Showing results by publisher "Spoken Realms" in Horror

The Beetle tells the tale of an evil, ancient Egyptian spirit seeking revenge on an up-and-coming British politician, Paul Lessingham. The shape-shifting creature that pursues Lessingham is possessed of hypnotic powers and takes different forms, both male and female, as well as morphing into a beetle - a figure that induces terror in its victims.

A brilliant short story demonstrating how a truly balanced set of dilemmas can allow a reader to conclude two different endings. In this case a young man is faced with two doors. One holds a door with a ferocious tiger. The other? A beautiful lady whom he would immediately marry. The struggle comes not so much in defining a choice, but the reasons that brought the young man to the choice, and who helps him make the choice.

At the end of the nineteenth century, the eerie writings of W.W. Jacobs were considered by many to be comparable with Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' and Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. Here is a collection of nine of W.W. Jacobs best-known tales.

In "The Parasite," Arthur C Clarke explores the dark and unsettling world of "mental illness" through the eyes of Roy Connolly. But Roy knows he isn't crazy, he has been possessed by Omega, a creature of the very distant future where humanity exists primarily as intellect with severely emaciated bodies. And what fun is that? The solution is to travel back in time to a more physical era

A strange woman becomes a guest of the house of Laura and her father by devious means. Disappearances, nocturnal wanderings, sickness, and death ensue, and no one knows what is behind it all.

Demons of Cthulhu by Robert Silverberg, set in the infamous Cthulhu Mythos, takes listeners on a chilling journey into the depths of cosmic horror. Mike Vendetti's narration style proves to be an excellent choice for capturing the grim atmosphere and otherworldly ambiance that pervades the novel. His deep, resonant voice and skilled delivery brought the sinister tale to life. Silverberg's writing, though not as well-known for his contributions to the Mythos as H.P. Lovecraft himself, is a commendable addition to the canon.

Midnight. Some call it the witching hour. Others call it the devil’s hour. Here in the graveyard, midnight is a very special time. It is a time when ghostly spirits are at their strongest, when the veil between our world and theirs is at its thinnest. Legend has it, that while most of the world is asleep, the lack of prayers allow the spirits to communicate under the cover of darkness, among the headstones, their whispers rustling in the leaves of the old oak trees. But if you’re here in the graveyard, you can tell yourself it’s just the wind....

Doctor Henry Jekyll, on a quest to liberate our inner demons from the constraints of our conscience, unleashes ancient and primal forces buried deep within us all. Once released, can that nature ever be contained? In true Gothic tradition, join Henry in his race against time as investigating detectives and others uncover evidence that slowly leads them back toward the doctor himself.

Jane Eyre is a plain orphan girl, unloved and abused by her Aunt Reed, who is sent away to boarding school. Strong of heart and craving independence, Jane embarks upon a life of governess to a young French girl named Adele, the benefactor of the mysterious Mr. Rochester. Life at Thornfield Hall proves just as mysterious as its owner with haunting laughter and a dark secret living in the attic.

Think you know the classic story by Mary Shelley? It bears little resemblance to the Hollywood tale told and retold dozens of times for the screen. Veteran narrator David Gilmore takes you on the complete horrifying journey as it was actually penned in 1816. Includes Shelley's backstory of how she was challenged to come up with a riveting tale by her husband while on a vacation.

Franz Kafka was one of the first and greatest masters of dystopian literature. In his bleak world view, man is presented as helpless and ineffectual, his destiny determined by distant, obscure and essentially unfriendly agencies. In none of his works is this savage and unreasoning enslavement presented more vividly than in Metamorphosis, a novella in which Gregor Samsa, a respectable employee and dutiful son, wakes to find himself transformed into a gigantic insect.

The charismatic Count Dracula, a Transylvanian nobleman, wishes to purchase a house in London. Assisted in this enterprise by a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker, it becomes evident that there is a sinister side to the Count's plans. A small group of friends unite to prevent the success of the Count's schemes, hazarding danger to themselves for the greater good of humanity. The growing mystery is revealed through journal entries, letters, and telegrams written by the main characters.

Prince Anryn of Ammar has spent his life striving to please his father, the legendary Lightning King. He studies, fences, burns witches at the stake. But when assassins strike, he is left wounded and alone in the mountains, wondering if his father ordered his death. There he meets Maertyn Blackfire, a cursed witch who has lived too long. In Anryn he sees what no one else dares: a curse like his own, trapping a woman’s soul in a man’s body. Bound by survival, Maertyn vows to protect the prince on a quest to uncover the would-be killer.

Charles Boswell's short story "Monsters of Monarchy", Terror Tales, May 1940 features Roman emperor Caligula (12 BCE-24 CE), one of the most notorious Roman emperors. Known for his incestuous relationship with his sisters, and for his cruelty and madness, which culminated in Caligula naming his horse Roman consul and declaring himself a god. Caligula's brief reign and life turn into a complex and fascinating story of a boy-emperor thoroughly unprepared for the throne, who, in the early years of the Roman Empire, tried to make Rome an absolute monarchy but failed.

Playboy Wesley Harrison finds himself embroiled in a "Juke Joint" romance with Leona, the daughter of hillman Jubel Tandy, resulting in a very short-lived marriage. Leona is killed in a car wreck four weeks after their marriage. Leona's words, "Nothin's ever goin' to part us darlin' never. Your mine as long as we live an' after that we'll sleep together up there on the ridge." Comes back to haunt Harrison when Jubal advises him, "We mate only once here in the hills, Harrison! She is gone from you for little while, but you belong to her for all eternity and I will know if you fail her"

"Mistress of the Dark Pool" by Russell Gray is a captivating short story with elements of horror, sex, and suspense. First published in 1940 in the magazine Terror Tales. The story follows a young couple seeking solitude in the mountains, only to encounter a peculiar dog with human-like eyes. As the plot unfolds, they discover a local woman rumored to be a witch, and their encounter with her takes a dark turn.

Pleasure Cruise to Hell by Donald Graham appeared in the pulp magazine Terror Tales May-June 1938. A second honeymoon turns into a trip into terror and perversion when the yacht a couple is traveling on becomes stranded outside the home of unfathomable evil: Madman's Island.

"Graveyard Rats" by Robert E. Howard as published in "Thrilling Mystery" a pulp magazine in 1936 has mystery, murder, and terror, along with being highly creepy. Robert E. Howard was one of the premier mystery writers of the period. This audiobook narrated by award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti will not disappoint.

The Book of Torment by Harrison Storm, a short horror story was first published in the May 1940 issue of Terror Tales, a pulp magazine. Gilbert Boden, the narrator, a professor and writer falls asleep, waking up to a very strange phenomenon. Apparently during the night unbeknownst to him he has created a short story featuring him as a member of the Spanish Inquisition, torturing a woman with a name very similar to a former lover who was found dead that morning.

From the May-June, 1938 issue of Terror Tales, Queens of Beauty and Horror a chilling story by George Edson. A group of 48 beauty queens celebrate the pageant they have just completed. The beauty queens and their escorts suspect little of the sinister motive behind the pageant. The audience consists of leering, lecherous old men who have nefarious plans for the beauties later in the evening.