The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast
Fiction & Audio Drama
About
A weekly podcast that reads out ghost stories, horror stories, and weird tales every week. Classic stories from the pens of the masters Occasionally, we feature living authors, but the majority are dead. Some perhaps are undead. We go from cosy Edwardian ghost stories (E. F. Benson, Walter De La Mare) to Victorian supernatural mysteries (M. R. James, Elizabeth Gaskell, Bram Stoker, and Charles Dickens) to 20th-century Weird Tales (Robert Aickman, Fritz Lieber, Clark Ashton-Smith, and H. P. Lovecraft) and wander from the Gothic to the Odd, even to the Literary, and then back again. Each episode is followed by...
Episodes
- The Triumph of Death by H Russell Wakefield
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features H. Russell Wakefield's "The Triumph of Death." The story, first published in 1949, tells of strange occurrences in an old house overlooking Lake Windermere.
- The Death Mask by H D Everett
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features "The Death Mask" by H. D. Everett. The story is about a widower, his deceased first wife, and the strange events that follow his intention to remarry. The narrative explores themes…
- Lost Hearts by M R James
This episode features a discussion of M. R. James's 1895 ghost story, "Lost Hearts." The story centers on a scholar and his experiences with a mysterious entity in a Lincolnshire house. M. R. James was a medieval manuscript scholar and inf…
- Midnight Express by Alfred Noyes
This episode features Alfred Noyes's "Midnight Express," a short story about a man waiting for a train he half-remembers from childhood nightmares. The story was first published in 1935 and is known for its supernatural and psychological h…
- A Bottle of Perrier by Edith Wharton
This episode reviews Edith Wharton's "A Bottle of Perrier." The story is set in North Africa and features a man waiting for a friend in a desert fortress. Edith Wharton was an American novelist and short story writer, known for works like…
- For the Blood is the Life by F. Marion Crawford
This episode features F. Marion Crawford's "For the Blood is the Life," a ghost story about two men in Calabria encountering a mysterious mound. The narrative unfolds as one man descends to investigate while the other observes silently.
- The Thing Invisible by W H Hodgson
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast presents W.H. Hodgson's "The Thing Invisible." The story involves an occult detective investigating a mysterious death in a country chapel where a servant is found dead, seemingly by an uns…
- A Recluse by Walter de la Mare
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast presents "A Recluse" by Walter de la Mare. The story involves a man named Charles Dash who trespasses on a seemingly empty property, only to encounter an unexpected and insistent owner.
- The Bat by Bela Lugosi
Bela Lugosi's "The Bat" is a short horror monologue focusing on mood rather than plot, describing the bat as a creature of night. The episode also details Lugosi's career, from his iconic role as Dracula to his later work in low-budget fil…
- The Bat by Bela Lugosi
Bela Lugosi's "The Bat" is a horror monologue exploring themes of darkness and unease. The episode also delves into Lugosi's career, from his portrayal of Dracula to his later work in B-movies, highlighting his lasting impact on cinema.
- The Terror of Blue John Gap by Arthur Conan Doyle
A doctor recovering from illness stays in Derbyshire and investigates a local Roman mine. His exploration leads to unsettling discoveries as he delves into the tunnels beneath the Blue John caverns. This episode features the story by Arthu…
- And No Bird Sings by E F Benson
In this episode, a man experiences an unsettling atmosphere in an English wood where birds are silent and dogs are afraid. The story, "And No Bird Sings," by E F Benson, was first published in 1926.
- Mezengerstein by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe's "Metzengerstein" is a classic ghost story set in medieval Hungary. It features a young baron, a horse unlike any other, and a prophecy. This was Poe's first published tale, appearing anonymously in 1832.
- An Encounter in the Mist by A N L Munby
This episode features "An Encounter in the Mist" by A. N. L. Munby. It tells the story of a man lost in the Welsh hills who encounters an enigmatic stranger, leading to a quiet reckoning with the uncanny. The story was first published in T…
- The Treasure of Abbot Thomas by M R James
M.R. James's "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" tells of a scholar, Mr. Somerton, who deciphers a medieval abbot's hidden message, leading to an ancient treasure. The story, first published in 1904, is a notable example of antiquarian literary…
- The Occupant of the Room by Algernon Blackwood
In this episode, a schoolmaster in an Alpine village takes a room that was previously occupied by an Englishwoman who mysteriously vanished. He soon experiences a profound sense of despair and dread, hinting at a supernatural presence. The…
- Cwm Garon by L T C Rolt
In this episode, The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast presents a reading of L.T.C. Rolt's 1948 supernatural story, Cwm Garon. The episode explores the unsettling experience of a visitor to a remote Welsh valley, a work noted as a classic of t…
- The Playfellow by Lady Cynthia Asquith
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of the short story "The Playfellow" by Lady Cynthia Asquith, a supernatural tale about a family moving into a house where their daughter makes a ghostly friend.
- The Skeleton Count or The Vampire Mistress by Elizabeth Grey
This episode explores the 1828 vampire tale The Skeleton Count; or, The Vampire Mistress, potentially written by Elizabeth Caroline Grey. The story follows Count Rodolph and his reanimated companion, Bertha, delving into themes of necroman…
- A Message for Julia by R A Sunter
In this episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast, experts conduct a séance to contact a grieving mother's deceased daughter. However, the ritual takes an unexpected turn as the atmosphere shifts and the boundaries of the unknown become…
- The Frost Fair by Tony Walker
Tony Walker presents his original ghost story, The Frost Fair, set at a Frost Fair on the frozen River Thames where two friends gather at a riverside pub.
- The Demon King by J B Priestley
This episode features a reading of The Demon King by J. B. Priestley, a story set in a provincial theatre during a Christmas pantomime. It also explores the history of the 1931 story and its 1962 BBC radio adaptation.
- Boxing Night by E F Benson
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of the story Boxing Night by E F. Benson. The narrative follows two sisters isolated by snow in a farmhouse on the Romney Marshes who experience a shared dream.
- Lucky's Grove by H Russell Wakefield
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of the story "Lucky's Grove" by H. Russell Wakefield. The narrative centers on a Christmas gathering at a house where a tree brought from an ancient, sacred grove brings…
- The Man Who Came Back by Margery Lawrence
In this episode, The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast presents Margery Lawrence's 1935 short story, "The Man Who Came Back." The story follows a Christmas gathering that takes a dark turn when a medium's spiritualist performance leads to an u…
- The Four-Fifteen Express by Amelia B. Edwards
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of the 1866 Christmas ghost story The Four-Fifteen Express by Victorian writer Amelia B. Edwards. The narrative explores themes of railway investment, mystery, and crime.
- The Doll's Ghost by F. Marion Crawford
In this episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast, host Tony Walker presents 'The Doll's Ghost' by F. Marion Crawford, a supernatural tale originally published in the late 19th century.
- The Whistling Room by William Hope Hodgson
In this episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast, host Tony Walker presents the 1910 story “The Whistling Room” by William Hope Hodgson. The story follows Carnacki the ghost-finder as he investigates an unsettling, whistling room in an…
- A Haunted House by Charles Dickens
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of A Haunted House by Charles Dickens, a story originally published in 1859. The narrative follows an investigation into a house rumored to be haunted, specifically cover…
- Hawley Bank Foundry by L T C Rolt
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of the short story Hawley Bank Foundry by L. T. C. Rolt, originally published in the 1948 collection Sleep No More.
- The Dunwich Horror by H P Lovecraft
In this episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast, Tony Walker presents a reading of H.P. Lovecraft’s 1929 cosmic horror story, The Dunwich Horror.
- Twilight by Marjorie Bowen
In this episode, The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast explores Marjorie Bowen's 1913 story "Twilight." The narrative follows a young courtier who encounters Lucrezia Borgia in her final days, leading to a request for confession in a garden se…
- Halloween Dark Ale by Tony Walker
In this episode, Tony Walker tells the story of a young man working at a Wapping pub in 1987, where the local Thames Halloween Dark Ale conceals dark secrets within the cellar.
- An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce
The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast presents a reading of Ambrose Bierce's 1890 short story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, which explores the experience of a man facing execution on a railway bridge during the Civil War.
- Phantom Silhouette by Joy Burnett
In this episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast, host Tony Walker presents the supernatural story "Phantom Silhouette" by Joy Burnett. The tale follows a skeptic who spends the night in a mysterious, abandoned farmhouse where the past…
- Bad Company be Walter de la Mare
This episode explores Walter de la Mare's short story Bad Company, published in the 1955 collection A Beginning and Other Stories. The narrative focuses on a traveller experiencing dread during an encounter with a stranger on an Undergroun…
- Cushi by Christopher Woodforde
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features the story Cushi by Christopher Woodforde. It explores strange occurrences in the village of Rooksgate Green following the arrival of a new rector and the unsettling influence of th…
- Hand in Glove by Elizabeth Bowen
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of Elizabeth Bowen's 1952 short story, Hand in Glove. The story explores themes of genteel decay and hidden secrets within an Irish household.
- Et Sempiternum Pereant by Charles Williams
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of the short story Et in Sempiternum Pereant by Charles Williams, originally published in 1935. The story follows Lord Arglay as he encounters a mysterious and supernatur…
- The Hollow Man by Thomas Burke
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of the story The Hollow Man by British author Thomas Burke. First published in 1933, the narrative follows a man wandering the streets of London toward an unsettling enco…
- A Visitor from Down Under by L. P. Hartley
In this episode, The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast presents "A Visitor from Down Under" by L. P. Hartley. This story, originally published in 1948, follows a man at a London hotel who experiences unsettling events after a mysterious visito…
- Old Man's Beard by H. Russell Wakefield
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of the 1929 story "Old Man's Beard" by H. Russell Wakefield. The tale follows a young woman named Mariella whose summer in Brinton-on-Sea becomes unsettled by an unseen a…
- The Little Ghost by Hugh Walpole
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features a reading of the story "The Little Ghost" by author Hugh Walpole, originally published in 1931.
- The Victim by May Sinclair
This episode features a reading of the 1923 short story "The Victim" by May Sinclair. The narrative follows Steven Acroyd, a man whose jealousy and anger lead to a terrible act and a subsequent haunting.
- The Monolith by Tony Walker
In this episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast, host Tony Walker presents his original short story, The Monolith. The narrative follows George Middleton, who encounters a mysterious, ancient stone in the village of Eastwick.
- The True Story of Anthony Ffryar by Arthur Gray
This episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast features the story The True Story of Anthony Ffryar by Arthur Gray, writing as Ingulphus. The story explores themes of scholarship, memory, and history within the setting of a university.
- How Pan Came to Little Ingleton by Margery Lawrence
In this episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast, host Tony Walker reads Margery Lawrence's 1933 short story, "How Pan Came to Little Ingleton." The story explores an atmosphere of unease in an English village.
- Rose Rose by Barry Pain
This episode features a reading of the story Rose Rose by British author Barry Pain. Originally published in 1911, the story explores themes within an artist's studio.
- The Clock by W F Harvey
This episode features a reading of the short story "The Clock" by W. F. Harvey, originally published in the 1928 collection The Beast with Five Fingers. It includes biographical information about the author, William Fryer Harvey.
- The Lost Ghost (1903) by Mary E Wilkins
In this episode, The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast presents Mary E. Wilkins Freeman's 1903 supernatural story, The Lost Ghost. The narrative explores a quiet, haunting presence experienced by two women in a rented house.