Showing results by publisher "Spoken Realms" in Short Stories

This short story by Mark Twain was not published until 1916, six years after his death in 1910, because his family considered it too scandalous. After all, what could be more scandalous then attacking religion and war. Narrator John Greenman takes us inside that church as the preacher beseeches God to grant them victory and protect our troops when a stranger appears.

A Romance of Wastdale, published in 1895, is a novel by the British writer A.E.W Mason. In 1921, it was turned into a film of the same name directed by Maurice Elvey and made by Stoll Pictures, Britain’s biggest studio of the silent era. The novel is set in the scenic area of Wastdale, Cumbria, situated in the Lake District National Park and surrounded by some of England’s highest mountains. Wastdale Head has been a starting point for walks and climbing trips into the mountains, in this context, this story of mountains, mountaineers, romance, and treachery unfolds.

Here are short stories by the incomparable Virginia Woolf, including the story that was the original basis for the novel Mrs. Dalloway.

Do you want to know how a corpse feels, moldering in the grave? Listen to this audiobook of weird, bizarre menace. "When the Banshee Calls," a short horror story by Wayne Rogers published in the May-June 1938 issue of Terror Tales, narrated by award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti, will creep you into the crypt.

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.

"Prey for the Daughter of Hell" is a captivating short story by Conrad Kimball that combines elements of horror and romance. The story revolves around a 12-year-old girl who becomes the victim of a curse imposed by an Asian mystic. The mystic hypnotizes her, making her believe that her love life will mirror that of a female praying mantis, where she mates with males and then consumes them.

Test Tube Frankenstein, a short horror story by Wayne Robbins appeared in the May 1940 issue of Terror Tales. It is interesting to draw connections between this pulp story and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Both stories involve a mad genius creating a creature that deceives and kills those around them. However, in this short story, the creature takes on the form and demeanor of its creator, Chester Vermis, which differentiates it from Frankenstein.

"The Night Eternity Ended" a short horror story by Donald Dale, published in the May 1940 issue of Terror Tales, featuring Juan Perez who has been paying the penalty for daring to look upon the Blue Lady of the Sierras during those hours when the cold stone was transformed into warm human flesh. Juan was a handsome ladies' man 400 years ago until he worked his charms upon the Blue Lady of the Sierras.

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.

Mark Twain's "Extracts from Adam's Diary" first appeared in 1893. He based Adam and Eve on himself and his beloved wife Olivia ("Livy") to create a humorous counterpoint the traditional Garden of Eden story, this time centered on what life may have been like for the first man. In this story, we hear Adam trying to work out what the "new creature with long hair" is all about. She names things, much to Adam's annoyance. She follows him around. Then suddenly, there's another creature, which eventually Adam decides is his son Cain. It's all about confusion and curiosity, and finally, love for Eve.

This audiobook begins with Doctor Universe and Double Trouble, connected by their main character, Grannie Annie, who happens to be a science fiction writer herself and is renowned for her deep, involved, and personal background research on different planets.

Step back into the poetic world of Thomas Wolfe with An Angel on the Porch, a poignant short story originally published in Scribner's Magazine in August 1929. This captivating narrative serves as an integral part of Wolfe's larger autobiographical work, "Look Homeward, Angel," and echoes themes of memory, loss, and the search for meaning.

"The Special Exhibit" by Robert Sheckley is a short story narrated by Mike Vendetti that provides a fascinating and sure solution to a problem marriage.

"But, first, he stopped before the mirror. He was a handsome man, but, vain. No woman could resist him, he believed; few actually did. In consequence, they were objects of contempt, victims rather than recipients of love." So begins "The Lost Key" a short story by Hal Ellson published in Manhunt magazine in February 1960, narrated as an audiobook by Mike Vendetti. But what happens when Mr. Wonderful puts his moves on a female narcissist?

From the February 1960 issue of Manhunt Magazine, Mike Vendetti has taken four short stories that appeared in that issue and turned them into an audiobook. An Empty Threat by Donald E Westlake, No Place to run by Carroll Mayers, the Worm Turns by R. D'Ascoli, and The Idiot's Tale.

Mr. Tremaine was a one-hit wonder, not to be heard from again. The key character of this tale, Mr. Nekkan, is an interesting study and may bring to mind a recent resident of our Whitehouse. Nekkan would likely be diagnosed as a narcissist, with an intense desire to get even with his perceived enemies and the town of Kwaliz.

Welcome to the Fiction on the Web audiobook series, featuring a collection of short stories with a different theme for each volume. Lovingly curated by the owner of Fiction On The Web, Charlie Fish. Come and share in the joy and power of short stories.

The narrator walks the streets of St. Petersburg at night, contemplating how ridiculous his life is.

Life as Livy Random came with its challenges. Struggling with her appearance and her unhappy marriage to Mr. Mark Random, Livy found solace in her vivid imagination. By conjuring an imaginary lover, Livy discovered a world where she felt truly alive, feeling his presence in ways she couldn't quite explain. As her connection to this invisible paramour grew stronger, Livy ventured into uncharted territory when she became pregnant--not by her husband, but by this ethereal lover.

In "Side Job," a gripping short story by Carol Mayers, listeners are invited into the seedy underbelly of New York City, where a small bar doubles as a clandestine hub for those seeking more than just a drink. Here, amidst the dim lighting and quiet chatter, Edward Lesko navigates his rise within a powerful syndicate.