Author Topic: HorrorBabble - Classic Horror Stories on Youtube  (Read 6082 times)

Marlboro

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on: January 27, 2021, 05:01:18 PM
I stumbled across this Youtube channel the other day and I thought I'd pass it along to Pseudopod listeners. All of the stories are of the old-fashioned variety (Poe, Lovecraft, M.R. James, and various Weird Tales authors) so they may not be for for everyone. It appears that it is always the same dude reading every story so you won't get the variety of voices that we get here.  He's a good reader though, and his voice fits the style of most of the stories.

I've only scratched the surface so far but I've found a couple of stories that I like. "Uneasy Lie the Drowned" by Donald Wandrei, "The Horror in the Hold" by Frank Belknap Long, and "The Human Chair" by Edogawa Ranpo are probably my three favorites of the dozen episodes I've listened to so far.



Languorous Lass

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Reply #1 on: January 28, 2021, 05:00:34 AM
Nice!  Thanks for the heads-up, Marlboro.  I like falling asleep to audio stories, even horror stories, so I’ll definitely check out this channel.



Marlboro

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Reply #2 on: July 17, 2021, 05:11:36 PM
It took a while but I finally made it through the HorrorBabble catalog. Not bad. Some classics, some hidden gems, and a lot of old fashioned stories that I couldn't really get into, but that's the nature of the beast.  The two readers are both pretty solid. It's hard for one (or two) readers to sound "right" when reading this wide a variety of stories but they do a commendable job.


My favorite episodes in no particular order:


Tier one:
(best of the best)

The Opener of the Way - Robert Bloch (June 14, 2021)
The Shadow Over Innsmouth - H. P. Lovecraft (Jan 4, 2017)
The Thing on the Doorstep - H. P. Lovecraft (April 9, 2018)
The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis - Clark Ashton Smith (Mar 22, 2021)
Horror in the Hold - Frank Belknap Long (Mar 11, 2020)
Stranger at Dusk - Malcolm Kenneth Murchie (February 8, 2021)
The Black Cat - Edgar Allan Poe (Feb 9, 2018)
The Interlopers - Saki (Jun 19, 2019)
The Mandarin's Canaries - Robert Bloch (Oct 14, 2020)
The Rats in the Walls - H. P. Lovecraft (May 15, 2017)
The Red God Laughed - Thorp McClusky (January 23, 2019)
The Rose-Colored Glasses - Thomas Kent West (May 23, 2018)
There is a Reaper - Charles V. De Vet (Apr 10, 2019)
To Build a Fire - Jack London (June 4, 2018)
Uneasy Lie the Drowned - Donald Wandrei (January 19, 2021)



Tier two:
(good but not great)

The Black Stone - Robert E. Howard (Jun 24, 2019)
Notebook Found in a Deserted House - Robert Bloch (Sep 10, 2018)
The Tree-Men of M'Bwa by Donald Wandrei (Oct 28, 2019)
The Horror in the Lighthouse - Edgar Allan Poe and Robert Bloch (January 18, 2021)
When the Flame-Flowers Blossomed - Leslie F. Stone (May 12, 2021)
The Secret of Kralitz - Henry Kuttner (June 22, 2020)
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (December 25, 2017)
Ye Goode Olde Ghoste Storie - William A. P. White (Oct 29, 2019) (this one works best if you've already read a few dozen hoary, clichéd, old ghost stories.)



Tier Three:
(Good stories but I've heard better versions)

The Raven (The Basil Rathbone reading is unbeatable)
The Open Window
Tell-Tale Heart (Ian Stuart's reading for Cast of Wonders is excellent.  James Mason's version is also good.)
The Voice in the Night (Pseudopod and Tales of Terror both have good version of this story.)
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (I like the Suspense/Escape versions best)
The Cask of Amontillado  (Vincent Price's one man show version is the best)
The Yellow Wallpaper (Agnes Moorhead's dramatic performance of this story is the best)
The Masque of the Red Death
The Monkey's Paw (I like Nightfall's version best)




Final thoughts: I wasn't a fan of M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, and William Hope Hodgson before starting this show and I'm still not.  I just find their stuff dull for the most part. I do have a new interest in reading more of Robert Bloch's stories and I'd also like to check out more stuff by Donald Wandrei who I'd never heard of before.



Almost all of the readings are available for free on Youtube.




emilyomacon

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Reply #3 on: July 31, 2021, 06:17:15 AM
I think that I once came across one of your videos on youtube it was awesome.



Slithy Toves

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Reply #4 on: August 22, 2021, 04:23:45 AM
I recently listened to "Theresa" on a YouTube channel called The Dark Somnium. It's way pretty good!



Marlboro

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Reply #5 on: September 25, 2021, 04:14:32 PM
I recently listened to "Theresa" on a YouTube channel called The Dark Somnium. It's way pretty good!


Interesting. I'll have to check it out.

I've just started listening to Edward R. French's youtube channel. His narration is excellent and the production is top notch. The stories are all oldies and mostly horror but there is some science fiction and thriller stories in there too.

https://www.youtube.com/user/FrenchEdward06/videos


I've only listened to a few episodes so there aren't any that I can recommend yet, but I will say that French's narration is so good that it makes even lesser stories worth a listen. He reminds me a bit of Paul Freeze. He also exhibits a macabre sense of humor which I like. "OK, You Can Get A Dog" is a pretty funny episode that I just finished listening to.

« Last Edit: September 25, 2021, 05:15:02 PM by Marlboro »



girlofgotham

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Reply #6 on: October 05, 2021, 02:04:39 PM
Thanks, I haven't heard of this before. Will check it out



Marlboro

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Reply #7 on: October 16, 2021, 04:27:33 PM
I've finished up all of the short story narrations that Edward E. French has uploaded so far. He's also upped some full length novels, but it will probably be a while before I check those out.  He's a very good reader and his productions are quite good. In fact, there are several stories that I don't think are particularly good, but his readings of them are so good that I still end up enjoying them.


My favorites in no particular order:

It's a Good Life  by Jerome Bixby
The One Who Waits by Ray Bradbury
Hop-Frog by Edgar Allan Poe
OK, You Can Get A Dog  by Colin Nissan
The Fly by George Langelaan
The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs
The Thing in the Trunk by Paul Ernst
Uneasy Lie The Drowned by Donald Wandrei
The Seed from the Sepulcher by Clark Ashton Smith
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
The Voice in the Night by William Hope Hodgson
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
The Open Window by Saki
Hydra by Henry Kuttner




Below are some stories that I probably wouldn't love if I read them myself, but nonetheless enjoyed hearing them read by Mr. French. "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" is the perfect example of what I'm talking about. It's terrible, but French reads the story with such seriousness and enthusiasm that it turns into a great listen.


Weasels Ripped My Flesh by Mike Kamens
The Curse of Yig by H.P. Lovecraft and Z.B. Bishop
The Salem Horror by Henry Kuttner
Diary of a Werewolf by Joseph Payne Brennan
The Ring of Thoth by Arthur Conan Doyle
Weasels Ripped My Flesh by Mike Kamens
Tick Check by Colin Nissan
Monkey Madness by Carl Evans
The Strangling Hands by M. G. Moretti
Silent Snow Secret Snow by Conrad Aiken
The Pale Man by Julius Long
The Waxwork by A. M. Burrage
Spurs by Tod Robbins
The Night Wire by H.F. Arnold


« Last Edit: October 16, 2021, 04:47:43 PM by Marlboro »



mauriceb

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Reply #8 on: November 12, 2021, 06:05:04 AM
Great thread. Thanks.



jaybird

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Reply #9 on: November 12, 2021, 11:14:50 PM
Very cool, thank you!