Even More Fear For Your Ears

Since the last two installments were so popular, I’ve decided to yet again dip into my collection of free audio drama/audio book links:

Wikisource has lots of great classic chillers available, like “Christabel,” “The Damned Thing,” “The Picture in the House” and “The Judge’s House.”

I know what you’re thinking. “Hey Weird Jon, those Wikisource audio books are actually from Librivox!” Yes, I finally caught on to that. Not only am I linking to that site to make up for my mistake, but I also wanted to spotlight their audio versions of The King in Yellow and Edison’s Conquest of Mars (both of which were previously discussed here).

Tales to Terrify is the companion piece to the Starship Sofa podcast. One of my favorite tales is Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “Flash Frame,” a Lovecraftian tale of strange goings on in Mexico City during the 80’s.

Speaking of Lovecraft, Macabre Fantasy Radio Theater has recently completed an excellent production of H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Statement of Randolph Carter.”

Our friends over at Monster Island Resort have also been bitten by the audio bug. I particularly enjoyed Miguel’s take on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat” and the complete reading of H.P. Lovecraft’s “Herbert West, Re-animator” saga.

Similarly, Braineater.com has readings of M. R. James’ “Rats” and H. G. Wells’ “The Red Room.”

Best known for selling classic old time radio shows, Radio Spirits also has a rotating selection of free streaming OTR goodness available every month. Naturally, they have plenty of spooky stuff in October.

Shoestring Radio Theatre produces weekly radio shows that try to recapture the style and feel of old time radio programs. I especially enjoy “The Spectre” and “The Eavesdropper” (tributes to The Shadow and The Whistler).

This is a real treat, a vintage 1912 phonograph recording of James Whitcomb Riley reading “Little Orphant Annie” (as seen in the last installment of “Vile Verses”). Those of you without Quicktime can download this version instead.

Have you ever played the free video game the white chamber before? If so, you might be interested in the audio drama prequel.

Washington Audio Theater has an interesting take on a real life story in “The Poe Toaster Not Cometh.”

Fans of Doctor Who might remember The Minister of Chance character from the audio drama Death Comes To Time. What they might not know is that he has his own spin-off series, which you can hear a free sample of at its official website.

iTunes offers a wealth of free audio dramas and audio books. Some of my more recent discoveries include, 1918, The Mask of Inanna, Harry Strange, New Radio Theater, Blind Fly Theater, Aberrant Dreams, Omega Road Chronicles, Call Me Jack and The Martians Are Here.

Brown Monkey Audio has a surprisingly humorous take on Lovecraft’s “The Dunwich Horror” (among other tales). Those seeking more serious fare might prefer Afterhell and/or the zombie-themed One Eighteen: Migration.

Fangoria has a series of audio dramas called Dreadtime Stories hosted by none other than Malcolm McDowell. I like to think of it as an American answer to Christopher Lee’s Fireside Tales. You can find the free streaming version of the series here, but you can only experience the extended editions as either paid downloads or CDs from AudioGo. Why am I mentioning this? Take a wild guess at what I’m planning on reviewing next month…

As always, Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of downloading or streaming from any links given here. Attempt at your own discretion. Some downloads may not work in certain regions. Blah blah blah…