The PikeCast: A Book Club Podcast On Christopher Pike

The PikeCast is an in-depth discussion of the work of YA horror author Christopher Pike. Like your favorite book club, in each episode, we break down one of his novels and discuss it from a modern perspective as well as looking through our teenage eyes at the violence, sex, and goofiness that was so prevalent in his writing.

The Midnight Club - Ep 10: Midnight 02/10/2023

The Midnight Club - Ep 10: Midnight The PikeCast concludes their watchthrough of Netflix's The Midnight Club series by Mike Flanagan based on the works of Christopher Pike. This week is Episode 10: Midnight. Dr. Stanton interrupts the ritual, saving Ilonka and the other women's lives, but Shasta escapes. Ilonka realizes that Shasta tried to use her for a murder-suicide ritual that Shasta was hoping would extend her own lifespan. Dr. Stanton believes that in the past, Shasta/Julia's cancer spontaneously regressed, but Shasta attributed it to magic instead of luck, and she is trying to do the ritual again because cancer returned. Ilonka finally starts to accept her impending death. Sandra goes home after tearful goodbyes to her friends. Amesh starts seeing the shadow following him. Spencer's mother visits him on Family Day. Kevin breaks up with his girlfriend in order to pursue a relationship with Ilonka. Ilonka discovers that Anya's broken ballerina statue has become whole again; she reports this to the Midnight Club, who tentatively take this as a sign from Anya. Kevin finishes his story about the teenage serial killer, and Ilonka finishes her story about the witch, with the rest of the Midnight Club helping her tell the ending. The episode ends with the reveal that the old man and woman Ilonka and Kevin have been seeing are the original founders of the Brightcliffe building and that Dr. Stanton has a tattoo of the five-goddess cult. Be sure to check out /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/25893561

The Midnight Club - Ep 9: The Eternal Enemy 01/20/2023

The Midnight Club - Ep 9: The Eternal Enemy /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/25666959

The Midnight Club - Ep 8: Road to Nowhere 12/23/2022

The Midnight Club - Ep 8: Road to Nowhere Messy & Cassie's Fury. The PikeCast continues their watchthrough of Netflix's The Midnight Club series by Mike Flanagan based on the works of Christopher Pike. This week is Episode 8: Road to Nowhere Ilonka confronts Dr. Stanton about what she overheard. Dr. Stanton swears her to secrecy, but Ilonka tells Kevin. Ilonka believes she's the one who's been cured by the ritual and tells Shasta, who invites her to join her commune. Spencer visits his mother to get closure on her disowning him for his sexuality. Midnight Club is canceled because Dr. Stanton locked the library. Natsuki, who is dating Amesh, tells him her planned Midnight Club story about a girl who gives a ride to a pair of hitchhikers. Ilonka goes to the building's secret floor where she sees the old woman; when Ilonka touches the old woman, the vision transforms into Kevin. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/25414107

The Midnight Club - Ep 7: Anya 12/16/2022

The Midnight Club - Ep 7: Anya /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/25343388

The Midnight Club - Ep 6: Witch 12/08/2022

The Midnight Club - Ep 6: Witch The PikeCast continues their watchthrough of Netflix's The Midnight Club series by Mike Flanagan based on the works of Christopher Pike. This week is Episode 6: Witch. At Midnight Club, Kevin continues his story about the teenage serial killer, and Ilonka tells a story about a modern-day witch who tries to use magic to help her friends. Anya collapses again, but Ilonka refuses to accept her fate peacefully. Ilonka meets Shasta in the woods; Shasta reveals that she knows about the five-goddess worship and that the religion is much older than Paragon. Ilonka asks the Midnight Club to do a ritual following Shasta's instructions, and all of them participate. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/25259982

The Midnight Club - Ep 5: See You Later 11/11/2022

The Midnight Club - Ep 5: See You Later /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/24877449

The Midnight Club - Ep 4: Gimme a Kiss 11/04/2022

The Midnight Club - Ep 4: Gimme a Kiss /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/24841479

The Midnight Club - Ep 3: The Wicked Heart 10/28/2022

The Midnight Club - Ep 3: The Wicked Heart How about a hammer murder, Scarecrow? The PikeCast continues their watchthrough of Netflix's The Midnight Club series by Mike Flanagan based on the works of Christopher Pike. This week is Episode 3: The Wicked Heart. Ilonka reads Julia's case file and finds drawings with a symbol and the number “292.13”. Ilonka tells Kevin about the visions and whispering voices she's heard her entire life that are now telling her to look into Julia, but he doesn't take her seriously, since all of them have medication-induced hallucinations. Tristan, one of the Brightcliffe patients, dies. Afterward, Natsuki thinks she sees Tristan in her room and tells the other Midnight Club members, but they decide it's not enough to be evidence of fulfillment of their pact. Kevin tells the club a story about a teenage boy who is a serial killer. The story triggers Ilonka's memory, and she and Kevin follow Julia's symbol to a secret floor beneath the basement, where Ilonka sees a ghostly figure. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/24813747

The Midnight Club - Ep 2: The Two Danas 10/21/2022

The Midnight Club - Ep 2: The Two Danas The PikeCast continues their watchthrough of Netflix's The Midnight Club series by Mike Flanagan based on the works of Christopher Pike. This week is Episode 2: The Two Danas. Ilonka tries to investigate Julia and Brightcliffe's past as the headquarters of a cult named "Paragon", but Dr. Stanton, who runs Brightcliffe, claims ignorance of both topics. Ilonka explores the woods around Brightcliffe and meets Shasta, a woman who lives nearby and believes in the land's healing properties. Anya sees a shadow with red eyes watching her. For Midnight Club, Anya tells a story about a ballerina who made a deal with the devil. Ilonka breaks into Dr. Stanton's office with Kevin's help, and steals Julia's case file. Afterward, Ilonka has a vivid vision where she sees Brightcliffe as it was in the past, and a ghostly old woman. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/24755811

The Midnight Club - Ep 1: The Final Chapter 10/13/2022

The Midnight Club - Ep 1: The Final Chapter The PikeCast begins their watchthrough of Netflix's The Midnight Club series by Mike Flanagan. This week is Episode 1: The Final Chapter When cancer cancels her plans for college, star student Ilonka finds a sliver of hope at Brightcliffe, a mysterious hospice for terminally ill teens. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/24681798

The Visitor by Christopher Pike 06/13/2022

The Visitor by Christopher Pike /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/23417270

Remember Me 3: The Last Story by Christopher Pike 03/24/2022

Remember Me 3: The Last Story by Christopher Pike /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/22480898

See You Later by Christopher Pike 03/10/2022

See You Later by Christopher Pike /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/22396250

The Listeners by Christopher Pike 02/24/2022

The Listeners by Christopher Pike Author Hailey Piper returns The PikeCast to dig into another of Christopher Pike's adult novels, 1994's The Listeners. While touching on many of Pike's recurring themes, including ancient lizard races, The Listener finds a way to be truly terrifying, often as it draws us into a group that may or may not be a cult. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/22131227

Final Friends 3: The Graduation by Christopher Pike 02/10/2022

Final Friends 3: The Graduation by Christopher Pike /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/22086998

Final Friends 2: The Dance by Christopher Pike 01/27/2022

Final Friends 2: The Dance by Christopher Pike /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/21925112

Final Friends 1: The Party by Christopher Pike 01/06/2022

Final Friends 1: The Party by Christopher Pike Katie Lilly, the artist behind The Haunted Outfit, joins us to "run the series" as we begin tackling the Final Friends Trilogy from Christopher Pike. It won't take long for you to figure out that, well, we weren't to crazy about it. But at least Katie, who's read all three, assures us that SOMETHING happens in the other two books. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/21669353

The Cold One by Christopher Pike 12/23/2021

The Cold One by Christopher Pike Author Hailey Piper joins The PikeCast to deconstruct Christopher Pike's batshit crazy 1995 adult novel The Cold One. With so many characters, plot twists, horrifying revelations, gruesome murders, and of course, a healthy amount of Hindu mysticism, this book is both unlike any we've done before, and also a clear result from everything that has come before. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/21473807

The Immortal by Christopher Pike 12/09/2021

The Immortal by Christopher Pike Christopher Pike superfan Danielle Sepulveres joins us again to discuss a novel rife with horniness, boyfriend stealing, gods and goddesses, and screenplays that are startling reminiscent of other Christopher Pike books, for 1993's The Immortal. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/21398774

Weekend by Christopher Pike 10/14/2021

Weekend by Christopher Pike The PikeCast returns to the Point Horror era of Pike with 1986's Weekend, a book that feels, in many ways, like Pike just chose to rip himself off by duplicating Slumber Party nearly entirely. We're joined by Alana Phelan, the Polyamorous Librarian to discuss the good, the decent, and the obnoxious in this, again, overstuffed book. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/20808326

Chain Letter 2: The Ancient Evil by Christopher Pike 09/30/2021

Chain Letter 2: The Ancient Evil by Christopher Pike The PikeCast wraps up Sequel September with a sequel to one of his Christopher Pike's earliest books, 1992's Chain Letter 2: The Ancient Evil, which takes a simple revenge story/I Know What You Did Last Summer rip-off and adds, well, an Ancient Evil. In the spirit of sequel September we're again joined by a returning guest, Jenny Nulf, whose enthusiasm for this book came from way back in middle school when she stole it from the library. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/20616926

The Last Vampire 2: Black Blood by Christopher Pike 09/16/2021

The Last Vampire 2: Black Blood by Christopher Pike Joe Lipsett, The PikeCast's first guest from way back in episode one, returns to discuss another return, that of Christopher Pike's Last Vampire Alisa Perne / Sita. The ‘Cast is thrilled that this sequel provides a far better follow-up than the last episode, and continues Sequel September in style. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/20459312

Remember Me 2: The Return by Christopher Pike 09/02/2021

Remember Me 2: The Return by Christopher Pike The PikeCast is thrilled to welcome back author of The Final Girl Support Group, My Best Friend's Exorcism, and Paperbacks from Hell, Grady Hendrix to discuss our first book for Sequel September, Christopher Pike's 1994 book Remember Me 2: The Return, a bizarre rehash of the plot of the first book laden with a ridiculous amount of Latinx stereotypes, an astonishing seeming hatred for the disabled, and a plot that seemingly cares little about its main characters.. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/20235746

Road to Nowhere by Christopher Pike 08/19/2021

Road to Nowhere by Christopher Pike The PikeCast welcomes Jude Doyle author of Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock and Fear… and Why and Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers: Monstrosity, Patriarchy and the Fear of Female Power to take a ride down the Road to Nowhere, Christopher Pike's 1993 novel that is a journey through a liminal world while storytelling about relationships falling apart. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/20196632

The Season of Passage by Christopher Pike 08/05/2021

The Season of Passage by Christopher Pike The PikeCast is joined by freelance writer and Christopher Pike superfan Danielle Sepulveres to tackle the first adult novel from Christopher Pike, 1992's The Season of Passage, a book that seems to have a Pike variety pack of interests with vampires, ghosts, lizard people, and outer space. It's violent, scary, and loooong, and we enjoy it thorougly! /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/20037527

The Wicked Heart by Christopher Pike 07/22/2021

The Wicked Heart by Christopher Pike Filmmaker, screenwriter and podcaster Toni Cunningham returns to The PikeCast to dissect 1993's The Wicked Heart, a story of moony relationship regret, early internet chatrooms, serial killers, and suddenly Nazis. We all really enjoy the book, and do spend a good long time discussing the pros and cons of using Nazis as boogymen. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/19861670

Witch by Christopher Pike 07/08/2021

Witch by Christopher Pike The PikeCast welcomes another Loser to the show to discuss Christopher Pike's 1990 book Witch. Jenn Adams, cohost of The Loser's Club Stephen King Podcast, and the Psychoanalysis Podcast joins us for a meandering exploration of a book that gets so much right while still suffering from some Pike bloat. We talk action, witchcraft, horror, and Stephen King. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/19724600

The Lost Mind by Christopher Pike 06/24/2021

The Lost Mind by Christopher Pike Award winning horror film theorist and analyst turned screenwriter and co-host of the podcast This Ends at Prom, BJ Colangelo joins The PikeCast to look at Christopher Pike's 1995 novel The Lost Mind. While we all found something to enjoy within the pages, the sadly very stereotypical middle eastern descriptions take us in a deep dive to the problematic Pike section. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/19572995

The Starlight Crystal by Christopher Pike 06/10/2021

The Starlight Crystal by Christopher Pike Author Hailey Piper joins The PikeCast to deconstruct Christopher Pike's 1996 Sci-Fi novel The Starlight Crystal. What starts out as a straight forward discussion about the book descends quickly into madness as nearly all of the Pikers lose the thread and find an inability to really discuss the book as it is. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/19407809

The Grave by Christopher Pike 05/27/2021

The Grave by Christopher Pike Filmmaker Jenn Wexler joins The PikeCast to talk about Christopher Pike's 1999 novel The Grave, its similarities and differences from earlier Pike novels, and the growth of the author. It's a confused story of zombies, genetic engineering, Jesus babies, and vampirism, and it's all VERY Pike. /episode/index/show/onapikecast/id/19252994

The PikeCast: A Book Club Podcast On Christopher Pike

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