Showing results by publisher "Audio Sommelier" in Anthologies & Short Stories

Revenge, death, and destruction abound in this early short story by H.P. Lovecraft. The story follows Antoine, a count who is last in line to die at the age of 32 due to a curse put on his family hundreds of years prior. His ancestor, being responsible for the death, brought about the curse, and Antoine was left to watch all his family, including his manservant, die an early death. But when his time comes and he is exploring the castle in wait, he manages to successfully end the curse by deflecting the fatal blow of Charles - the son of the man who was killed so many years ago.

Madame Mathilde Loisel is sure she was meant to be an aristocrat, but she was born into a middle-class family and married off to a middle-class clerk. When her husband procures them invitations to a high-society party, Loisel goes all out to impress. She borrows a diamond necklace from a wealthy acquaintance and has the time of her life - until the necklace goes missing. In “The Necklace”, de Maupassant showcases his signature twists of fate and social commentary in a story that will leave you speechless.

Cat haters beware. This piece by H.P. Lovecraft is largely memoirish, whereby the narrator is compelled to tell the listener about Ulthar after petting his own cat. When a travelling caravan passes through, a young orphan named Menes finds his beloved black kitten has gone missing and fears the worst - that his kitten had suffered a torturous end at the hands of the town cat killers. Annoyed by the lack of action on the part of the townspeople, Menes invokes a prayer that results in the cats of the town rising and slaying the cat-killing couple.

Lovecraftian themes abound in the tales of an intern at a madhouse and an illiterate madman. Slater, the madman whose unspeakable crimes led him to the madhouse, is continuously awakened in this story by surprisingly literate hallucinations of a glowing entity seeking revenge. Inspired by Slater’s uneducated background and the telepathic machine that he had made in his yesteryear, the intern delves deep into Joe Slater - who is receiving telepathic messages from a being of light.

A plague known as the Red Death has swept through the country, killing half the kingdom. Prince Prospero hides away in his castle with his favorite courtiers, unconcerned. One night, he throws a lavish masquerade ball, but the party goes south when a mysterious guest appears dressed as a plague victim. 

The public mourns when a beloved magistrate dies, a man of upstanding character who had a reputation for bringing criminals to justice. Yet when our tale’s narrator stumbles upon the man’s diary, he discovers another side to this public servant. One entry reads: “It must be a pleasure, unique and full of zest, to kill.”  

Complete with seven short stories, this is the definitive anthology for Nathaniel Hawthorne fans. Hawthorne’s dark romanticism and cultural commentary made him a staple of 19th-century American literature. Dive into the works that made him famous, such as the chilling “Young Goodman Brown”. Hawthorne delved deep into the human soul with his work, and now you can delve deep into his soul with this collection.  

Aylmer has a great career as a scientist and a beautiful new wife, Georgiana. There’s only one problem - Georgiana has a small red birthmark on her cheek. Aylmer grows increasingly disgusted with the birthmark and becomes obsessed with removing the one thing barring his wife from perfection.

In this classic tale, the young Puritan Goodman Brown heads into the woods for a meeting with the devil. His world turns on its head, however, when he sees who else has gathered for the satanic ceremony. 

Unlike many of Lovecraft’s stories, this story takes place in Greece, and more importantly, on a mountain that was supposedly watched over by Pan. Kalos and Musides, two friends, live here, and when Kalos falls ill and dies, Musides decides to use his sculpting powers to use. He erects a great monument to Kalos over his tomb, but an oak tree decides to overtake it, shaping into what looks like a deformed and monstrous human figure. Musides’ fears about the tree sapping the vital force from his friend’s grave are finally struck down by lightning - and with it the whole monument.

When Army lieutenant Philip Nolan rashly proclaims that he never wants to hear about the United States again, he has no idea that his wishes will be so literally carried out. Sentenced to spend the rest of his life in exile, never to hear news of the US again, Nolan truly learns what it means to be “without a country.” Originally published amid the division and chaos of the Civil War, The Man Without a Country gets right to the heart of some timeless and universal themes. Philip Nolan’s poignant tale will make you rethink the true meaning of patriotism.   

The tale follows a barefoot girl trying to sell matchsticks on a frigid New Year’s Eve. As the night grows colder, she lights the matches for warmth and has visions of her dead grandmother. Feel the cold seep into your bones as you hear this tale that has haunted listeners for over a century.

Hippocrates revolutionized the study of medicine in Ancient Greece, but some of his ideas still influence the medical field today. In his book On Ulcers, Hippocrates details the recommended treatment for this ailment. While modern medicine has moved beyond using honey, boiled leaves, and white wine to treat ulcers, Hippocrates’ advice on diet and rest hold true. This text is fascinating for anyone interested in the historical development of medical practices.   

Hippocrates earned the title “Father of Medicine” for his extensive work in ancient Greece. He effectively established medicine as a profession. Modern doctors still swear to uphold the ethical standards he laid out in the Hippocratic Oath. His work On Surgery provides a fascinating look into medical history and the historical practices of this great physician. 

One of Edgar Allen Poe’s more lighthearted stories, this details the investigation of a mummy named Allamistakeo. After finding the body of the mummy in good condition, the mummy researchers use electricity to bring him back to life. Allamistakeo then proceeds to have a conversation with the crew - from what ancient Egypt was like to what religion was like. The conversation ends abruptly when the researchers ask him a question about the beginning of the universe, calling to play the reigning religion at the time. 

In this story, the narrator showcases his friend, Toby Dammit, who is a man of low morals and often makes bets against the devil. One day, while on a bridge, Dammit sees a turnstile and bets the devil his head he can make it that far. An old man goads Dammit into making the leap - and the cost is about what you might expect.   

Poe’s characters often take turns for the worse, and this is the literal case in this shipwreck story by the author. Aboard a ship taking off from Indonesia, the narrator’s ship and crew is struck by a storm that kills everyone but the narrator and one other crewmember. As the ship sales on under the enchantment of the storm, it collides with another seemingly enchanted object - a large black galleon crewed by blind men. The narrator keeps a ship’s log while aboard and is forced to abandon it over the side of the ship with the hopes of someone reading it someday.  

Poe brings the reality of life and death to the forefront as he weaves a story within a story. When the narrator runs into an old man, the man begins to tell the tale of how he aged so rapidly. Only a day before, he was young - but lost his shipmates into a vicious maelstrom and the powers of the sea. After the initial terror of the event has subsided, he is able to examine the beauty and the power of the forces that can both provide life and take it away without note.  

On the brink of death, the friend of a notable mesmerist commits to an experiment of hypnosis prior to imminent death. As the tale progresses, the mesmerist describes keeping his friend in a fully mesmerized state without a pulse or breath. When Valdemar asks from his trancelike state to either be awakened or let go, the narrator tries to wake him from the grips of death - with dire consequences.  

This is a charming children’s story penned by the great literary legend Oscar Wilde. The giant protects his beloved garden from intrusion but at a cost of eternal winter inside. Then one day a special young boy shows up who changes everything. Though infused with religious symbolism, you don’t have to embrace religious faith to appreciate this timeless lesson about love and generosity.