In the first of this three-part series covering Tales to Give You Goosebumps #1, Andy and Alyssa read "The House of No Return," "Teacher's Pet," and "Strained Peas." In their discussion of "The House of No Return," they talk about the first person plural, Jeffrey Eugenides's "The Virgin Suicides" (1993), Edwin Arlington Robinson's "The House on the Hill" (1869), the pathetic fallacy, Halloween costume choices, Shirley Jackson and small town horror, Freddy Krueger, wiliness, Hocus Pocus (1993), fairy tales, tradesies, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, things ostensibly for your own good, the Saw and Purge franchises, Alice Miller's "For Your Own Good" (1980), old possessive ghosts, the "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" episode of The X-Files (1998), La Llorona, trauma bonding and cults, spend-the-night dares, The House on Haunted Hill (1959 and 1999), Cassandra Khaw's "Nothing But Blackened Teeth" (2021), Stephen King's 1408 (story 1999, film 2007), Nash and Zullo's "Totally Haunted Kids" (1994), and H.G. Wells's "The Red Room" (1894). With "Teacher's Pet," they discuss dumb gender lessons, rhinestones, snake education vs Andy's education, fears about eco-terrorism, the "Darkness Falls" and "Die Hand die verletzt" episodes of The X-Files (1994 and 95), Lawrence Pazder and Michelle Smith's "Michelle Remembers" (1980), animal liberation gone wrong, 28 Days Later (2002), 12 Monkeys (1995), Dracula's Renfield, The Omen (1976), ssssssssnakessssssss, Anaconda (1997) and other snake movies, snake people, Medusa, seitan, research and me-search, the "Shy Girl" episode of Masters of Horror (2006), The Fly (1986), Swamp Thing (1982), unresolved endings, Black Christmas (1974), The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016), Oculus (2013), and why R.L. Stine likes to leave us with a final scare. And in "Strained Peas," they talk about Dr. Destro, conflating morals and feelings, racial coding, scary babies, We Need to Talk About Kevin (novel 2003, film 2011), The Exorcist (novel 1971, film 1973), Who Can Kill a Child? (1976), The Brood (1979), Octavia Butler's "Bloodchild" (1985), The Baby (1973), being replaced by a new child, Addams Family Values (1993), The Good Son (1993), The Orphan (2009), sibling rivalry, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), Dead Ringers (1988), Psycho Yoga Instructor (2020), stalkers in your home, The Grudge (2004), secret baby switches, The Changeling (1980), and Big Business (1988). They wrap up talking about short story collections, Edenic parables, and the diamondback rattler. // Music by Haunted Corpse // Follow @saypodanddie on Twitter and Instagram, and get in touch at saypodanddie@gmail.com

Follow @saypodanddie on Twitter and Instagram, and get in touch at saypodanddie@gmail.com