Scott Sigler Slices: Horror AI Controversy and New Narrator Tips

Summary of the video (Scott Sigler Slices): Horror AI controversy + audiobook narration tips

Part 1: HWA “pro-AI” controversy and fallout

• Scott Sigler and AB Sigler introduce a major controversy around the Horror Writers Association (HWA). They say the group published a pro–AI opinion piece in its August 2026 newsletter, which triggered rapid backlash from writers.
• Immediate governance response: The hosts claim HWA removed the newsletter author from a trustee position effective immediately, describing it as disciplinary action taken quickly after the publication.

Background on HWA (why it matters)

• HWA is described as a worldwide volunteer organization founded in 1985 by horror authors.
• The hosts emphasize it exists to support and promote dark/horror literature and writers.
• They also say HWA already published an AI policy in October 2025, described as focusing on protecting creators and labor compensation.

What the article argued (“gatekeeping vs AI” frame)

• The hosts summarize the column as insisting AI is inevitable and that writers should stop ostracizing/cancelling each other over AI usage.
• They highlight that the public should be allowed to “explore” AI rather than be driven toward division.
• They also interpret the piece as framing cancelling fellow writers as a larger threat than AI itself.
• They point to claims that AI comparisons are unfair, including an analogy that other technologies/tools also have downsides (e.g., energy, water, or resource use).
• Overall, the hosts interpret the piece as arguing that the real enemy is divisive “gatekeeping” and larger power structures, not individual writers using AI.

Why writers reacted so strongly

• Prominent horror authors (notably Chuck Wendig, Jonathan Mayberry, and Brian Asmond) criticized the column because it appeared in an official HWA publication—which they view as inconsistent with HWA’s pro-creator stance.
• The hosts also say the newsletter piece used overheated or “bitey” rhetoric, while claiming to advocate conversation and unity.

Pro-AI vs creator harm—how the hosts differentiate positions

• AB and Scott repeatedly distinguish between:
  • Using AI as a tool (e.g., basic search/research assistance), and
  • Using generative AI to write/create saleable creative content, which the hosts argue is where exploitation and copyright harm become central.
• They connect this to an ongoing lawsuit involving generative AI training on copyrighted works, citing alleged scraping of Scott Sigler’s copyrighted works for model training (including Anthropic), and describing Richard Kadri as a lead plaintiff.
• They also emphasize practical publishing realities:
  • Platforms require disclosure of AI involvement.
  • AI-generated manuscripts may be flagged or rejected, even if companies can still monetize AI tools or adjacent workflows.

What the hosts criticize as “the bigger problem” (beyond HWA’s newsletter)

• They argue major marketplaces/platforms (e.g., Amazon/Audible) are incentivized by profit and volume, potentially accelerating low-cost AI content flooding the market.
• They cite a claim attributed to the New York Times (as presented in the video) that a large fraction of new self-published ebooks include detectable AI content.
• They add that detection systems may miss content or vary from creators’ disclosures.

A recurring unresolved question

• The hosts ask how a trustee-authored column could have been approved at all, given HWA’s AI policy and the speed of later removal.
• They suggest the approval workflow may have been thin, given HWA’s volunteer-run nature (with only one paid exec director mentioned).

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Part 2: “Scott Sigler Slices” audiobook narration tips (and rules around AI)

Legal/IP caveat emphasized first

• You can narrate:
  • Public-domain works, or
  • Material where you own rights to the recording (and the underlying work as required).
• The hosts warn against uploading narrations of other people’s copyrighted works without permission.

AI and platform flags/disclosures

• If the underlying work was created with AI, the hosts say narration uploads may be rejected/flagged, especially as platforms ask whether any part was created by AI—not only whether the final result is “AI written.”
• They discuss the trend of fully AI-generated YouTube content and predict it may eventually be removed as enforcement/detection improves.

Gear and setup advice (microphones + environment)

• Microphone choice depends on your voice; there is no single best mic for everyone.
• They mention:
  • USB mics for beginners (easy plug-and-play), and
  • More “pro” setups using XLR + an interface.
• For recording space, they recommend sound mitigation (e.g., closet recording with hanging clothes) rather than true soundproofing.
• They stress no extraneous noise—especially no AC/fans/computer noise—because narration is often recorded once and many problems are hard or impossible to fix afterward.

Editing workflow

• Expect to do multiple retakes, then cut out mouth noise, clicks, and room noise.
• They mention tools like Descript (waveform + text editing) and Riverside.fm as similar subscription-based workflows.

Consistency rule

• Once recording begins, don’t change:
  • Software settings
  • Hardware
  • Mic distance
• They note that being paid by finished hours can penalize delays, and inconsistent audio can create noticeable mismatch across chapters.

Voice-character memory tools (“voice notes/buttons”)

• They recommend saving short audio clips of character voices to reproduce consistent character sounds later.

Health/vocal maintenance

• Hydration and diet matter:
  • dairy, spicy foods, and alcohol are described as potentially affecting vocal quality for several days.
• They emphasize narration is “hot work,” requiring careful management of bodily comfort without introducing recording noise.

How to get auditions/experience

• They mention ACX (Audible’s platform) for submitting audition clips and possibly being hired.

Personal anecdote about getting a first audiobook

• AB shares a story about being recognized at a convention because he sounded like a “main character,” which led to contact and eventually audiobook work.

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Presenters / contributors (as stated in the video transcript)

• Scott Sigler (presenter/host; author)
• AB Sigler (presenter/host; audiobook narrator, publisher at Empty Set Entertainment)
• Maxwell Gold (HWA executive director; mentioned as the only paid staff)
• Richard Kadri (lead plaintiff in a cited AI copyright lawsuit; appears in discussion)
• Dean Coun (HWA founder mentioned in background)
• Robert M. McCammon (HWA founder mentioned in background)
• Joe Lansdale (HWA founder mentioned in background)
• John Lawson (former HWA president mentioned)
• Chuck Wendig (writer; quotes used)
• Jonathan Mayberry (writer; quotes used)
• Brian Asmond (writer; quotes used)
• Chris Crawl (mentioned in chat; also referenced for a release)
• Ray Porter (narrator; referenced regarding finished-hour time)
• Nicholas Sansbury Smith (mentioned from a prior show episode)
• Steve Rickberg (audio engineer mentioned)
• Jude / Mama / Steve / Ricky Ber / Colonel Failure / Recluse Mage / Chris Gro / Braavos1 / Don / Shreddinger’s Glass / Chris Growl (mentioned as chat participants or references, not as formal contributors)