Healthy Fears
30 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago -Hosted by horror author Johnny Compton (THE SPITE HOUSE, releasing Feb 7 2023), Healthy Fears is a unique horror-discussion podcast that goes beyond reviewing horror in fiction. Each episode focuses on a specific fear and examines potential benefits, detriments, or both of said fear, while examining how it is featured in film, literature, television, lore and more.
For sources, music licensing information and more, visit HealthyFears.com.
For more about me as an author, visit JohnnyCompton.com.
Get bonus content on PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episodes
AFFLICTED - A Horror Thriller Audio Drama - Trailer and Support Info
June 10, 2022 18:45 - 1 minute - 945 KBAFFLICTED, a Horror Audio Drama from the minds behind the NIGHTLIGHT Podcast, is coming in October of 2022. Described as Lovecraft Country meets True Blood this seasonal anthology podcast needs our support. I've chipped in, and you can too through the following link: bit.ly/supportafflicted Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Brief Hiatus and Convention Announcement
May 31, 2022 10:00 - 1 minute - 2.57 MBTaking a brief hiatus to prioritize some writing work that pays the bills. Planning to return for the remaining 5 episodes of the season in early July. In late July, I'll be at the Midsummer Scream Halloween & Horror Convention in Long Beach, California, alongside Sapphire Sandalo of Stories With Sapphire, Andrew Tate of Let's Not Meet, and Shelby Scott of Scare You to Sleep. https://midsummerscream.org/ In the meantime, here's to good health and less fear. Get bonus content on Patreon ...
25: The Dead Have Highways
May 24, 2022 09:58 - 34 minutes - 55.5 MBThere are more cars on the road than ever before, driving faster than was legally allowed or even possible in different parts of the past. Yet most of us don't think of roads as particularly scary in an everyday, real world sense. Still, stories of haunted or cursed roads, phantom cars, and more abound. From stories of murderous highwaymen, to beliefs and practices centered around the supernatural energy of crossroads, to urban legends of the classic urban legend of the vanishing hitchhiker,...
24: People Scream at Carnivals
May 17, 2022 10:05 - 32 minutes - 52.1 MBOn my way to looking at the Bradbury classic Something Wicked This Way Comes, I dip, dive, dart and drop through some other stories--real and imagined-- that feature frightful fairs and alarming amusement parks. ---------------------- My debut novel, THE SPITE HOUSE, is available for pre-order now through Barnes & Noble or an indie bookseller near you. ---------------------- For episode sources, scripts and more, visit healthyfears.com. For my publication credits, visit JohnnyCompto...
23: Hostile Hotels
May 10, 2022 10:10 - 32 minutes - 52.3 MBBeyond being and easy excuse to entertain my appeal for alliteration, this episode's title gives us two words with an unexpected history. Said history underlines the fears that we can have of staying as a guest in a strange place. From murderous hosts like Procrustes, to oppressively haunted lodgings like The Overlook, this episode is all about the haunts and horrors human beings have experienced or invented while staying at hotels. ---------------------- My debut novel, THE SPITE HOUSE, i...
22: Hospital Horrors
May 03, 2022 10:05 - 32 minutes - 51.7 MBDespite a ton of misplaced distrust in medicine and medical staff plaguing society in recent years, there are still many valid reasons to be nervous about going to the hospital. In fact, the very nature of hospitals--what they're designed for--makes them understandably frightening. We can hope for the best when we have to visit a hospital, but we also know that it's a place where, inevitably, the worst is possible even in spite of best efforts. In this episode I cover how hospitals have bee...
21: You Are Never Seen Again
April 26, 2022 10:30 - 29 minutes - 47.7 MBSometimes, people disappear. There is something uniquely terrifying and captivating about the prospect of vanishing, or having someone you care about vanish. Even when there is a likely answer, the lack of absolute certainty regarding the fate of the missing can produce mysteries that puzzle us for decades or even centuries. From the Roanoke colonists, to the passengers of the Mary Celeste, to the works of Ambrose Bierce, and Joan Lindsay's classic Picnic at Hanging Rock, our fascination wit...
20: Webs We Weave
April 19, 2022 10:04 - 29 minutes - 46.5 MBI dare say most of us have something we're hiding. For many of us it's something relatively mundane and harmless, but that may still cause us some embarrassment if exposed. For some it could be something for which you're largely blameless, but that you're still willing to lie about to keep it a secret. And for others, still, it could be a crime you've masterminded. In any case, it is rational to fear having certain truths revealed at your expense, as shown in the instant horror classic His H...
19: An Ignominious End
April 12, 2022 10:05 - 32 minutes - 51.9 MBAs a famous, catchy PSA song puts it, there are many "dumb" ways to die. Of course, for the dying person, the fact that their demise might be seen as laughable to observers with some distance likely wouldn't make their death any more palatable. If anything, it might give them greater urgency stay alive, if for no other reason than to avoid having their final moments become a potential punchline. In this episode I talk about a range of people and characters, from medieval nobles to Golden Age...
18: Depths of Hatred
April 05, 2022 10:04 - 32 minutes - 51.5 MBHatred is not strictly an unproductive, seemingly unnatural emotion. Sometimes hate is understandable, and even a motivation, if directed against an injustice or imbalance. Unfortunately, we too often see it deployed in service of maintaining injustices or imbalances, by powerful people who want to keep--or grow--their wealth and influence. This episode opens with the relatable hatred felt by the character Iraxi, from Zin E. Rocklyn's novella Flowers for the Sea, and ends with prejudiced, ma...
17: The Electric Chair and Three Shocking Years
March 29, 2022 10:04 - 34 minutes - 54.5 MBThe electric chair was once the go-to method of execution in the United States, and "the chair" still holds a unique position in America's history of capital punishment. In aftermath of more than a decade of debates about how "cruel and unusual" execution may or not be, four horror movies emerged over the course three years in the 1980's. Prison, Destroyer, The Horror Show (aka House III), and Shocker are all films about criminals who die in the chair, only to come back to life newly empowe...
16: It's a Mad, Maddening World
March 22, 2022 10:05 - 39 minutes - 63.8 MBPlacing someone in a world that doesn't make sense to them--that operates on its own, unpredictable form of "logic"--creates ideal conditions for comedy (Looney Tunes), absurdist fantasy (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)... or horror. Which can range from tales as impossible as Octavia Butler's Kindred, to stories that are more terrifyingly plausible than some may realize, such as Kafka's absurd nightmare The Trial. Matt Robinson Liquefaction videos: Example of Liquefaction - https://www....
15: The Fear of Being Alone
March 15, 2022 09:45 - 30 minutes - 49.4 MBFor episode sources, scripts and more, visit healthyfears.com. For my publication credits, visit JohnnyCompton.com The opening theme for Healthy Fears: “Dark Game Background Loop” by Claudiu D. Moga aka NikNPhaser, licensed through Envato. The closing theme for Healthy Fears: “Hitchcock Thriller” by JBlanks, licensed through Envato. Other music for this episode: Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...
14: Losing Control
March 08, 2022 12:40 - 33 minutes - 53.5 MBFor something we have relatively little of in the first place, control is something many of us dread losing. Maybe that initial scarcity of it is the root of the degree of our fear. After all, you'd be more afraid of spilling a cup of water if it was all the water you had, than if you could easily draw more from a well. One character I focus on this week, Truman Burbank from The Truman Show, spends most of his life unaware of being controlled and manipulated by others. Another, Bodie Broadus...
13: Dead and Unburied
March 01, 2022 10:45 - 33 minutes - 53.4 MBGenerally speaking, societies across the world agree that our beloved dead ideally belong in a certain, final resting place, and that place is out of sight. The idea of people who are dead--or who should be dead--remaining among us is a consistent source of horror. In this episode I talk about our fear of dead bodies that aren't at rest, either because they never were buried or, in the case of Timothy Baterman, from Pet Sematary, because they returned to us. For episode sources, scripts and...
12: Buried Alive
February 22, 2022 10:45 - 34 minutes - 55.3 MBOne of the three hints for the classic coffin riddle indicates that the person "using" the coffin--the person within it--doesn't know it. This isn't always the case, however. In this episode I explore the long-held fear of premature burial, from real world safety coffins, to the frequent appearance of this horrific fate in Golden Age horror comics. For episode sources, scripts and more, visit healthyfears.com. For my publication credits, visit JohnnyCompton.com The opening theme for Healt...
11: Fighting With Fear
February 15, 2022 10:45 - 28 minutes - 45.4 MBFrom Sonny Liston to a couple of iconic 80's film heroes, multiple people and characters have provided examples of how fear can motivate you to win a fight. HealthyFears.com JohnnyCompton.com Opening theme for Healthy Fears - "Dark Game Background Loop" by Claudiu D. Moga. Licensed through Envato Elements. Closing theme for Healthy Fears - "Hitchcock Thriller" by JBlanks. Licensed through Envato Elements Other music for this episode - "Dread" by Tenacious Orchestra. Licensed through Shu...
Healthy Fears Podcast Trailer
February 01, 2022 17:28 - 33 seconds - 905 KBGet bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Season 2 Announcement (Also... Where Have I Been?)
February 01, 2022 10:55 - 6 minutes - 10 MBSeason 2 of Healthy Fears will begin in earnest starting February 15th, 2022, and continue with weekly episodes through a 20-episode season. Also, with this announcement, I explain what's been going on with my writing, and anything else that kept me from the podcast through all of 2021. HealthyFears.com JohnnyCompton.com Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"Feariversaries" - October 5th - 11th 2020
October 05, 2020 16:55 - 37 minutes - 65.7 MB*Bonus Episode* - Every Monday in October I plan to release a "Feariversaries" episode (apology-sans-correction for the corny title) covering important releases and other milestone dates in Horror history. This episode covers October 5th to October 11th. Track by IG: @crush_grooves
10: Natural Fear
October 02, 2020 13:45 - 30 minutes - 54.7 MBThe natural world is many things, including incredibly violent. Eruptions, earthquakes and storms can release more ferocious energy than any weapon human beings have ever used. One can only imagine how horrifying it would be if nature actually had a mind and intent to kill. Ray Bradbury did imagine this, in fact, and gave us the incredible short horror story, "The Wind." Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
9: In a While Crocodile(s Will Try to Eat You)
September 22, 2020 21:37 - 35 minutes - 56.4 MBWhat has sharp teeth, a powerful bite and deadly-fast reflexes? Well, a lot of things that can kill us, as it turns out, but in this episode we focus on a certain heavy, armored, toothy reptile which appeared in 3 films (2 of which were actually good) in 2007. Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
8: Monsters You Never Heard Of
September 02, 2020 09:00 - 37 minutes - 67.1 MBThere are likely many more creatures, cryptids and fearsome critters that you're unaware of than there are ones you're familiar with. In fact, even the devils you think you know may be more unknown to you than you realize. And it's only natural to fear the unknown, especially when the unknown is unnatural.Primary subjects for this episode include local lore and the Golden Age of Radio horror play, "The Thing on the Fourble Board." Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporte...
7: Trust. Fall.
August 25, 2020 10:00 - 41 minutes - 77.6 MBPutting trust in anyone is inherently risky. Even those closest to us can ultimately prove untrustworthy--whether they are malicious or simply misguided--in dangerous ways.This week's episode focuses on The Haunting of Hill House (2018 series) and the film Eve's Bayou. Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
6: Beware the Outsider
July 21, 2020 10:00 - 30 minutes - 54.6 MBSome outsiders are too powerful and malicious to be anything but frightening. Carnivorous river monsters pretending to be human, for instance.Primary subject of this episode: Michael McDowell's Blackwater Saga. Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
5: Being the Outsider
July 07, 2020 11:00 - 38 minutes - 72.3 MBBeing the outcast can be a frightening experience. In the real world and in fiction, it can leave one susceptible to persecution and prosecution, or even turn you into an unwilling "hero" fighting a menace the rest of the crowd refuses to face.Primary subjects of this Episode: First Blood and Jaws Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4: Locked In
June 09, 2020 10:00 - 27 minutes - 50.8 MBNo one wants to be imprisoned--truly imprisoned--against their will. But not all confines are made equal, and the potential associated horrors can vary greatly. Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3: The Kids are All Frightening
May 26, 2020 12:31 - 35 minutes - 43.6 MBFrom Rhoda Penmark and her precursors through the scary kids who kicked off the horror boom and beyond, frightening children have been a genre fixture for a long, long time. Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2: Four Dark Years
May 10, 2020 20:40 - 32 minutes - 41.6 MBFour movies. Four years. One lesson: stay out of the dark. Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1: Sleep and the Body Snatchers
May 10, 2020 20:40 - 36 minutes - 42.3 MBHealthy Fears Episode 1 explores the fear of sleep as it appears in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Get bonus content on Patreon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/healthy-fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.