This week, we have a classic short story from W. W. Jacobs, the gothic horror classic "The Monkey's Paw." After its publication in 1902, it captured the public imagination, and was made into a film five times in the first half of the 20th century. More recently, it provided the inspiration for the Stephen King novel which he said scares him the most, 'Pet Sematary'. Much like the work it inspired, this Tale still serves as a reminder to be very careful what you wish for... If you'd like to suppo...
Dec 01, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Last week, we learned of the horrific backstory of our protagonist Nathaniel. Scarred by the death of his father in what would appear to be an accident involving the lawyer Coppelius, he has become convinced that this Coppelius is The Sandman, and worse still, that he has followed him to his university town in the guise of the trader Coppola. The idea is driving him insane, much to the concern of his love Clara and her brother Lothaire. Will he continue his dissent into madness? Is there any tru...
Nov 24, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 98
This week we bring you the start of the dark fairy tale, "The Sandman," by E. T. A. Hoffman, written originally in German in 1816. The original legend of the Sandman most likely began in Scandinavia, and told of a benign being who would bring sleep to children by throwing sand in their eyes. This far darker take on the legend may well have inspired Neil Gaiman's masterful graphic novels, with a Sandman who is anything but child-friendly... If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visi...
Nov 17, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 97
This week, still in the Halloween spirit, we bring you what is widely regarded as the first modern vampire Tale, a short story called 'The Vampyre' by John Polidori. It is notable as the second most famous piece of literature to come out of the legendary ghost story competition held between Byron and Shelley and their friends over a wet weekend on the shores of Lake Geneva. That contest gave us 'Frankenstein' as well as this, the first story to fuse together various and disparate folk tales of t...
Nov 03, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 95
We return, this Halloween week, to the twisted imagination of one of our favourite writers here at The Well Told Tale, Edgar Allan Poe. Unlike many of his other gothic Tales, his focus in this short story is not on the fantastic, or the phantasmagorical, but the terrifying reality with which the protagonist is presented. Published at the end of 1842, 'The Pit and the Pendulum' is a re-imagining of the horrors that faced those persecuted by the Spanish Inquisition. What it lacks in historical fac...
Oct 27, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 94
This week, we again bring you three Tales in one - three of Rudyard Kipling's 'Just So' stories. Kipling used to tell these fanciful origin stories to his daughter every night, and she would insist that he told them each time in the same way, 'just so.' We have already heard about the camel, the whale and the rhinoceros; after these three there will be another six we may come back to, but for now, let us hear 'The Elephant's Child', 'The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo' and 'The Beginning of the A...
Oct 20, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Today, our story is another classic fairy tale, 'Beauty and the Beast'. Although it has taken inspiration from much older stories, like the myth of Psyche and Cupid, it first appeared in print after Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve wrote a version. It became more famous still when the author of many French fairy tales and morality stories, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, abridged this earlier version, and gave us the Tale we read today. There are some notable differences between this st...
Aug 03, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 83
Last week, we learned of the horrors that befell the Gardner farm after a meteorite landed near its well, emitting a strange colour that defied description. The produce has grown large, taking on this same strange colour, but is foul to the taste. The animals are growing grey and brittle, falling apart, and the trees sway even when there is no wind. The Gardner family have gone missing, mad, or died, leaving only Nahum Gardner. What fate will befall him? If you'd like to support The Well Told Ta...
Jul 28, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 82
This week, we journey once again into the nightmarish world of H. P. Lovecraft with his sci-fi work from 1927, "The Colour Out Of Space". This was Lovecraft's own personal favourite of his short stories, and one of the best examples of his particular blend of science fiction and horror. As with many of his stories, it is as much about what you don't see as what you do. How can you avoid a horror you cannot describe? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https:/...
Jul 21, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 81
This week, we have the finale of 'The Island of Dr. Moreau' by H. G. Wells. Moreau is dead, killed by his own creations, who appear to be devolving back into their beast-like nature. Prendick and Montgomery have survived for now, but will they manage to escape? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Books - (buying anything on Amazon through this link helps support the podcast): The Island of Dr. Moreau - https://amzn.to/3...
Jul 14, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 80
This week, we have the penultimate part of Edward Prendick's nightmare on the island of Dr Moreau. Last week he was treated to a horrifying explanation of his scientific process. He also explained the presence of all the creatures on the island - they are the legacy of experiments to make animals more human, and none of them have gone entirely to Moreau's liking. Prendick still has no means of escape. Will he fall in line the way Montgomery did and stay on the island? If you'd like to support Th...
Jul 07, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Our protagonist, Edward Prendick, has escaped the clutches of Dr. Moreau and his assistant Montgomery and is on the run. Not only does he have the mad scientist and his assistant to hide from, but he also has to contend with the beasts created by Dr. Moreau. Prendick has encountered some of these creations and taken part in the beasts' strange ceremonies. Could they be more ally than foe? Could they help him escape? And where can Prendick escape to? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, p...
Jun 30, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Last week, we left our protagonist, Prendick, on the Island of Dr. Moreau. Having met the eponymous doctor, Prendick finds he has no choice but to try and escape, but he's on an isolated island, with Moreau, Montgomery, and a host of Dr Moreau's terrifying creations. How can he possibly get off the island? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Books - (buying anything on Amazon through this link helps support the podcast)...
Jun 23, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Last week, we left our protagonist, Edward Prendick, adrift on the ocean once more. Having been rescued from a shipwreck by unusual medical man Montgomery, he has been abandoned in a dinghy after a fight with the crew. Thankfully, he is near land - the mysterious island that Montgomery and his strange menagerie were heading for. Making it to the island is Prendick's only chance for survival. But what strange things await him there? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on ...
Jun 16, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 76
This week, we return to one of our favourite writers here at The Well Told Tale, the grandfather of science fiction, H. G. Wells, and his classic, 'The Island of Dr. Moreau'. As with many of his books - a number of which we've covered on the podcast - this is a foundational classic in its own sub genre. In addition to being a thrilling Tale, it deals with some profound themes - how far is too far when it comes to scientific enquiry..? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us ...
Jun 09, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 75
This week, we have a classic fairy tale from master of the genre Hans Christian Andersen, 'The Little Mermaid'. This is, of course, a very different story to the famous Disney film of the same name. Enchanting, beguiling, tragic, with hints of the morality tale and an absence of singing crabs, it is indeed a fairy tale, but perhaps more of a literary work than that simple title suggests. If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldt...
Jun 02, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 74
This week's Tale introduces us to another of Robert E. Howard's foundational epic fantasy characters, Solomon Kane. This is still a world of sword and sorcery but, arguably, a world closer to our own. As you'd expect from the creator of Conan, Kane is brooding, lone, and violent, but he has, perhaps, more of a mission in mind than Howard's later hero. But is his need to rid the world of monsters all that drives him? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https:/...
May 24, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Last week, we went to Canterville Chase where the Otis family have settled after moving to the English countryside from America. They were warned about the Canterville Ghost which has haunted the property for centuries, but upon encountering it, they seemed more irritated than scared. To make matters worse for the ghost, the Otis twins appear to enjoy playing practical jokes on him. He has never met a family so unwilling to be terrified and he's feeling rather lost. What is a ghost to do when no...
Apr 14, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 67
This charming Tale is from one of the finest and funniest writers of all time, Oscar Wilde. "The Canterville Ghost" was Wilde's first published story, and has been adapted many times since for stage and screen. Wilde would perhaps become best known for his acerbic wit and poking fun at genteel society, but he would return to supernatural themes in his more frightening work "The Picture of Dorian Gray". As for the Canterville Ghost, he's had a long career of terrifying visitors to his stately hom...
Apr 07, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 66
This week, we return to one of our favourites, master of horror Edgar Allan Poe, and one of his most famous works, "The Tell Tale Heart." First published in 1843, it quickly became a classic. Be warned, its themes of murder and madness are not for the faint 'hearted'. If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Books - (buying anything on Amazon through this link helps support the podcast): The Edgar Allan Poe Collection - http...
Mar 31, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 65
This week, we bring you three Tales in one - three of Rudyard Kipling's 'Just So' stories. Kipling used to tell these fanciful origin stories to his daughter every night, and she would insist that he told them each time in the same way, 'just so.' We may revisit his others at some point - there are twelve in all - but for now, let us hear 'How the Camel Got His Hump', 'How the Whale Got His Throat' and 'How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin'. If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit u...
Mar 24, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 64
This week we present a Tale unusual in that it forms part of a more famous story, that of Bram Stoker's gothic masterpiece, 'Dracula'. Published after his death in a collection of short stories, it is almost certain that this was intended as the original opening to Dracula. It forms a prologue and an introduction to the world of the 'nosferatu', but it would seem Stoker's publishers did not consider it integral to the story we have come to know. So, how did Stoker first intend to introduce us to...
Mar 17, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Last week found Conan, King of Aquilonia, stripped of all his powers and imprisoned by the evil wizard Tsotha-lanti. A host of horrors await him in this dungeon. How will he escape and reclaim his kingdom? Books - (buying anything on Amazon through this link helps support the podcast): Conan: The Barbarian - Complete Collection - https://amzn.to/341JWWZ The Complete Chronicles of Conan: Centenary Edition - https://amzn.to/3dCvOXn Films Conan the Barbarian (1982) - https://amzn.to/3nMl2lL Red Son...
Mar 10, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 62
This week, we return to the Hyborian Age for another Conan Tale, 'The Scarlet Citadel'. This takes place later in Conan's chronology, after he has become not just a skilled and mighty warrior, but the King of Aquilonia. However, how will he fare when all that has been stripped away from him? Books - (buying anything on Amazon through this link helps support the podcast): Conan: The Barbarian - Complete Collection - https://amzn.to/341JWWZ The Complete Chronicles of Conan: Centenary Edition - htt...
Mar 03, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 61
This week we reach the finale of "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom." Who did kill Julius? Will he save the park? And will he ever reconcile with Lil? More from Cory Doctorow: His website - https://craphound.com/ Little Brother - https://craphound.com/category/littlebrother/ Radicalized - https://craphound.com/category/radicalized-full/ If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale I would like to thank my patrons: Toni A, Joshua...
Feb 19, 2021•1 hr 41 min•Season 1Ep. 59
In this penultimate episode, our narrator Julius really is 'down and out'. He's become obsessed with stopping Deborah taking over the entire park. So obsessed, he has lost his girlfriend Lil to his best friend, Dan. Where will he go from here? More from Cory Doctorow: His website - https://craphound.com/ Little Brother - https://craphound.com/category/littlebrother/ Radicalized - https://craphound.com/category/radicalized-full/ If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patr...
Feb 11, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Following the events of last week's episode, our narrator, Julius, is at an all time low. His attempt to sabotage Deborah's adjustments to the Hall of Presidents has failed; he's fallen out with his girlfriend Lil, and, perhaps worst of all, he is offline, cut off from the Bitchun Society and the world he knows. Where will he go from here? More from Cory Doctorow: His website - https://craphound.com/ Little Brother - https://craphound.com/category/littlebrother/ Radicalized - https://craphound.c...
Feb 03, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 57
This week, we return to the strange future world of "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom." Julius, our narrator, still doesn't know who killed him. Of course, in this world, death is not nearly as fatal as it could be, but Julius wants to know: who killed him, and more importantly, why? More from Cory Doctorow: His website - https://craphound.com/ Little Brother - https://craphound.com/category/littlebrother/ Radicalized - https://craphound.com/category/radicalized-full/ If you'd like to support T...
Jan 27, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Last week, we started a new Tale, entering a new world where death is no more, and people can live as long as they choose. Our narrator, Julius, has lived more than a century, but appears to be in his twenties. He's now living in Disney World with his girlfriend Lil, who is actually in her twenties. His friend Dan, who previously declared he would end his life when he'd 'done it all', has come to stay with them after achieving everything he wanted to and then trashing his valuable reputation. Li...
Jan 20, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Here at The Well Told Tale, we seek to share the best of sci-fi, fantasy and speculative fiction. For the past year we have focussed exclusively on classics of their genres, but this week's Tale marks an expansion into more modern works. "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" is Cory Doctorow's debut novel, published in 2003, and is unusually issued under a creative commons license, allowing fans to reproduce and build on Doctorow's work, provided their results are also offered free from commercial...
Jan 13, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 54
