A weekly podcast that reads out ghost stories, horror stories, and weird tales every week. Classic stories from the pens of the masters Occasionally, we feature...
Can be haunted by your unlived life?
Henry James, master of psychological fiction, invites us into the labyrinth of the human mind with his haunting tale, "The Jolly Corner." Spencer Brydon, returning to his childhood home after decades abroad, becomes ensnared in a web of regret and possibility. As he prowls the empty rooms, James's acute psychological insights illuminate the shadows of Brydon's consciousness. The line between reality and imagination blurs, leading to a chilling confrontation with the specter of an unlived life. This is no mere ghost story, but a profound exploration of identity, choice, and the paths not taken. Allow James's exquisite prose to guide you through the corridors of memory and the depths of the psyche.
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Go here for a library of ad-free stories, a monthly members only story and early access to the regular stories I put out.
You can choose to have ghost stories only, or detective stories or classic literature, or all of them for either $5 or $10 a month.
Many hundreds of hours of stories. Who needs Audible?
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2:06:45
The House Behind The Wood (1928) by Richmal Crompton
Can a house possess your soul? In Richmal Crompton's "The House Behind The Wood," a stranded trio seeks refuge in a seemingly abandoned house. As moonlight bathes the countryside, an eerie atmosphere envelops them. A mysterious caretaker appears, and soon, long-buried passions surface. The narrator finds himself entangled in a web of unexpected emotions and conflicting loyalties. But is it real, or are they pawns in a spectral game? As dawn breaks, they face a revelation that challenges their perception of reality. Uncover the secrets lurking in the shadows of this haunting tale. Listen now, and let the whispers of the past draw you in.
⭐ Join my Patreon ⭐
https://patreon.com/barcud
Go here for a library of ad-free stories, a monthly members only story and early access to the regular stories I put out.
You can choose to have ghost stories only, or detective stories or classic literature, or all of them for either $5 or $10 a month.
Many hundreds of hours of stories. Who needs Audible?
Or, if you'd just like to make a one-off gesture of thanks for my work
https://buymeacoffee.com/10mn8sk
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:05:02
The Horror from the Mound by Robert E. Howard
On the sun-baked plains of Texas, cowpuncher Steve Brill, driven by crop failure and looming poverty, stumbles upon an ancient burial site shrouded in mystery.
His neighbor, Juan Lopez, speaks of dark secrets and dire warnings passed down through generations. But Brill, desperate for any chance to change his fortunes, dismisses the ominous tales. As dusk settles over the lonely prairie, something stirs in the depths of the earth – something that bridges the Old World and the New, something that hungers.
Robert E. Howard's "The Horror from the Mound" blends frontier grit with supernatural dread, challenging the limits of human courage against forces older than the West itself.
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1:10:24
The Chippendale Mirror by E F Benson
In E.F. Benson's "The Chippendale Mirror," an antique looking glass becomes the focal point of a chilling supernatural mystery.
As night falls, the mirror's surface darkens, offering glimpses of something beyond our world. A cat's eerie fascination with the glass hints at unseen forces at work.
When the boundary between past and present blurs, what consequences await those who peer too deeply into the ornate frame?
Our discussion delves into the intriguing parallels and departures between E.F. Benson's "The Chippendale Mirror" and classic Golden Age detective fiction. We explore how Benson weaves supernatural elements into a framework reminiscent of traditional mystery stories, creating a unique hybrid that challenges reader expectations. Additionally, we examine the significant role of Cyrus the cat in this tale, using it as a springboard to investigate the broader literary trope of cats as supernatural sensors in fiction. From their keen perception of the unseen to their symbolic resonance, we uncover why felines have long been favored as mystical intermediaries in ghostly narratives.
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51:24
Transition by Algernon Blackwood
On a bustling Christmas Eve, John Mudbury, an ordinary man with an ordinary family, has been Christmas shopping. Under his arms, he carries presents for his wife and three children.
As he starts his journey home, the familiar streets of London give way to increasingly strange encounters. Mudbury navigates an increasingly bewildering series of events, where the line between the familiar and the uncanny blurs.
With each step, the veil between worlds grows thinner until he arrives home with presents in hand and finds things very strange indeed.
Algernon Blackwood's "Transition: A Christmas Ghost Story With A Twist" masterfully blends the mundane with the supernatural.
A very sweet ghost story for Christmas
⭐ Join my Patreon ⭐
https://patreon.com/barcud
Go here for a library of ad-free stories, a monthly members only story and early access to the regular stories I put out.
You can choose to have ghost stories only, or detective stories or classic literature, or all of them for either $5 or $10 a month.
Many hundreds of hours of stories. Who needs Audible?
Or, if you'd just like to make a one-off gesture of thanks for my work
https://buymeacoffee.com/10mn8sk
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A weekly podcast that reads out ghost stories, horror stories, and weird tales every week. Classic stories from the pens of the masters Occasionally, we feature living authors, but the majority are dead. Some perhaps are undead.
We go from cosy Edwardian ghost stories (E. F. Benson, Walter De La Mare) to Victorian supernatural mysteries (M. R. James, Elizabeth Gaskell, Bram Stoker, and Charles Dickens) to 20th-century Weird Tales (Robert Aickman, Fritz Lieber, Clark Ashton-Smith, and H. P. Lovecraft) and wander from the Gothic to the Odd, even to the Literary, and then back again.
Each episode is followed by Tony's take on the story, its author, its content and any literary considerations, which may be useful to students!
Here's a poll that helps me plan future stories, if you have the time to fill it in. It's short!
https://bit.ly/gqform
Get exclusive members episodes on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/barcud
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