Sinister Minutes

Guest author K.G. McAbee serves up a tasty treat, a meal she calls Aunt Clytie’s Canning Jars. Then it's time to clean up a sticky mess with Tim's Ectoplasm III. K.G. McAbee is multi-published in a variety of genres, but she especially loves horror, no doubt due to her early passion for Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee. She lives in a haunted log cabin in upstate South Carolina and spends too muc...

A corridor filled with machines that gurgle for no apparent reason, smells of alcohol and bodily fluids, and the most unflattering garb anyone could ever have envisioned. It's time for your annual checkup, if you survive the "Waiting Room."  After your checkup, Tim's got something to send you right back to the doctor, a piece he calls Tone Poem: It Bites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

Edgar Allen Poe continues to amaze us in how well he captures descent into madness, from the point-of-view of the one descending. If The Tell-Tale Heart doesn't bring you to the edge, perhaps the bleak view of the Conqueror Worm will. Tim rounds us out with a fresh sprinkling of Mummy Dust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A child waits for someone special in a hospital hallway that gathers the fewest visitors. Then, it's haunted house season and the kids have decided to check out the newest attraction. Finally, if you're alone in the house and hear a strange noise, Tim will put your mind at ease with his latest. Image by kalhh from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A collection sinister stories, pernicious poetry, and macabre music captured live at Black Masquerade (Nov 2024) and Mayfaire (May 2025). Includes (in order): Dryad Counting Birds Funereal The Poet Ode to a Mosquito Octopus, Cow, or Duck Gerbil Flash Funeral MidSummer Numbers Let it All Burn Remember Dark Reflection Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Revenge is a dish best served...by a excellent chef. A rodent makes a dapper first impression. A prison break. And musical porridge unlike anything you've sampled before. Poetry, artwork, and more from guest author Branwen Drew can be found at https://branwendrew.substack.com/p/links Image by Dieter from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A bad-ass feline, faithful to his pet human for the duration of a life well lived—and then well beyond. Plus fodder for a night of insomnia with "Nightmare III" Elmo the Ghost Cat by guest author Ashtar Deza Image by Birgit from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Witchcraft, conjuring demons, desecration of the dead, murder, revenge, and the wonderful world of maceration. Plus today's disturbing musical interlude, "The Empty Crypt." Image by Bernhard Renner from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How should you react if you wake to find a giant dragon cramped into your room, unable to stretch without sinking its talons into everything, unable to yawn without incinerating the entire building? After today's story, new music called "Graveyard Procession." Image by Curious Hunter from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How far would you go to help a friend discover the true meaning of life? If the story doesn't leave you unsettled, the music just might. Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two tales today from a master of short horror fiction, none other than Ambrose Bierce:The Boarded Window delves into death on the frontier, and An Inhabitant of Carcosa covers the aftermath of a nasty illness. Then stick around for some new music from the maestro, a piece called "Pandemonium 3." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three tales today! Golden Apples, about a Norse goddess with some tasty recipes. Selkie crosses the North Sea to a remote point in Scotland: try the haggis! The Gorgon takes a familiar tale and sets it firmly on...er...its head. Clsing out the show, new music from Tim called It's Getting Closer. Art by Mert Özbağdat from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest author Maurice Forrester steps up, rolls the bones and throws us a tale called A Need for Disorder. After the story, stick around for new music from Tim, "Midnight Visit." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A tribute to all those people who fill our lives with feel-good, empty platitudes. Plus a track from the maestro with a more industrial grind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Sinister Minutes tribute to the season and all its wrappings, brought to you by the very corporations who profit from every aspect of human endeavor, from cradle to grave, ready to dispense joy and misery. Plus "Lady in White," lovely disturbing music from the maestro. Happy holidays! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bridging the gap between holiday sentiment and Friday the 13th horror with a bit of unboxing: In A Box of Hope, a woman considers the thrill of December bridge jumping. In Delightfully intense, a young lad is left in charge of a very important opening. Finally, Tim's added a horrifyingly lovely musical composition called "Why is the Cellar Door Open?" that might just make you think about the boxes...

A heartwarming, coming-of-age story about a young woman who just wants to do her own thing. Plus a disturbing piece of music that will leave you looking "Under the bed." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A story for everyone who's ever had to return to roots they thought they'd forever banished from their hearts and minds, plus a sinister musical foray called "Room for a New Tombstone." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first reports of the phenomenon known as "the hum" began to appear back in the 1970's. Fifty years later, all we can agree on is that it exists, and only some people hear it. Here's our Sinister Minutes take on things, and then a tone poem from Tim that you should all take a minute to listen to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest author Kerrie Strong provides us with a delightfully spooky vintage, a modern take on a Poe classic. Plus a musical interlude from Tim to bring us ever closer to Halloween. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fortunato, renowned wine expert, called upon to offer his esteemed opinion on a very special vintage. Plus a delightful musical interlude to set the October season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was supposed to be a quiet, pleasant vacation at the cabin...until the neighbors started chanting and the lake began to boil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What drives the old man to compose the unsettling music that he does? Why is he so secretive about his work? And what horrific sights might be seen through his window? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Romance blooms amongst high schoolers in a tale called "Homecoming." It's a tale of patience, of waiting a whole year for just the right moment. Then it's on to dating in the modern world with a story called "Cold Hard Cache." Taking a date to dinner and a movie is so 20th century. Nowadays, there's ample opportunity to take a prospective partner exploring through all sorts of hidden places: some...