Showing results by narrator "Michael Williams" in All Categories

In 1929, M. R. James penned an essay called 'Stories I Have Tried to Write', in which he detailed plots that had failed to blossom and fragments of tales that never materialised, recalling them 'for the benefit of someone else'. In this BBC Radio series, Sheila Hodgson takes advantage of his generosity, fleshing out these sketchy ideas into full-blown dramas. Some are narrated by M. R. James himself, while others feature the author as a character, caught up in strange, inexplicable events.

In the harsh territory near what used to be the Western badlands, Ryan Cawdor and his crew join the search for the wreck of a crashed space station. But in the ruins of Las Vegas, he falls prey to a maelstrom of violence. Hostage in a bitter war between regional barons, Ryan finds that even his best effort is an odds-even gamble and that his son's life may depend on the whims of destiny.

Keeping the peace in a West Texas town like Buffalo Peak should be easy for a legendary frontiersman like Marshal Elwood "Firestick" McQueen. He’s got his longtime buddies "Beartooth" Skinner and "Moosejaw" Hendricks as his deputies—not to mention the famous rifle that earned him his nickname. But when Firestick learns that their ornery old friend “Rip” Ripley just rode into town, all bets are off. It’s darn near impossible to keep the peace when Rip’s specialty is disturbing it. Firestick finds a decade-old wanted poster for Rip—the reward is one dollar.

Here is a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Jane Austen's perceptive study of middle class morals and mores in the 19th century. The cast includes Hannah Gordon as the narrator, Amanda Root as Fanny Price, Jane Lapotaire as Mrs Norris, and Michael Williams as Sir Thomas Bertram.

Exploring the see-saw tension between frustration and faith, between the paralysis of despondency and the vitality of hope, between the inevitability of dread and the surges of joy, The Lovely Sight of Ithaca strives to document the travail in attempting to walk the "steep and narrow path" of a spiritual life. Though interspersed with occasional light verse, the poems of this volume speak heavily on love, loneliness, longing, despair, insanity, Divinity, serenity, and triumph.

Landlord Jack and his daughter Nicola used to be close – when she was seven, and all she talked about was ponies. Now she’s 26 and works in the City, and they’ve drifted apart. So when she comes back for a Christmas visit and announces she wants to stay and help manage the pub, he’s less than thrilled. Barmaid Mrs Drummond is unimpressed too – she’s never liked Nicola – but regular customer Andy is delighted she’s back home.

Arch-criminal Tyvian Reldamar has gotten complacent. For him, he's reached the pinnacle of all he's really hoping to achieve: he's got money, he's got women (some of which aren't even trying to kill him), and he's got his loyal friends and family nearby and safe. Except...maybe not so safe. Because this is Eretheria, a city known as much for its genteel aristocracy as for its diabolical scheming. Long without a king, the scions of the ruling families scrabble for control - including levying cruel taxes and drafts on the peasantry in order to wage "polite" wars against each other.

The warrior survivalists are reluctant guests in a reactivated 20th-century medical institute in Maine. Here, scientists still pursue their abstract theories, oblivious to the realities of a world gone mad. But when they take an unhealthy interest in Krysty Wroth, the pressure is on to find a way out of this guarded enclave.

It starts as a happy reunion between Preacher and his fellow trappers in a peaceful Indian village. But it ends swiftly in death and destruction when a rival tribe attacks the village, slaughters some of Preacher’s Crow and mountain man friends, and carries off the women and children as prisoners. Preacher was off hunting when it happened. Now he’s teaming up with old friend Lorenzo and half-breed Tall Dog, to get the prisoners back—and get revenge. But the road to justice is paved with some very dark omens. And the trail leads to the baddest place on God’s good earth.

A new and horrific face of the Annunaki legacy appears in the Arizona desert. A shambling humanoid monster preys on human victims, consuming their energy, burning their souls — leaving empty, mindless shells in its wake. Trapped inside this creature, the souls of rogue Igigi, once the treasured slave caste of the Annunaki, seek hosts for their physical rebirth. And no human — perhaps not even the Cerberus rebels — can stop them from reclaiming the planet of their masters for themselves....

Decades after the nukecaust, Earth's fate remains in a stranglehold. The stunning otherworldly design of the blueprint for domination is crucial to rescuing humanity from eternal slavery. As the Cerberus exiles dare to challenge the planet's increasingly powerful usurpers, the battle to navigate time and dimension continues — aided by brute force and the age-old strategies of war.

The alien blueprint to claim Earth dates back to eons before humanity became enslaved. Fires of human rebellion have only strengthened the bid to fully secure the chains of iron rule. But the battle that spans time and space has become a proving ground. A bold, sophisticated band of insurgents has understanding of the enemy's darkest secrets and dares to loosen the choke hold of power on the planet....

Fleeing from the growing sinkhole that was once the Glory mines, Ryan Cawdor and his companions struggle to make their way east to Ryan’s home of Front Royal as a safe haven for delivering Krysty’s child. Along the way, they are welcomed into a Deathlands community based on the structure and devolved traditions of a 20th century Iowa State prison. One of the bizarre customs that has evolved is the tallying of victorious acts of violence as a way of achieving dominance. Through a misunderstanding, Doc Tanner is believed to have achieved 246 of such acts.

After the events of Deathlands 131: Freak Pharm and the overthrow of the corrupt pseudo-medical theocracy there, Ryan Cawdor, Krysty Wroth, and their fellow companions had decided that the recovering community of Bomville would likely be the safest place to prepare for the eventual birth of Krysty’s child, rather than venturing out yet again into the unknown. Otherworldly circumstances soon convince Ryan and Krysty that the opposite is true.

The companions have returned from their time jump back to the year 2001 on a mission to put an end to the malevolent cyborg known as Magus. Despite having narrowly survived that harrowing adventure, Ryan Cawdor’s intrepid team is not about to give up. They renew their pursuit of the augmented madman. But there are disturbing indications that the Deathlands to which they’ve returned may not be the one they remember.

In pursuit of a hardened enemy — Magus — Ryan and the companions find themselves in a land more foreign than any they've encountered. After unwittingly slipping through a time hole, the group lands in 20th-century New York City, getting their first glimpse of predark civilization. And they're not sure they like it. Only Mildred and Doc can appreciate this strange metropolis, but Armageddon is just 72 hours away, and Magus will stop at nothing to make sure Ryan and his team are destroyed on Nuke Day....

Taken captive on a ship in the former Caribbean, Ryan and his companions must work as part of the crew or perish at the hands of the captain. But the mutant in charge of the vessel is the least of their worries. Each day is a struggle as they face rivalry among the sailors, violent attacks, and deadly storms. Worse, a powerful enemy is hunting the ship to destroy everyone on board. Fighting for their lives and those of their shipmates, the companions must find unity within the chaos or die in the attempt.

The brutality of post-nuclear America has spawned a dark frontier where the harsh and unforgiving new rules of existence cannot obliterate the decency and determination that drive the true human spirit. It's tested and tormented but never destroyed. A lust for power and a strong sec-force are the basic requirements of any Deathlands baron. But brilliant, charismatic Baron Eugene Arcadian has bigger visions than simply a monopoly on jack and trade. He wants the future.

After the nuclear winter, the taint of humanity worsened in the raw blood-quest for survival. Hunger for jack and power now fuels traders and barons, who relinquish authority only through death, crushing everything in their path. Still, a handful seek a better way of life, where iron fists and ordnance are replaced by harmony, justice, and fair trade. Separated by fate and a freak storm in the shifting landscape of the Great Plains, the companions find themselves on a path of strange prophecy.

Crawling out of the ruins of a nuke-shattered America, a new reality shapes an unpredictable terrain of human resilience and unabated savagery. Born and bred in Deathlands, Ryan Cawdor has seen the pulsing of its dark heart. And he understands more than most that tomorrow is certain to arrive. But to see it means surviving today — any way he can.