It's spooky season on DDDpod, as William and Jacob head into the dark ages with Christopher Buehlman's Between Two Fires. God has turned his back on humanity as the black plague rages across Europe, spurred on by legions of disturbingly gross demons who have taken over every corner of France–a disgraced knight and young girl might be the only thing that can stand in the way of the armies of darkness.

But first, William shares brief thoughts on Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang and Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo.

NEXT WEEK: Carrie by Stephen King

William and Jacob are back to discuss the conclusion of Emily St. John Mandel’s Exit Party, and despite their love for her beautiful prose, compelling characters, and mind-bending sci-fi, they're left with one burning question: What the hell was the point? Parallel universes, dystopian surveillance states, doppelgängers, and a mysterious painting all come together in a finale that your hosts find surprisingly underwhelming. Is there some profound message they're missing, or is this book just a well-written nothingburger?

But first…William hunts for Bigfoot and discovers Seattle’s underground goblin scene, Jacob reviews Verity and a truly dystopian Willy Wonka reality show, and both hosts venture outside their usual sci-fi and fantasy reading.

DDDSpod visits the uncanny near future as they discuss Part 1 ("Side A") of Emily St. John Mandel's newest literary genre tease Exit Party. In 2031, Ari is newly released from prison, emerging into an unfamiliar United States that has been torn apart by a recently-ended civil war. A particularly strange house party celebrating the end of the conflict ends with its host's disappearance, which sets off a narrative that spans decades and continents. The novel is compelling, intriguing and thought-provoing– William and Jacob can't wait to finish it next week.

But first, your hosts imagine going on The Traitor's: Normie Edition as secret allies, and wonder what is going on with American Horror Story this season.