Podcast Summary: House of Maher

Episode: One Dark Window's Rachel Gillig: Bad Boys, Nightmares & Nihilistic Penguins

Date: February 17, 2026
Guest: Rachel Gillig (author of the Shepherd King & Stonewater Kingdom series)
Hosts: Ilona Maher, Olivia Maher, Adrianna “Dre Baby” Maher

Overview

In this engaging episode, the Maher sisters welcome bestselling fantasy author Rachel Gillig to the house. With tea poured and cupboards open, they chat about Rachel's books, the appeal of "bad boys," building magic systems, the magic of storytelling, writing spicy scenes, folklore obsessions, adaptation anxieties, and even viral videos about nihilistic penguins. The conversation is lively, witty, and full of warmth, and it explores both the craft of fantasy and the chaotic, magical corners of everyday life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Bad Boy Trope and Masculinity in Rachel’s Work

• Bad Boys, Not Really Bad
  • Rachel clarifies she likes to write characters who "have the appearance of being bad boys, but they're really, like, soft, gooey" (01:28 & 21:20).
  • She challenges the true "bad boy" trope in books: "You can talk about a bad boy in a book and...that's a toxic individual. I try to skew towards—they have all the appearance of it and then actually they're misunderstood. They actually are, like, kind. They love their families, they love their siblings" (01:35 & 21:36).
• The Found Family Trope
  • “You can’t have an actual asshole as your main male character,” Rachel asserts. Loyalty and kindness matter for the "tough" hero (21:48).
• Host’s Commentary:
  • The sisters agree this nuance is why Rachel's Raven stands out: "He seems like the asshole. And then anything to do with her, I'm like, walk him like a dog, bitch" (22:27).

Crafting Magic Systems, Language, and Sex Scenes

• Hard vs. Soft Magic Systems
  • Rachel prefers tangible, rules-based ("hard") magic systems. She finds magic that's too vague less immersive: "I like what I call hard magic systems...tangible objects. Sometimes I am confused by more cerebral or more, like, intangible [magic]" (26:12).
  • Inspiration includes folklore, objects, and a desire for creative play in fantasy: "I just feel like there’s room to play. There’s always room to play in fantasy" (28:31).
• Modern Language in Fantasy
  • The group jokes about reading fantasy with anachronistic language (e.g., “boxers” in a medieval context) and euphemisms for anatomy (“my feminine petals,” “wet folds”) (08:09–09:31).
  • Rachel on writing intimate scenes: “Writing a sex scene is like writing an action scene. You want to be specific enough... I try to be purposeful with my language” (09:33).
• Favorite Euphemisms
  • Host praises Rachel’s approach: “‘He kissed below my skirts’ — I was like, write that down, write that down” (10:32).

How Romance Weaves In

• Romantasy vs. Romance
  • Rachel isn’t precious about labels: "If you took the sex scenes out or you made the love interest a different relationship...the story would still exist," arguing her books are “plot-driven” with romance as a thread (11:25).
  • She discusses the marketing side: Often, if a book by a female author contains romance, it gets categorized as "romantasy," whereas male-authored fantasies get a pass for sexual content without genre shifts (12:11).

Character Building & Writing Process

• Knowing Characters Deeply
  • Rachel is a “pantser” (flies by the seat of her pants) with plot, but meticulously plots characters’ worldviews, arcs, and internal growth (24:01).
  • “You know stuff that sometimes’ll never even be articulated on the page. You have to, like, make all these behind-the-scenes decisions” (23:42).
• Magic Systems and Objects
  • Her love for magical objects comes from a desire to “control the thing” and the atmosphere it creates in the story (27:45).
  • She admits she is “precious about objects” in her own life, rotating stuffed animals and treasuring personal items (29:32).

Literary Influences, Folklore, and Magic in Everyday Life

• On Misunderstood Villains & Monsters
  • Rachel enjoys complex villains, referencing Frankenstein, but jokes, “He murders children”—not quite romantic material (30:35).
  • On the 'sexy villain' trend: “I think men being dumb is really funny in literature” (31:09).
• Magic, Folklore, and the Unexplained
  • Rachel’s background includes Mexican and European folklore, especially the darker, non-romantic kind: “They are not hot—they like, eat children” (40:14).
  • She’s superstitious about fairy lore, comparing herself to Michael Scott: “I'm not superstitious, but I'm a little stitious” (42:20).
  • On modern magic, she sees storytelling, imagination, and the mysteries of nature as profoundly magical: “I do believe in the magic of storytelling...I find that to be a form of magic. Nature, the earth, the ocean...it's inspired people for centuries to come up with these sort of stories” (33:22–34:28).

Nightmares, Sleepwalking, and Inspiration

• Personal Experiences Become Art
  • Rachel recounts being a sleepwalker as a child, running barefoot to her grandparents’ house during night terrors: “I ran a football field fully asleep” (44:15).
  • The concept of “the Nightmare” in One Dark Window derived from both Henry Fuseli’s painting “The Nightmare” and the sense of liminality between waking and sleeping (47:03).
• On the “Sexy Nightmare” Trend
  • Despite attempts to make the Nightmare distinctly non-romantic, fans keep thirsting: “If not love interest, why sexy? I tried my best to make him not sexy” (48:00).

Viral Penguins, Memes, and Internet Obsessions

• Rachel and the sisters discuss the viral video of a “nihilistic penguin” departing its colony alone, finding it hilarious and deeply sad: “There’s just an image of the penguin wandering towards the mountains all alone. It makes me wanna cry. I’m so sorry” (38:16).

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attribution)

• "You can talk about a bad boy in a book and you read it and you're like, yeah, that's a toxic individual... I try to skew towards—they have all the appearance of it and then actually they're misunderstood. They actually are, like, kind."
  — Rachel Gillig (01:35, 21:36)

• "You can't have an actual asshole as your main male character."
  — Rachel Gillig (21:48)

• "I'm not superstitious, but I'm a little stitious."
  — Rachel Gillig quoting The Office (42:20)

• “There’s just an image of the penguin wandering towards the mountains all alone...It makes me wanna cry. I’m so sorry.”
  — Rachel Gillig (38:16)

• "Writing a sex scene is like writing an action scene. You want to be specific enough… I try to be purposeful with my language."
  — Rachel Gillig (09:33)

• “If you took the sex scenes out or you made the love interest a different relationship...the story would still exist.”
  — Rachel Gillig (11:25)

• "I like what I call hard magic systems... tangible objects. Sometimes I am confused by more cerebral or more, like, intangible [magic]."
  — Rachel Gillig (26:12)

• "I grew up. I love. Sometimes the older I get, the more I hearken to the things that I enjoyed when I was a young person. Ella Enchanted... Just... sometimes I want to read the things that reminded me why I wanted to do this in the first place."
  — Rachel Gillig (68:43)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:23] – "What's up with you and bad boys?" kicking off main interview
• [03:19] – Rachel joins, book club introduction
• [06:38] – Bookstore shelving chat: fantasy vs. sci-fi & Romantasy marketing
• [08:09] – Rants on awkward modern language in fantasy
• [09:33] – On writing sex scenes and language choices
• [11:25] – Discussion of romance’s role in her books
• [21:14] – Tea Time: Bad boys and found families in Rachel’s stories
• [24:01] – Rachel’s writing style: "pansing," and character plotting
• [26:12] – Magic systems and the allure of magical objects
• [31:18] – Talking Frankenstein, misunderstood monsters, and villains
• [33:22] – Magic, folklore, and the power of collective storytelling
• [38:16] – The “nihilistic penguin” segment
• [44:15] – Rachel's sleepwalking childhood stories
• [47:03] – Nightmare inspiration: poetry, art, and dreams
• [63:32] – Book cover design & trends discussion
• [68:32] – Book recommendations, including "Ella Enchanted"
• [70:21] – Reflections on libraries, reading, and childhood magic
• [70:27] – On TV/film adaptations: budgets, style, and "iPhone face" critiques
• [74:53] – Pronunciation clarification for "Ione" ("eye-own")
• [75:19] – Plug for Rachel’s social media and upcoming releases

Fun & Notable Moments

• Rachel brings the hosts signed editions of her books (04:34)
• Hilarious back-and-forth over fantasy euphemisms and writing spicy, not cringey, scenes (08:53)
• Discussion of personal rituals with objects, fears of changelings, and whimsical caution with fairy folklore (28:45–42:38)
• Rachel’s shock and delight at seeing fan art for her books, especially Charlie Bowater’s piece (57:41)
• The sisters and Rachel all agree they’re drawn to the mysterious beauty of heavy mist over ruins (52:32)

Closing Thoughts

The episode offers a deep dive into not only the world of Rachel Gillig’s stories but the creative, sometimes chaotic processes behind them. Combining playfulness with sincerity, Rachel discusses everything from her technical approach to magic systems to the very real anxieties and rituals that shape both her fiction and her daily routine. The Maher sisters’ banter keeps the vibe intimate, at times raucous, and always relatable, making this an essential listen for fantasy fans, aspiring writers, and book lovers with a superstitious streak.

Rachel Gillig’s socials:

• IG: @rmgillig
• TikTok: @rachelgilligbooks
• Latest book: The Night and the Moth
• Forthcoming: The Nave and the Moon (September 1, 2026)

Next week: Tune in for more House of Maher magic!