When he is sent to interview a retired clergyman whose predictions has recently gained a certain notoriety, a newspaper reporter hears the tale of a most strange and unusual series of events which seem to have no rational explanation. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator of role pl…

When a talented but shunned artist's friend is brought to visit his studio in an old part of town, the paintings he finds there reveal terrifying subject matter that may be based in more than just imagination. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator of role playing games including 'Ct…

When a young librarian is tasked with retrieving a certain old book, he finds himself entangled in a family feud where a forbidding secret of the past refuses to stay buried. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator of role playing games including 'Cthulhu Dark' and 'Cosmic Dark' and y…

In "Dig Me No Grave," an old man’s unsettling death leads his friend to carry out bizarre final instructions involving dark occult rituals. As they follow the deceased’s cryptic demands, they uncover horrifying truths about his past and the malevolent forces tied to his existence. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Gr…

In "The Voice in the Night" a ship's crew encounters a mysterious, disembodied voice pleading for aid from the darkness of the sea. The tale unfolds as the voice recounts a harrowing story of shipwreck, survival, and a frightful transformation. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator …

After the disappearance of celebrated aviator Joyce-Armstrong, a notebook is found which chronicles his perilous journey to the upper reaches of the atmosphere where he discovers strange and wondrous creatures. However, not all the life he finds there is harmless... Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. …

Bram Stoker's first published story tells of an artist, torn from his lover and held captive in the palace of a king, forced to create a work of art for him in order to win his freedom at the forthcoming Feast of Beauty. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator of role playing games in…

Big game hunter Sanger Rainsford is stranded on an island in the Caribbean. There he meets the enigmatic General Zaroff who puts to him a most unusual proposition. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator of role playing games including 'Cthulhu Dark' and 'Cosmic Dark' and you can find…

In "For the Blood is the Life," the narrator is visited in Italy by a friend, a Scandinavian artist, and relates to him the strange tale behind a figure which can apparently be seen lying on top of a small mound on the hillside near his villa. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator o…

An artist and his model are disturbed by unsettling dreams and the sight of a strange watchman at the church across from his studio. Soon after they find a mysterious book on the shelves in his library their lives take a tragic turn. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator of role pla…

In "The Wood of the Dead" an unnamed narrator describes how, after stopping at a country inn a during a country ramble, he encounters an enigmatic old man. After he learns from he inn-keeper’s daughter of the character's strange history and the connection between him and a nearby grove, he is party to a mysterious event. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories …

In 'Man-Size in Marble' two newly-weds rent a country cottage to escape the bustle of the city. At first they are very happy, but before long an ancient superstition regarding their house has strange and terrible repercussions. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator of role playing g…

In "The Signal Man" our narrator relates the details of a chance encounter with a signal-man on a lonely stretch of railway and the tale he is told of a mysterious spectral figure that has repeatedly appeared there. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator of the role playing game 'Cth…

An unnamed narrator tells of his imprisonment by the Inquisition and the subsequent torture which he undergoes at their hands. Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music composed by Graham Walmsley. Graham is the creator of the role playing game 'Cthulhu Dark' and you can find him on Substack at https://grahamwalmsley.substack.com/ and T…

"Monkeys" concerns a respected and experimental surgeon who, after accompanying a friend to Egypt, becomes fascinated with a mummified corpse. For him this fascination leads a terrible conclusion. My thanks to Graham Walmsley for the marvellous opening and closing themes he has composed for the podcast. Graham is the creator of the role playing gam…

In an very special episode of the podcast I am joined by Scott Dorward of The Good Friends of Jackson Elias for a reading of Frank Belknap Long's classic mythos tale "The Hounds of Tindalos" The story tells of one Halpin Chalmers who, with the assistance of the narrator, conducts an experiment with a mysterious drug in order to view the depths of t…

In The Tapestried Chamber, or The Lady in the Saque we learn of a General Browne, recently returned from America, whose stay at an old friend's stately home results in a most unexpected and unpleasant encounter. My thanks to Graham Walmsley for the marvellous opening and closing themes he has composed for the podcast. Graham is the creator of the r…

In the wilds of Alaska, a gold prospector and his companion marvel at a strange light in the sky over a five-peaked mountain. That evening as they make camp, a visitor brings with him a curious and horrifying tale of his experiences in the chasm beneath. My thanks to Graham Walmsley for the marvellous opening and closing themes he has composed for …

"The Corpse Light" by Dick Donovan (whose real name was J. E. Preston Muddock) tells of a respected and level headed medical man whose journey past a supposedly haunted mill brings him an experience that challenges his sceptical nature. My thanks to Graham Walmsley for the marvellous opening and closing themes he has composed for the podcast. Graha…

Many thanks to listener C.L. Larsson who requested these two short tales by H.P. Lovecraft. In "What The Moon Brings" an unnamed narrator tells of a moonlight stroll which by turns becomes strange and horrifying in nature. The second tale, "The Thing in the Moonlight," is an extract from a letter written by Lovecraft to Donald Wandrei of a dream wh…

Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Ring of Thoth" concerns an academic who, whilst on a research trip to Paris, encounters a singular individual with a very unusual tale to tell.. My thanks to Graham Walmsley for the marvellous opening and closing themes he has composed for the podcast. Graham is the creator of the role playing game 'Cthulhu Dark' and you c…

To mark the second anniversary of my little podcast of classic macabre tales, I've chosen a rather special story by arguably one of the most greatest and most influential authors of the genre. First published in 1904, Montague Rhodes James's "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" tells of a Cambridge professor who visits a seaside town on the …

"The Cairn on the Headland" tells of an academic, who along with his companion discovers that an ancient Irish landmark holds a secret that would be best left undisturbed. My thanks to Graham Walmsley for the marvellous opening and closing themes he has composed for the podcast. Graham is the creator of the role playing game 'Cthulhu Dark' and you …

"The Novel of the White Powder" concerns a young student of the law who after having become exhausted from overwork is prescribed a pick-me-up by the family doctor. However, the medicine he takes seems to provoke a dramatic and concerning change in his behaviour. My thanks to Graham Walmsley for the marvellous opening and closing themes he has comp…

"The Empty House" tells of Jim Shorthouse, who accompanies his aunt to an old house where, a century ago, a servant girl was thrown to her death from a balcony by a jealous stableman. The house has lain unoccupied other than for brief periods ever since. Unoccupied, but perhaps not ... empty. My thanks to Graham Walmsley for the marvellous opening …

I am delighted to open the second season of my podcast with this cautionary tale from the compendium "The Private Life of Elder Things" "Devo Nodenti" tells of Peggy Connings, who made a decision over half a lifetime ago which had unforeseen and terrible consequences. My heartfelt thanks go out to the author herself, who has very kindly given me pe…

A short announcement to introduce the forthcoming new season of my little podcast....

A visitor to the Italian Riviera has a dark foreboding about the villa in which they are staying. Then, that night they experience a most unusual dream - or is it a dream? Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions If you are enjoying these tales, please consider…

Our narrator, an Englishman travelling through Germany from Munich on the last day of April is warned not to return late to his hotel. Despite this, the young man leaves his carriage at a crossroads to head in the direction of a mysterious abandoned village. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https:/…

Our narrator arises the following morning to learn more of the Château d’Ys and its inhabitants Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions If you are enjoying these tales, please consider leaving a review on the listening platform of your choice.…

Our narrator finds himself lost on the moors of Brittany in north-western France, where he encounters a mysterious stranger. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions If you are enjoying these tales, please consider leaving a review on the listening platform of …

Following the death of his sister, Roderick Usher's mental condition deteriorates still further. Our narrator attempts to cheer his spirits by reading him a classic tale of adventure and romance. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions If you are enjoying thes…

After learning of the rapid decline in his sister's condition, our narrator spends time with the master of the House of Usher and grows ever more concerned by his increasingly eccentric behaviour. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions If you are enjoying the…

An unnamed narrator arrives at the ancient mansion owned by a boyhood companion, Roderick Usher, from whom he has recently received a letter. Usher is suffering from an illness and hopes that seeing his old friend will lift his spirits once more. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.…

In the concluding part of The Ash Tree, Sir Matthew Fell's grandson discovers that his inheritance is not entirely fortuitous. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions If you are enjoying these tales, please consider leaving a review on the listening platform o…

Castringham Hall in Suffolk is a house with an unfortunate history. Many years ago its owner's testimony was instrumental in the guilty verdict and hanging of a supposed witch. Could it be that her last words laid a curse upon the family? Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/priv…

Our unnamed narrator has taken rooms in an old property in New York City. As he settles down for the night he is disturbed by a very unnerving set of events. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions

When, just two days before his wedding to May Forster, the prettiest girl in the village, John Charrington is called to visit his seriously ill godfather, May worries that something will happen to delay his return. John, however reassures her that nothing will prevent him from arriving at his wedding on time. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime S…

It is a time of Civil War and military justice is about to be served on a railroad bridge in Alabama. As the man waits for his execution at the hands of Federal soldiers, he looks down at the water below him and thinks of his wife and children.Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productionshttps://soundcloud.com/…

Slightly delayed due to an unexpected encounter with a malevolent staircase, the final part of of The Colour Out of Space concerns the return to the Gardner farm by Ammi and the Arkham authorities. What they experience during the night leaves them shaken to the very core. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Produ…

In the second part of The Colour Out of Space, the fortunes of the Gardner family go from bad to worse through Spring, Summer and Autumn. When Ammi Pierce pays a visit in late October what he finds threatens very reason itself. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellprod…

In order to mark the first anniversary of my little podcast I have a special treat in store. Over the next three episodes, I'll be reading a classic tale of cosmic horror by H.P. Lovecraft. The Colour Out of Space tells the story told to a surveyor by an old man of the secrets behind a shunned place referred to by the locals as the "blasted heath."…

A tale is told among friends of a certain man of science who has a narrow escape from an old enemy. Some time later, however, events suggest that his enemy may not have yet given up the pursuit even from beyond the veil. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions…

A young Paris student eagerly shows his comrades a curious item he has recently picked up whilst visiting his home town. However the company's amusement at the finding is somewhat short lived. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions…

In "The Open Window" a Mr. Framton Nuttel, on the advice of his doctor, travels to a village to affect a cure for his nervous condition. There he meets young Vera who tells him the terrible tale of a family tragedy. One might think that living in the country sounds a lot more peaceful than a the hustle and bustle of town. However, in "The Music on …

The Mezzotint is the story of Mr. Williams, the curator of a university art museum who receives a mezzotint from an art dealer. The very disturbing engraving changes each time Mr. Williams and the colleagues he enlists look at it. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellp…

A seasonally-adjacent tale to see out 2021. The tale of The Kit-Bag concerns the young private secretary of a noted barrister who has just won the acquittal (by reason of insanity) of an especially vicious murderer. Worn out by the case, and haunted by the evil-looking face of the murderer, he plans to recover by spending his Christmas holiday in t…

In this classic short story, three wishes are granted to the owner of a curious mummified paw, but the wishes come with an terrible price for interfering with fate. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions

A tale from The House of Apprehension. A cautionary tale in which an orchid collector finds that Mother Nature, despite her beauty, can often be treacherous, dangerous, and even deadly. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privatehellproductions Grateful thanks to Tom Bagatelle f…

A tale from The House of Apprehension. First published in Weird Tales, August 1925, In the Forest of Villefère tells of de Montour's passage through a supposedly haunted forest. There he comes upon a most unusual travelling companion. Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The Bag" by Private Hell Productions https://soundcloud.com/privateh…