Otherppl with Brad Listi
Excerpt From 'He's the Devil,' By Tobi Coventry
Why It Matters
The excerpt showcases how horror can be used to explore queer experiences and the anxieties of modern living, offering listeners a fresh take on the genre. By featuring a debut author and promoting the Other People Book Club, the episode encourages deeper engagement with diverse literary voices and invites audiences to discover new, boundary‑pushing fiction.
Key Takeaways
- •Coventry reads queer horror excerpt on The Other People Show
- •Novel explores toxic roommate dynamics and supernatural dread
- •Book club promotion highlights affordable monthly literary subscription
- •Author's background in film scouting informs cinematic storytelling
- •Themes address queer desire, isolation, and mental strain
Pulse Analysis
The Other People Show featured a special story‑time segment in which author Toby Coventry read an excerpt from his debut novel, He’s the Devil. Hosted by Brad Listie, the episode also promoted the Other People Book Club, a subscription service that delivers a new title each month for less than the cost of a single book. Coventry, a former film‑and‑TV book scout and award‑winning short‑film producer, brings a cinematic sensibility to his writing, and the reading gives listeners a taste of his queer horror narrative while encouraging sign‑ups for the club.
The passage centers on Simon’s uneasy cohabitation with a mysterious new roommate, Massimo, whose presence turns ordinary domestic chores into moments of dread. Coventry blends everyday anxiety—faulty boilers, invasive thoughts—with supernatural imagery, creating a queer horror that interrogates desire, isolation, and the psychological toll of living with an unsettling other. By foregrounding a same‑sex dynamic and the protagonist’s internal conflict, the novel expands the horror genre’s traditional boundaries, offering representation that resonates with contemporary LGBTQ readers seeking both thrills and emotional depth.
For publishers and media professionals, He’s the Devil illustrates the commercial viability of niche horror that embraces queer perspectives. The book’s cinematic roots and vivid, sensory prose make it a strong candidate for adaptation across film, television, or audio formats, aligning with current demand for diverse storytelling. Additionally, the integrated book‑club model demonstrates a sustainable revenue stream, turning literary promotion into recurring subscriber engagement. As the market increasingly values inclusive content, Coventry’s work provides a blueprint for leveraging genre hybridity, cross‑media potential, and community‑driven marketing to reach broader audiences.
Episode Description
Vol. 7 of Story Time, a new series on the program featuring an author reading aloud from his work. In this episode, Tobi Coventry reads aloud from his debut novel, He's the Devil, available from Abrams Books. It was the official February 2026 pick of the Otherppl Book Club. For the past ten years, Coventry has worked as a book scout for film and television production companies. In 2023, he produced an award-winning short horror film, Blood Rites, based on a story by Daisy Johnson. He lives in East Sussex, UK. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to ulys.app/writeabook to download Ulysses, and use the code OTHERPPL at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription." Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Get How to Write a Novel, the debut audio course from DeepDive. 50+ hours of never-before-heard insight, inspiration, and instruction from dozens of today's most celebrated contemporary authors. Subscribe to Brad's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Instagram TikTok Bluesky Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.
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