Unpleasant Dreams

Happy Halloween! Cassandra Harold reads the short work of prose fiction, "The Vampyre," by John William Polidori on this week's Unpleasant Dreams. It was written in 1819, was published in New Monthly Magazine that year, and is in the Public Domain. "The Vampyre" is believed to have started the romantic vampire genre. We hope you enjoy! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual propert...

What would you do if you were on your way to a wedding and a sailor stops you tell you a story about life or death? This week Cassandra Harold tells us The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. This poem was first published in 1798 and is in the Public Domain. Cassandra is narrating an 1834 edition. This famous poem features popular phrases that are still used today : "albatross...

This week's Unpleasant Dreams features a horror story written by H.P. Lovecraft. Cassandra Harold narrates the short story, "The Music of Erich Zann." "The Music of Erich Zann" was written in 1921 and first published in 1922 and is in the Public Domain. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, publish...

Join us this week on Unpleasant Dreams as Cassandra Harold tells us the story of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death." "The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842 and is in the Public Domain. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All...

Believe it or not, Mark Twain actually wrote a classic ghost story. Appropriately enough, it was called, "A Ghost Story" and it is our Season 4 premiere. Much more to come this fall! It is great to be back and thanks for your patience! We'll be back next week with more chilling Unpleasant Dreams. "A Ghost Story" by Mark Twain, was originally published in 1870 and is in the Public Domain. Our narra...

This week on Unpleasant Dreams we dive into an eerie tale that tests the boundaries of darkness and the sway it holds over the mind. Our story is Edith Nesbit's "The Power of Darkness." "The Power of Darkness" by Edith Nesbit, originally published 1905 and is in the Public Domain. Our narrator is Cassandra Harold. Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33028 -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writer...

Tune in for this classic Victorian ghost story written in 1852 by Elizabeth Gaskell. "The Old Nurse’s Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell, originally published 1852 and is in the Public Domain. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on publi...

Cassandra shares the troubling tale of "The Vale of Corbies" written by Arthur J. Burks. "The Vale of Corbies" by Arthur J. Burks, originally published 1926 and is in the Public Domain. You can find the original at The Internet Archive here: https://archive.org/details/WeirdTalesV06N05192511/page/n31/mode/1up Please tell your classic horror loving friends about Unpleasant Dreams! -- Jim Harold Med...

A hard boiled journalist encounters something that shakes him to his core. That is the premise of H.F. Arnold's classic short story, The Night Wire. You can find it here: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Night_Wire  "The Night Wire" by H.F. Arnold, originally published 1926 and is in the Public Domain. Cassandra Harold is our narrator. Thank you for listening and please share with your friends w...

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's the perfect story for a day dedicated to our hearts. It's The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. Enjoy! "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, originally published 1843 and is in the Public Domain. Cassandra Harold is our narrator. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public dom...

Join Cassandra on a journey to the mysterious Goblin Market on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams! "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti, originally published 1862 and is in the Public Domain. Thank you for listening and please share the show your friends! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, publi...

The Yellow Wallpaper is a horror tale from 1892 which details a woman's decent into madness. Yet, it is much more and is considered a classic of feminist literature. The author is Charlotte Perkins Gilman and you can find the full text at Project Gutenberg. "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, originally published 1892 and is in the Public Domain. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold....

A Christmas Carol is perhaps the most loved classic holiday story of all time. Cassandra shares her narration of the full version of Ebenezer Scrooge's tale by Charles Dickens. This episode includes the complete story. "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, originally published 1843 and is in the Public Domain. Enjoy this super sized Christmas edition of Unpleasant Dreams. Merry Christmas and God...

Cassandra shares the conclusion of the terrifying tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! You can find the classic original, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, at this link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43/43-h/43-h.htm#chap02 "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, originally published 1886 and is in the Public Domain. Thank you for...

For this special Halloween edition, Cassandra shares the terrifying tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! This is part one.  You can find the classic original, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, at this link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43/43-h/43-h.htm#chap02 "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, originally published 1886 and i...

We delve into the conclusion of Robert W. Chambers’ “The Mask,” a tale that intertwines love, art, and the audacity of human ambition. What happens when an artist’s quest for eternal beauty crosses the unforgiving lines of mortality? Join us as we explore a story that ventures beyond the surface, examining the emotional and psychological toll of capturing perfection—at a price. Your narrator is Ca...

We delve into Robert W. Chambers' "The Mask," a tale that intertwines love, art, and the audacity of human ambition. What happens when an artist's quest for eternal beauty crosses the unforgiving lines of mortality? Join us as we explore a story that ventures beyond the surface, examining the emotional and psychological toll of capturing perfection—at a price. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. Th...

A terrifying tale of a lost soul on the sea crying for any help he can find for himself and his doomed wife. Cassandra Harold narrates the classic short story, "A Voice In The Night" by William Hope Hodgson. "A Voice in the Night" by William Hope Hodgson, originally published 1907 and is in the Public Domain. Please share this episode with your friends who love classic horror! -- Jim Harold Media...

Classmates exchange mysterious tales about their "ordinary" Latin teacher. Their banter spirals into a gripping saga of ghostly encounters, where reality blurs with the realm of the unknown. Cassandra Harold reads this classic tale, A School Story by M.R. James on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. You can find the short story here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9629 "A School Story" by M.R. Ja...

Ever get an offer too good too be true? That's the terrifying predicament of our subject on this week's Unpleasant Dreams. Cassandra Harold narrates this classic short horror story. Source of A Suspicious Gift by Algernon Blackwood: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14471 "A Suspicious Gift" by Algernon Blackwood, originally published 1906 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s Instagram h...

A man finds himself haunted by an unseen, malevolent force. Will he overcome it, will it drive him mad, or worse? Cassandra Harold narrates this classic Ambrose Bierce short horror story. Source of The Damned Thing: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/23172/23172-h/23172-h.htm "The Damned Thing" by Ambrose Bierce, originally published 1893 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram...

A man gets a most unwelcome visitor late at night! Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find A Midnight Visitor by John Kendrick Bangs at The Gutenberg Project: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8377/pg8377.html "A Midnight Visitor" by John Kendrick Bangs, originally published 1904 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_...

https://jimharold.com/count-magnus-part-two-unpleasant-dreams-38/A writer becomes fascinated by a mysterious Count and his manor. This episode is the thrilling conclusion. Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find COUNT MAGNUS at The Gutenberg Project: https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8486/pg8486-images.html#chap06 "Count Magnus" by M.R. James, originally published 1904 and is in the Public...

A writer becomes fascinated by a mysterious Count and his manor. This episode is part one. Tune in next week for part two! Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find COUNT MAGNUS at The Gutenberg Project: https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8486/pg8486-images.html#chap06 "Count Magnus" by M.R. James, originally published 1904 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram here: ht...

Cassandra narrates the Edgar Allan Poe classic, The Fall of the House of Usher. This episode is part two! You can find part one HERE. Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find The Fall of the House of Usher at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/932 "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe, originally published 1839 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s n...