Episódios
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An English traveller, delayed in an unfamiliar village, hears a troubling local legend—one the villagers are reluctant to discuss. Drawn by curiosity into a nearby wood no one dares enter, he finds the past is not so easily buried. What he encounters there resists explanation, hovering uneasily between tragedy and nightmare. L.A. Lewis’s tale unfolds slowly, in quiet conversation and half-glimpsed memory, before leading the listener into something far darker, and far stranger, than expected.
Not everything seen can be forgotten—even when forgetting is all we want.
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E.F. Benson's "The Wishing-Well" was first published in the United Kingdom in the collection Visible and Invisible by Hutchinson & Co. in 1923. This collection, featuring a range of supernatural and uncanny tales, showcases Benson's skill in blending traditional ghost story elements with psychological depth and social commentary. "The Wishing-Well," a particularly potent example of his Cornish-set fiction, has since been reprinted in numerous anthologies of ghost and horror stories, cementing its place as a classic of the genre.
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In a dim parlour by the sea, where the waves sigh like old regrets, Madame Lily Floss lays her tarot cards on green silk and dreams of escape. She longs for a life beyond the shore, beyond her mother’s house, beyond her fate. Then, one evening, a stranger arrives — a man who claims they’ve not yet met… but already remembers everything.
One of my own.
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Is time an endless ocean? Randolph Carter, armed with a silver key, sets sail across its fathomless depths. His quest: the ultimate truth. But the waters are treacherous, and the shores lead to alien worlds and entities beyond human reckoning. And what if once you go, you can't get back?
Through the Gates of the Silver Key" is a short story co-written by American writers H. P. Lovecraft and E. Hoffmann Price between October 1932 and April 1933. A sequel to Lovecraft's "The Silver Key", and part of a sequence of stories focusing on Randolph Carter, it was first published in the July 1934 issue of Weird Tales.
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"The House of Horror," despite its pulp sensibilities, clearly resonates with the Poe-esque tradition of detective fiction intertwined with the macabre and the sensation novel. Like Poe's tales, Quinn's story utilises a combination of rational investigation and visceral horror to create a sense of dread and suspense. De Grandin, though more flamboyant than Poe's Dupin, embodies the detective figure who seeks to unravel a dark mystery through observation and deduction. The story shares Poe's fascination with the grotesque and the psychologically disturbed, as exemplified by the character of Dr. Marston and his horrifying experiments.
While Quinn's style is less atmospheric and more reliant on plot-driven thrills than Poe's, "The House of Horror" nonetheless shares a common lineage in its blend of mystery, horror, and a fascination with the darker aspects of human nature.
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In W.F. Harvey’s The Beast with Five Fingers, we enter the world of Eustace Borlsover, an eccentric gentleman immersed in the study of the natural world and its more unusual phenomena. Set within the quiet gloom of Borlsover Conyers, his ancestral home, the story gradually evolves into a tale of obsession and nightmare. What if part of our very selves could act with a will of its own—and meant us harm? Join me as we step into a place where reason begins to unravel, where dust settles thick on forgotten shelves, and where something spiderlike begins to crawl across the library in the dark depths of the night.
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Can Death be bargained with?
In the town of Erlach, whispers of an old legend linger. They speak of Agnes Weberin, a woman known for her piety, her devotion— and her fate. Her husband, Berchthold Weber, was a learned man, a physician whose success in saving lives came at an unspeakable cost. The town murmured of a pact, a debt owed not to man, but to Death itself.
As the appointed time drew near, Agnes made a choice. But when the moment arrived, when the valley of Totesdal echoed with the presence of something unseen, was it love that triumphed... or something far more mysterious?
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Nothing scares an atheist… so they'd have you believe. For Hector Greatorix, intellect, charisma, and a complete lack of faith mean a life lived to the fullest. Freed from his vows, and called by his friends The Bishop of Hell, this scandalous clergyman can drink and debauch right to the end with no fear of the consequences. Certain that damnation is a myth, he carries on his evil. Will this Bishop of Hell cheat justice at the last, or will something... else claim him?
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Katherine Mansfield's "The Daughters of the Late Colonel" draws you into the subdued world of two sisters, adrift in the aftermath of their overbearing father’s death. Yet with the death of their patriarch, a new kind of burden takes hold. Long silences, stifled desires, and a sense of… something unseen echo through the house. Is freedom really possible, or is the past a ghost that will forever cling? Listen, and lose yourself within this subtly devastating story of lives haunted by what might have been.
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The Lodger in Room 16 by David Dixon
In a faded guesthouse perched on the edge of an unnamed northern town, Room 16 has always had its secrets. When an elusive lodger, rumoured to work in the local cemetery, takes residence, reality begins to fray at the edges. The residents soon discover unsettling truths—each revelation more absurd and disturbing than the last. As it becomes clear that the lodger has always been there, predating even the current landlord, the occupants find themselves trapped in an escalating nightmare, haunted equally by their quiet desperation and the uncanny presence behind Room 16’s door. Dixon's chilling tale captures the grim absurdity and psychological unease of modern British horror, where dread seeps through the mundane, and the most disturbing terrors are those quietly entrenched within.
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Denys Val Baker (1917-1984), a prolific author and editor, made significant contributions to British literature, particularly in short fiction and regional writing. His work often drew inspiration from his adopted home of Cornwall, where he settled in 1948. "The Face in the Mirror" is the title story from Val Baker's first American collection, published by Arkham House in 1971. This limited edition of 2,045 copies introduced Val Baker's unique blend of everyday observation and uncanny elements to a new audience. The collection showcases his ability to capture the essence of human experience with both humour and poignancy, traits that had already established him as a notable figure in 20th-century British letters. "The Face in the Mirror" exemplifies Val Baker's skill in crafting tales that blur the boundaries between the ordinary and the extraordinary.
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My voice has given up so I can't record a story without it sounding like a rubber tyre riding on polystyrene. So, I dug into the archives and found an old 'true ghost' / timeslip story I narrated on an H5 zoom in a closet using the H5 Zoom built in microphone. As such, forgive the audio.
On 10th August 1901, two English women walked into the past.
During a visit to the Palace of Versailles, on the anniversary of the French Revolution, two ordinary women saw the French Queen, Marie Antoinette sitting in the gardens in front of them, along with nobles, gardeners, houses, bridges and stones that when they went back, were no longer there.
Backed up by a decade of research, the two women decided to publish their extraordinary adventure in 1910. Their timeslip experience has become known as the Ghosts of the Petit Trianon.
Did these two Edwardian women actually experience time travel, or did they see the ghosts of things that had been?
Previously, out of print, this is a new edition, edited and translated for the modern age, with additional material that looks at subsequent timeslip type experiences at Versailles
An Adventure Ebook For You To Read Along
Here's a link to a PDF I made of the book so you can read along and see where I made mistakes.
An Adventure by Charlotte Moberley and Eleanor Jourdain
Book Club
Áine Moroney has asked me to remind you of the existence of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast Book Club to be found on Discord. Please use this link to join.
https://discord.gg/tZQrbsCf
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The Open Window by Saki
In this masterful tale by Saki, a nervous man arrives for a formal call, bearing a letter of introduction. Greeted by the niece of his intended hostess, he finds himself drawn into an unsettling conversation. As they await the lady of the house, the young girl recounts a tale of family tragedy, casting a shadow over the pleasant autumn afternoon. Despite his best efforts, the visitor finds his eyes straying to the open window, unable to shake a growing sense of unease. Saki's sharp wit and keen observations of Edwardian society shine through every carefully chosen word.
Plus +++
The Return by R. Murray Gilchrist
What spectres haunt the moors of Derbyshire? In this chilling Gothic tale by R. Murray Gilchrist, a man returns to a remote rural village after decades away, seeking his long-lost love. Mist-shrouded orchards and decaying manor houses harbor dark secrets, while ghostly figures flit through moonlit corridors. As he searches, reality warps and time unravels. Gilchrist's prose drips with dread and melancholy, weaving a tapestry of promises kept and promises broken.
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In Edith Wharton’s story Kerfol, published in 1911, a solitary traveller visits an ancient house in Brittany—a place shrouded in silence and mystery. Wandering the grounds, he encounters a pack of strange, silent dogs, their watchful eyes heavy with meaning.
But Kerfol is no ordinary house. Its walls seem to echo with an unspoken history, a lingering presence that refuses to be forgotten. What happened within its cold stone halls? And why do the dogs remain?
Step into this haunting tale of solitude and shadows. Listen now and let Kerfol draw you into its unsettling secrets.
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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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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.
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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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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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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
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A Humorous Victorian Ghost Story for Christmas
Set against the charming backdrop of Cornwall's picturesque villages and folklore-filled hedges, "The Vicar's Ghost" by Lucy Farmer weaves a tale of intrigue and whimsy. During a Christmas visit, Lucy, her son Charley, and Aunt Martha become embroiled in a series of mysterious events at the vicarage. Charley's sighting of an enigmatic clergyman leads to Aunt Martha revealing a local legend of a vicar who died many years ago and whose ghost is said to return each year, accompanied by eerie disturbances. As a winter storm brews, the story transforms into a light-hearted romp, reminiscent of a Victorian-era adventure, with the community rallying to solve the mystery.
Unraveling the tale, Lucy and her companions discover that apparitions might not be as supernatural as they seem, hinting at Victorian times being unexpectedly "progressive." The story unfolds with a blend of humor and suspense, reminiscent of a playful detective story. As secrets hidden as a silver sixpence in a Christmas pudding come to light, it becomes clear that truth is sometimes stranger—and more delightful—than fiction. The captivating conclusion leaves both the characters and readers pondering the charming complexities of reality and folklore.
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