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From historical fiction to horror, author Daniel Kraus infuses Iowa in his work

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River to River, hosted by Ben Kieffer

One of the New York Times' 10 best books of 2025, Angel Down is a World War I story told as one continuous sentence, which vividly portrays the horrors of that conflict.

Author Daniel Kraus is no stranger to horror. Growing up in Fairfield, he would watch horror movies like Night of the Living Dead and episodes of The Twilight Zone as a five year old with his mom.

Kraus joins this episode to talk about his horror and Iowa roots, Angel Down, which is development for a film adaptation, and his 2023 novel Whalefall, whose film adaptation is to be released later this fall.

Guest:

  • Daniel Kraus, New York Times-bestselling writer of novels, TV and film
Ben Kieffer is the host of "River to River." Since 2007, Kieffer has interviewed, conversed with, and shared ideas from guests of all backgrounds and locations, and has helped listeners better understand, appreciate, and explore their state and the world around them. Kieffer has a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa.
Samantha McIntosh is an award-winning talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University. Since 2022, McIntosh has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.