I really enjoy this format as an expansion of the podcast. Having different voices on occasionally is interesting and introduces us to new things. I'm going to take a look at Evan Lampe's American Writers: One Hundred Pages At A Time podcast based on this episode.
I think there may be an interpretation of The Mangler indicting modernity. We've lost our old knowledge and use magical herbs/chemicals for all sorts of things and eventually, it comes and bites us.
I really enjoyed this one. I think in the wrong hands it could have come across as too ridiculous, but King handled the concept very well. The twist in particular was a good touch.
Lots of interesting discussion beyond the story in the episode too!
Yes, I think that's spot-on. The industrialization of laundry turning people into tenders of a machine means that they no longer actually know anything about doing laundry.
Evan's shows are great! I hope you enjoy them!