Hello, friends.

Another week has gone by and the main headline on This Is Horror is our conversation with the always wonderful Clay McLeod Chapman is now live. We’ve already received some wonderful feedback for this episode, including a post from author Chris DiLeo over on Threads who said:

Thank you, Chris.

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You can watch the full conversation with Clay over on YouTube. (And if you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe.)

Alternatively, you can stream on Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts. There's just a single video but in terms of the audio it's a two-parter so don't forget to listen to both episodes 648 and 649.

TIH 648: Clay McLeod Chapman... Jan 19 · This Is Horror Podcast 72:16   ​

TIH 649: Clay McLeod Chapman... Jan 24 · This Is Horror Podcast 77:24   ​

What I’m Working on

For the past few months, in between looking after my almost three month old son, I’ve been working on a couple of writing projects. I’ve been working on the second draft of my horror-crime-fantasy yakuza crossover with John Crinan. The manuscript currently totals over 168,000 words and 580 pages. We are up to page 156 so well into the second draft as we go back and forth on making this gigantic story even better.

The other project I’ve been working on is my horror-crime-set in Japan novel which is presently 89,000 words. I’m on the first draft and I’ve been exchanging 10,000 words with Ross Jeffery every two weeks who is also writing the first draft of a novel. I’m not far off from the third act in this one and it’s been an exhilarating process.

What I’m Watching

I’ve spent the majority of my time watching the first season of Tokyo Vice which is based on the book by Jake Adelstein with the same name. If investigative journalism into the inner workings of the yakuza is your bag, then this is for you. Amongst the cast is the always formidable Ken Watanabe.

What I’m Listening to

I’ve been listening to a lot of electronic hip-hop adjacent music whilst writing. As I type this I have Underground Vibes by DJ Cam playing. Jaku by DJ Krush is a huge favourite which I keep returning to (though I’ll skip the tracks with vocals as I can’t write to music with vocals).

What I’m Grateful For

The love that I continue to receive for my dark comedy, DADDY’S BOY. For those who like DADDY’S BOY it’s a bit of a hidden gem that didn’t get so much fanfare when it came out, but those who respond well to it seem to really love it. Only today did I read this from Greg Greene over on BlueSky.

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And a few weeks ago, I discovered Jason White had listed DADDY’S BOY in his top 10 of 2025. Watch the video over on YouTube to see just how high it placed and what else was included. And if you don’t already, do consider subscribing to Jason’s channel. He’s a good guy putting out great content.

Well, that's about all for now, there are links to everything that's been on the This Is Horror website recently below.

If you want to support the This is Horror Podcast as I vow to take it to the next level with the intention to make it my full-time endeavour then please support This Is Horror Podcast on Patreon and help me realise my dream.

If you want to advertise on This Is Horror Podcast, reply to this email and let's talk. There are some slots available for both February and March.

Have a beautiful day, my friends.

Michael David Wilson

​Look Out For … The Denizens by Brennan LaFaro​

​TIH 648: Clay McLeod Chapman on Getting Drunk on Ideas, Writing with Confidence, and First Draft Optimism​

​5 Must Read Horror Articles 19 January 2026​

​News Round-up Week Ending 16 January 2026​