Prospero can't remember the last time he slept. He can't remember the last time he saw his daughter or even how old she is. He has been working on one singular task for decades, and now he's nearly there. He's on the precipice of the greatest discovery of all time... ...and then someone kicks in the door. They're coming for him. -- Sponsors: The Great American Read starts September 11th at 8/7 Central on PBS. Check it out and vote here: https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/home/ Casper, s...
Sep 11, 2018•35 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Dracula has already claimed his first victim, and she is working on many more. Soon, the British Isles and then the rest of civilization will be one of two things: hunter or hunted. The few that Dracula chooses to turn will feed on the rest, and no one within 1000 miles of him knows it's coming. No one, that is, except for an unlikely alliance of people that will stop at nothing to put Dracula's reign to an end before it starts. -- Sponsors: Bombas - seriously, the most comfortable socks in the ...
Sep 04, 2018•56 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Mina is distraught. Her friend is sick, hit by a strange and sudden anemia the day a ship came into port from the other side of the world - some province in Romania known as Transylvania. Worse, Jonathan, her fiancee, hasn't returned yet. He had gone to visit a nobleman on the continent, and he was now a month overdue. Mina wasn't the only one with problems, though. At the mental institution, a heartbroken doctor has a patient come in with a dark secret...and a sinister appetite. -- Sponsors: RX...
Aug 28, 2018•46 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Jonathan Harker is on a work trip, which means new and bizzare foods, people with interesting stories, and a meeting with a count that people seriously will not stop warning him about. He doesn't see what the fuss is about. It's just an old guy with a handlebar mustache who lives in the woods in a creepy castle surrounded by wolves. What could go wrong? -- Sponsor: Green Chef is a USDA-certified organic company that sends you everything you need to easily cook delicious meals that you can feel g...
Aug 21, 2018•33 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Irene Adler. She's in one story, but she left such a permanent, indellible mark on Sherlock Holmes that he will now and forever refer to her as THE woman. Sherlock receives two visits in one night. One is expected: royalty with a problem that could alter the history of Europe. The other is a surprise: Watson, who's well on his way to a dad bod. -- Sponsor: Check out Levar Burton reads. If you like stories (and, I mean, c'mon, I hope you do) then you can't go wrong with Levar Burton Reads. Look f...
Aug 14, 2018•32 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In an alternate future, it's 1981 and the UN allies have been at war with the Soviet Union for six years. In that short amount of time, the world has been reduced to an irradiated husk of itself. Standing victorious over a fallen world, the Soviets unexpectedly find themselves overwhelmed by a new technology developed by the Allies. A technology that will turn the tide of the war. One that will harbor a deep secret. -- Sponsor: Check out http://www.nutrafol.com and use code FICTIONAL at checkout...
Aug 07, 2018•51 min•Season 3Ep. 1
On the season 2 finale, Victor Frankenstein's creation is responsible for two deaths, but Victor fears that the body count isn't close to being finished. The battle between creator and creation will stretch over multiple continents, destroying lives and bringing up questions of our responsibility toward our creations, arrogance, and what it means to live a good life. !!! We're up for a Webby People's Voice award! If you're going to vote, we ask that you please vote for Myths and Legends. It is t...
Apr 10, 2018•55 min•Season 2Ep. 10
A lurching green monster that's afraid of fire with bolts in his neck. A hunchback assistant named Igor. A menacing, mustache twirling doctor. None of those things are in this episode. Instead, we have an eight-foot-tall introspective giant, a thoughtful, if dangerously ambitious child who doesn't understand the enormity of the task he's undertaking, and a world that's not ready for the consequences of one young man's thoughtless genius. -- Fan of the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts! http...
Apr 03, 2018•38 min•Season 2Ep. 9
A couple in early 1800s Louisiana is headed home when they spot something unusual by a pillar, something that will change their lives, and the lives of the most powerful family in town, forever. -- Sponsor: You have to check out Masterclass. You can learn from professionally produced videos of people who are (literally) the best in the world at their craft. Try the All-Access pass at http://www.masterclass.com/fictional to unlock every class for the price of just two. -- Music: "When in the West...
Mar 27, 2018•29 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Two stories by the U.S. writer O. Henry. In the first, a young woman is dying, pinning her hopes to a leaf dangling on a branch. In the second, ol' Soapy, a homeless man in New York City, is gearing up for a trip to his summer home: prison. A warm bed, three meals a day, and safety from harassment by people on the street. The only problem? He can't seem to get himself thrown in there. -- Sponsors: Casper, seriously, is the most comfortable mattress I've ever used. You can try it out 100 nights r...
Mar 20, 2018•33 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Our humble hero just wanted to swing by a remote mental institution in the south of France on his way back home to America. He was just going to spend one night in the self-described madhouse to sate his curiosity/gawk at the mentally ill. What could be wrong with spending one night in a rural private 1800s insane asylum without a means of escape? You know, besides every word in that sentence. --- Sponsor: Check out Masterclass. You can learn from professionally produced videos of people who are...
Mar 13, 2018•28 min•Season 2Ep. 6
When we last left Edmond, he was about to hit the rock and start his escape from Chateau d'If when he heard a scream from his friend's cell. This week, we'll see how he finally manages to get out of the inescapable prison...and what happened to his world after a decade and a half of his absence. "Egregia" by Blue Dot Sessions "Halflight" by Podington Bear "Slough" by Podington Bear "Topslides" by Blue Dot Sessions "Tralaga" by Blue Dot Sessions "Velejo" by Blue Dot Sessions "Ballast" by Blue Dot...
Mar 06, 2018•39 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Edmond is in prison and his enemies are celebrating, but something else is coming from Elba that will change their world yet again and make them fear the man they sent to Chateau d'If. Sponsors: Our Casper is so comfortable that I can't wait to go to bed. It's so comfortable that we bought our son one when he moved to his "big kid" bed and now we all sleep better because our three-year-old does. You have to try it. And you can! 100 nights risk-free. Check out http://www.casper.com/fictional (off...
Feb 27, 2018•39 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Edmond Dantes returns to France as a captain. He has just received a promotion, and soon he will be marrying the love of his life: the beautiful Mercedes. The only issue? He doesn't realize that he has enemies, and that the last request of his dying captain - simply delivering a letter - could change his life forever. "The Count of Monte Cristo" is absolutely in the top 10 for all-time favorite books. It has everything, and it's so intricately woven together that you just get lost in it. It was ...
Feb 20, 2018•40 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Watson is happily married and hasn't spoken to Sherlock in months and hasn't been on a mystery in nearly a year. The craziest his life gets now is an abnormal patient or some sensational news story. That's all about to change when the distraught wife of a friend comes to his house late one Thursday night, leading to a late night trip to an opium den and a shocking discovery. Music: "An Opus in Bb" by Blue Dot Sessions "Cab Ride" by Blue Dot Sessions "Colrain" by Blue Dot Sessions "Manele" by Blu...
Feb 13, 2018•35 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In this story by acclaimed science fiction author Philip K. Dick, the author behind last season's "Therein Lies the Wub", a man in 1950s middle America emerges from working in his basement all day to find something horrifying in the center of town, but the strangest thing? No one seems to have a problem with it but him. ----- Sponsors! A massive thanks to Audible for sponsoring us this week. As you know, you can listen to a great story anywhere, and Audible lets you do just that. Go to http://au...
Feb 06, 2018•33 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Last week, Macbeth killed his king, his friend, and more. If only he could stop there. Just a note, this is the season finale of Fictional. Stay subscribed, though, because we'll be back in six weeks with season two! Sponsor: Check out http://www.zola.com/fictional for an awesome way to do your wedding registry. Seriously, I wish we used it when we got married. Go to that link to get a $50 credit toward your registry. Music: "Entrance Shaft 11" by Blue Dot Sessions "Kallaloe" by Blue Dot Session...
Dec 27, 2017•38 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Macbeth is a story about ambition and violence. Given a prophecy that he will become king, Macbeth finds himself both drawn to and repulsed by the desire that grows within him. On one hand, he could do so much as king: his name would live on forever. On the other, he is a loyal, kind, and just man...and for him to become king, the current king, his cousin and the man he has fought for and killed for, would have to die. Sponsor: Hello Fresh is fantastic. When we sit down to eat a Hello Fresh meal...
Dec 12, 2017•34 min•Season 1Ep. 10
A routine trip to Mars turns out to be anything but when a ship headed back to earth allows one last passenger aboard. That's...really all I can say about the story "Beyond lies the Wub" by Philip K. Dick. Few authors can boast the sci-fi pedigree of Philip K. Dick. Even if you've never read one of his books, you've heard one of his stories. Blade Runner, Total Recall, The Man in the High Castle, Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, and The Adjustment Bureau make up just some of the stories that hav...
Nov 28, 2017•35 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Professor Angell is dead, but the story of Cthulhu is just beginning. As it turns out, Angell had an heir, and as the young man is sifting through his late uncle's possessions, he's about to find something that will change his world forever. Meanwhile, Captain Johansen returned to Sydney. The last we saw him, he was captain of a ship with seven friends. He'll return a sole survivor, forever changed by the horrors he witnessed. Today's episode was adapted from "The Call of Cthulhu" by H.P. Lovecr...
Nov 14, 2017•45 min•Season 1Ep. 8
An adaptation of perhaps the most famous story from one of the most important horror writers of the 20th century. H.P. Lovecraft has inspired writers from Neil Gaiman to Stephen King, and this dark tale of chthonic monsters, fanatical cultists, and a secret that has stayed hidden since the dawn of humanity is equal parts mystery and horror. Sponsor: Hello Fresh! I literally just had a meal from a Hello Fresh box and it was fantastic. To get $30 off your first box, go to http://www.hellofresh.com...
Oct 31, 2017•36 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Where we left our intrepid, overdressed traveller, he was taking a break from the heat in the ruins of humanity all around him, looking down into the cool darkness...when he saw red eyes open and stare back at him, hinting that there may be more lurking in the future of humanity than he thought. --- Sponsor: Check out http://www.audible.com/fictional for a free audiobook and a 30-day trial membership! --- Music: "Mknt" "Emmit Sprak" "Holo" "In-Passage" "Nervous Whisp" "Purple Light" "Relay 7" "S...
Oct 17, 2017•39 min•Season 1Ep. 6
"The Time Machine" is a book written by the father of science fiction, H.G. Wells. This is a book so famous that it actually coined the phrase "time machine" to refer to a machine that travels through time. It is a short but sprawling book, flinging mankind into the farthest future where we see how the consequences of our actions today can affect the world for millennia. It still holds up, too. It's a little more plot- and concept-heavy than today's novels, but it's a fascinating story full of i...
Oct 03, 2017•43 min•Season 1Ep. 5
If you were worried that we only have three circles left, well, don't worry. Dante must have felt the same way, because he sub-divides the last two circles into 12 circles, nearly double the number of circles that came before it. Anyway, it's as weird and as wonderful/horrific as last time, so if you liked that episode, listen to how everything ends up! --- Want to help us out? Go to http://www.podsurvey.com/fictional to take a really quick survey! --- Theme and select other music by Breakmaster...
Sep 19, 2017•40 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Dante's Inferno is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri in the 1300s as the first part in a much longer work called "The Divine Comedy". It's not a comedy in the "ha ha" sense of the word, but comedy because it starts bad and ends well. Dante travels down through Hell, then up into Purgatory and finally Paradise. Hell, in my opinion, is the most interesting area because it's full of weird characters and crazy punishments. This episode is probably too fun for one that has two characters tourin...
Sep 05, 2017•33 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Sherlock just wants to take a vacation and not be bothered by mysteries. Just kidding. Sherlock lives for mysteries. Lucky for him (and really only him), even when they get out London they can still manage to get in to a situation with a dead body or two. Want to really help out the show? Take a few minutes and leave a review in Apple Podcasts! Check it out at http://apple.fictional.fm ----- Music: Theme song and other music by Breakmaster Cylinder...
Aug 22, 2017•40 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The story of two old friends, one strange item that can grant your wildest dreams, and three wishes...but every desire has a cost. Want to leave a review? It really helps the show. Check out http://apple.fictional.fm Music: Theme song and other music by Breakmaster Cylinder "Visim" by Kai Engle "Scenery" by Kai Engle "Periculum" by Kai Engle "Daedalus" by Kai Engle
Aug 22, 2017•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1
This is all about our new show, Fictional. Brought to you by the same two people that make Myths and Legends, Fictional is looking at all things classic lit, diving in to awesome stories like you've never heard them before. ----- Theme song credit: the amazing Breakmaster Cylinder ----- To subscribe, follow these links: On Apple Podcasts: http://apple.fictional.fm On Stitcher: http://stitcher.fictional.fm On Google Play: http://google.fictional.fm Or paste http://fictional.libsyn.com/rss into yo...
Aug 11, 2017•2 min
