of Us. But can the controversial sequel live up to the quality of the first game? There's mushroom for debate... (sorry.)
The Last Of Us
December 13, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 65 MBWith Liam's stint in vampire rehab showing no sign of ending, Jon has roped in another guest for this show! Dark Natter is honoured to welcome returning visitor Ryan Hamann for another in-depth dissection, this time about Naughty Dog's wildly successful, heart-wrenchingly moving and brutally violent PlayStation exclusive fungal zombie franchise, The Last Of Us. But can the controversial sequel live up to the quality of the first game? There's mushroom for debate... (sorry.) Trying this n...
Dark Natter: The Thing
November 29, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 47 MBLiam's taking a well-earned break to recover from his addiction to human blood, so in this episode Jon is joined by unreasonably talented fellow dark fiction writer Jacob Steven Mohr to talk about John Carpenter's iconic, gore-splattered masterpiece The Thing!
The Thing
November 29, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 47 MBLiam's taking a well-earned break to recover from his addiction to human blood, so in this episode Jon is joined by unreasonably talented fellow dark fiction writer Jacob Steven Mohr to talk about John Carpenter's iconic, gore-splattered masterpiece The Thing! Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
Dark Natter: Friday The 13th
November 13, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 59 MBA year on from the show's 2019 Halloween extravaganza, where Jon and Liam sat through all eleven movies featuring the hulking, invincible slasher Michael Myers, they thought this time they'd go one better! So, to celebrate Friday 13th, the disturbing duo have ploughed through all TWELVE of the Jason movies, and are ready to share their findings with you... expect laughs, surprises, gore, and another horror icon popping in to steal the show!
Friday The 13th
November 13, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 59 MBA year on from the show's 2019 Halloween extravaganza, where Jon and Liam sat through all eleven movies featuring the hulking, invincible slasher Michael Myers, they thought this time they'd go one better! So, to celebrate Friday 13th, the disturbing duo have ploughed through all TWELVE of the Jason movies, and are ready to share their findings with you... expect laughs, surprises, gore, and another horror icon popping in to steal the show! Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use thi...
Dark Natter returns with... Dracula
October 31, 2020 01:00 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MBThe Hall Of Pain has lain (lay? Lied? Layeth?) dormant for months... its denizens have been quietly plotting their escape and subsequent world domination while Jon and Liam have been in hibernation... and things might be about to boil over with the necks entry into the sinister sanctuary! Join us for the unlikely return of Dark Natter where the stakes are higher and Liam can't stop coffin. (Oh yeah: we're talking about Dracula.) Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link t...
Bonus episode: Silent Hill revisited
September 06, 2020 06:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MBAfter a foray into Silent Hill in the podcast's early days, Jon and Liam return to the town with a renewed thirst to unearth its secrets... and a less knackered microphone.
Dark Natter bonus episode!! Silent Hill Revisited
September 06, 2020 06:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MBAfter a foray into Silent Hill in the podcast's early days, Jon and Liam return to the town with a renewed thirst to unearth its secrets... and a less knackered microphone.
Silent Hill
September 06, 2020 06:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MBAfter a foray into Silent Hill in the podcast's early days, Jon and Liam return to the town with a renewed thirst to unearth its secrets... and a less knackered microphone. Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!
Dark Natter season finale: H.P. Lovecraft
July 04, 2020 00:00 - 57 minutes - 39.2 MBIn this season finale extravaganza, Jon and Liam return to the world of classic horror literature to examine the works (and controversy) of H.P. Lovecraft.
Season finale: H.P. Lovecraft
July 04, 2020 00:00 - 57 minutes - 39.2 MBIn this season finale extravaganza, Jon and Liam return to the world of classic horror literature to examine the works (and controversy) of H.P. Lovecraft.