The Stranger Times - podcast cover

The Stranger Times

C.K. McDonnellwww.buzzsprout.com
A podcast featuring short stories and news from the world of The Stranger Times - a newspaper based in Manchester reporting the weird and wonderful from around the world. Based on the novel The Stranger Times by C.K. McDonnell - out Jan 14th 2021.
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Episodes

New: Paint by Numbers Ruth Cockburn

This week's episode sees the return of the the magnificent Ruth E Cockburn reading a new Stranger Times short story, Paint by Numbers, Caimh gives you an insight into his hobbies and an update on Diller's reading abilities.

Jan 31, 202447 minSeason 4Ep. 4

New: Launch Week, Baby! Relight My Fire Preview

This week’s episode sees Brendan McDonald’s caressing your ears with a cheeky preview of Relight My Fire (Chapter 2). Caimh’s also out in the wild this week signing books and doing events. Find out where you can pick up signed books or meet him/listen to his chatting nonsense.

Jan 24, 202429 minSeason 4Ep. 3

Happy New Year, Events, Prologues, previews!

Caimh does his trademark rambling about God know's what before the episode is mercifully saved by the ever effervescent Brendan McDonald reading the Prologue of Relight My Fire.

Jan 09, 202425 min

New: Christmas Special read by Brendan McDonald!

Finishing the year off in style, we've got the unsurpassable Brendan McDonald, narrator of The Stranger Times audiobooks, reading a brand new short story featuring a well-loved character from one of the previous books. Relight My Fire out Jan 25th - Preorder now and a merry Christmas to one and all!

Dec 19, 202335 min

Christmas Trilogy Part 2 with Jason Manford

Join Caimh as he reveals exciting details about events (including the correct dates), gets very excited about meeting one of his heroes and then the incredible Jason Manford reads the podcast's most popular story ever.

Dec 13, 202333 min

Christmas Trilogy: Part 1

Ahead of the upcoming brand new Stranger Times Christmas special, we're going to be visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past. Also, the ghost of foggy brain as Caimh gets the dates of events wrong - see the Waterstones website for correct dates!

Dec 05, 202333 min

Spooktacular - Brand new short story!

In this ep, Caimh reads a brand new short story that he read LIVE on the first annual Stranger times Spooktacular. As if that wasn't enough, he also reveals the exciting goodies available to you if you preorder Relight My Fire, Stranger Times book 4 in hardback. And for the first time, info on events happening next year - plus, we edit out his diatribe about firework misuse so you don't have to hear it.

Nov 08, 202344 min

Random Gold - Deals, Feels and Janice Connolly

Caimh drops a surprise ep, like one of them Beyonce Knowles albums - only this has no singles but it does have a deal, an update and a slice of pure Stranger Times GOLD!

Jun 30, 202346 min

Series 3: Episode 7: We are ready for launch!

Re-live the highlights, the lowlights and the big fights of the online launch event for Love Will Tear Us apart as Caimh, author Mark Stay and narrator extraordinaire Brendan McDonald talk mostly nonsense. You should hear the crap we cut out! Also, there's a fun quiz which you can not now win as it was an on-the-night sort of thing. You had to be there!

Mar 07, 202356 min

Series 3, Episode 6: The Beautiful Game with Charlie Baker

This week's episode of The Stranger Times is the last to be broadcast from Caimh's writing shed as it's move day! Caimh reminisces about book launch week and laments on the woes of moving. The uber multi-talented Charlie Baker narrates the short story The Beautiful Game.

Feb 21, 202331 min

Series 3, Episode 4: How May I Direct Your Call? with Laura Lexx

The brilliant Laura Lexx makes a triumphant return to the pod to narrate a brand new Stranger Times story. The story is based extremely loosely on a real person, or rather a real person's collection of skulls. Everything else is entirely made up!

Jan 31, 202339 min

Series 3, Ep 2: The Thing About The Future with Ruth Cockburn

A brand new Stranger Times short story read by the brilliant Ruth E Cockburn and a very exciting bit of news about Caimh doing an event with the legend that is Ben Aaronovitch doing an event down in that fancy London.

Jan 17, 202333 minSeason 3Ep. 2

Series 3, Ep 1: We Back Baby!

The Stranger Times podcast returns with a preview of Love Will Tear Us Apart, book three of the series is out on 9th February. No animals or Brendan McDonald's were harmed in the making of this podcast.

Jan 09, 202319 minSeason 3Ep. 1

Series 2: Ep 12 - A fond farewell for now and hello Brendan McDonald - no relation

In this, the final episode of series two of the pod, Caimh does a lot of thanking, reveals a bit of exciting news and has an idea for a unique way to write a short story for series three that might be a total car crash but you'll get to watch. He then chats with narration legend and all-round top man, Brendan McDonald, about his career and narrating The Stranger Times audiobooks.

Apr 08, 202226 minSeason 2Ep. 12

Series 2: Ep 11 - Phil Nichol - What Is and What Should Never Be

This week's episode sees Caimh give his shortest ever introduction (yay!) before the smashing Phil Nichol's provides you with an aural sensation narrating the new short story, What Is and What Should Never Be. This Stranger Times story features Led Zeppelin, Scrabble, a musical quest and the Avenger's Emma Peel.

Mar 10, 202229 min

Series 2: Ep 10 – Danny Buckler – Before Your Very Eyes

This week's episode sees the magnificent Danny Buckler bringing a touch of magic to Before Your Very Eyes. This short story reveals how stage magic works in the world of The Stranger Times. Caimh also discusses his fascination with magic and how he kind of ruined Darren Brown for himself.

Mar 03, 202245 minSeason 2Ep. 10

Series 2: Ep 9 - Ben Van Der Velde - The Keeper of The Dead

In this episode, Caimh talks about launch week for This Charming Man, explains why he thinks it is important to have a diverse bunch of characters in his stories and how being 'politically correct' actually just means being correct. Then, the wonderful Ben Van Der Velde reads The Keeper of The Dead short story.

Feb 24, 202239 minSeason 2Ep. 9

Series 2: Ep 8 - The swearing episode!

In this ep Caimh discusses swearing and how n This Charming Man Vincent Banecroft invents a whole new way of doing it. The on-line launch of which book btw happens at 8PM GMT on Wednesday Feb 16th - find it on the Caimh McDonnell facebook page or Youtube channel. All welcome - the superb narrator of The Stranger Times books Brendan McDonald (No relation) as star guest and Mary Stay as MC extraordinaire.

Feb 15, 202217 min

Series 2: Ep 7- Ian Cognito, a tribute and an Homage

In this ep Caimh explains for the uninitiated who the late great Ian Cognito was and how he came to name the character Cogs after him as a homage to a legendary figure of the British comedy circuit.

Feb 10, 202232 min

Series 2: Ep 5 - Toby Hadoke - Everybody Kills Hitler

The man, the myth, the legend Toby Hadoke returns to read one of Caimh's timey wimey stories about how even when given the entire history of the planet to choose from, most people still go to the same place on holiday. Bonus disgusting dog in intro.

Jan 27, 202226 minSeason 2Ep. 5

Ep 4: Michael Legge - The Trouble With Me Last Week

This week Light Entertainer Michael Legge joins us to read a story called The Trouble With Me Last Week. He shows incredible range by playing an angry man from Northern Ireland who makes a fool of himself while rewriting the laws of physics.

Jan 20, 202241 minSeason 2Ep. 4

Series 2: Ep 3 - Dame Janice Connolly - Beauty and the Beast

This week we've got the absolute treat of national treasure Dame Janice Connolly reading Beauty and the Beast. This Charming Man, book 2 in The Stranger Times series, is available to preorder now - out Feb 17th. Treat yourself to a hardback. It's a good size and makes an excellent door stop/murder weapon.

Jan 13, 202239 minSeason 2Ep. 3

Series 2: Ep 2 - Angela Barnes - Do The Research

The wonderful Angela Barnes narrates a brand new Stranger Times story and Caimh for some reason does an introduction where he talks about toilet rolls, women marrying buildings and JFK deserving a better memorial than Caimh using a chemical toilet.

Jan 05, 202222 minSeason 2Ep. 2

Halloween Special: The Owl and The Pussycat read by Eddy Brimson

That's right, we back baby! It's a one-off Halloween special that was supposed to come out after Halloween but thanks to Rob the sound wizard pulling an all-nighter it's now out on Halloween. The man is a legend! The wonderful Eddy Brimson reads a story written by C.K./ Caimh called The Owl and The Pussycat and Caimh reveals exciting details about the new Stranger Times book, This Charming Man (available now for preorder) and about Season Two of The Stranger Times podcast.

Oct 31, 202159 minSeason 2Ep. 1
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