Note: This special halloween episode originally aired on October 28th, 2022, but we thought it was such a frightfully good tale we should dust it off. So sit back, cozy up and enjoy.
Ambrose Bierce was an American Civil War veteran. As a Union soldier Bierce fought in many battles, was wounded, and went on to become a pioneer in the horror genre, helping introduce the psychological thriller to the American story.
American tradition is steeped in rich horror and veterans like Bierce who have taken their experiences in war and service and twisted them into terrifying tales for the public are a staple in that tradition.
Edgar Allen Poe, a king of the American gothic, had a stint in the Army, enlisting under a fake name and age in 1827. Rod Serling, the creator and host of The Twilight Zone, fought in World War II, earning a bronze star and purple heart before going on to terrifying millions with dark, otherworldly frights on TV.
These are some of the few, but impactful authors who have transposed the horrors of war into macabre fiction – and today, that tradition continues.
On this episode of Fire Watch, we explore that tradition through contemporary authors – who are also veterans – in a reading of Bierce's An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.
This episode contains adult themes, violence and swearing.
Sound effects courtesy of Zapsplat.com.
Main Topics
- Drew F. Lawrence gives a brief history of veterans in horror…
