The Well Told Tale

This week, we return to science fiction legend H. G. Wells and begin a new Tale, 'The Invisible Man.' Wells popularised and invented so many of our beloved sci-fi sub-genres, including time travel and alien warfare (both of which we've covered in previous Tales), and here he tackles the idea of super powers.  Originally serialised in 1897, 'The Invisible Man' invites the r...

This week, our Tale is 'Rip Van Winkle' by Washington Irving. While it draws on a variety of old stories and fairy tales which give it a timeless quality, it was written in 1819, and although it is set in the Catskills, Irving had never actually been to them before he penned his tale. If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, and get access to exclusive Tales, please visit us on...

The fourth and final part of our reading of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll. Alice has shared tea with the Mad Hatter and played flamingo croquet with the Queen of Hearts. She still has time to fit in one or two adventures, including witnessing a trial regarding some missing tarts... If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, and get access to exclusive Ta...

The third part of our reading of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll. After a number of adventures and some confusing advice, Alice has left the Cheshire Cat behind and is heading off to a certain March Hare's for tea... If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Books - (buying anything...

The second part of our reading of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll. Alice has fallen down the rabbit hole and spent some time growing larger and smaller, met many talking animals, and she will shortly meet a well-known cat and caterpillar... If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Books...

Today we start a new Tale, Lewis Carroll's beloved classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Since its publication in 1865 it has never been out of print.  Perhaps it's the absurdity of it all that has spawned and influenced so many works of art, from songs to pictures to ballet to film; or perhaps it is characters such as the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit and the...

Today's Tale is another Edgar Allan Poe short story, The Masque of the Red Death. This is one of his classic works of gothic horror, focused on death and mortality. Some commentators believe it to be an allegory, or a meditation on the human condition. Whatever Poe's intentions, it is a truly chilling tale. If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: htt...

This week we have a short story from F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Best known for his novel "The Great Gatsby," Fitzgerald only ever wrote four novels, but published almost 200 short stories over his career.  "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is arguably his most famous, and was inspired by an observation by Mark Twain that it was a pity that the best part of life came at the begin...

The fifth and final part of our reading of "The Time Machine" by H. G. Wells. The Time Traveller, still 800,000 years in the future, has decided to reclaim his time machine and return to the present with Weena, the Eloi he has befriended. Will his plan work? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Or contribute...

The fourth part of our reading of "The Time Machine" by H. G. Wells. The Time Traveller, 800,000 years in the future, has discovered a second race descended from humanity, the Morlocks, and he is convinced that they have taken his Time Machine. How will he get it back? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Or...

The third part of our reading of "The Time Machine" by H. G. Wells. The Time Traveller has travelled 800,000 years in the future and met the Eloi, the beautiful, if flighty, inhabitants of this time. But is their paradise all it seems? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Or contribute to our War Chest here:...

The second part of our telling of "The Time Machine" by H. G. Wells. In Part 1, the Time Traveller revealed his time machine to his friends and in today's episode, he will tell them about what he experienced while using it. We pick up the story at Chapter 4.   If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Or con...

Today we start a new tale, 'The Time Machine' by H. G. Wells. This masterwork of science fiction from 1895 gave rise to the very idea of a time machine, a theme still beloved of sci-fi fans the world over.   If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Or contribute to our War Chest here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/...

Welcome to The Well Told Tale. This episode: a reading of The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe.  A psychological horror from the master of Gothic horror, this tale was first published in 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewelltoldtale Or contribute to our War Chest he...

The third and final part of our telling of the classic gothic horror tale, 'The Call of Cthulhu' by H. P. Lovecraft.  Our nameless narrator is convinced that cultists across the world are trying to bring about the return of Cthulhu.  What will he discover as the tale concludes? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewellto...

The second part of our telling of the classic gothic horror tale, 'The Call of Cthulhu' by H. P. Lovecraft.  Our nameless narrator has been uncovering some disturbing things about his great uncle's research into strange cults all over the world.  What will this instalment bring? If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please visit us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/the...

One of H. P. Lovecraft's most famous tales, we will be discovering 'The Call of Cthulhu' over the next three episodes. The ancient figure of Cthulhu lurks behind a number of Lovecraft's gothic horror tales, and has inspired countless writers (and memes) since it was first published in the magazine Weird Tales in 1928. If you'd like to support The Well Told Tale, please vis...