STORIES TELLING STORIES

THE BLACK CAT by Edgar Allan Poe is often overshadowed by his other iconic animal-inspired tale THE RAVEN but stands on its own as an uneasy story of a murderous confession and revenge from beyond the grave. Reading like a mix between The Raven and The Cast of Amontillado, if you've never experienced it, you've been missing out. Reading by classically trained actor and theatrical director ERIC R. HILL ***NO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE!***

Known for its intense narrative, Guts has shocked audiences worldwide and remains one of the most unforgettable pieces in horror literature.

For STS SHOCKtober Episode 4, we dive into Stephen King's short story "Nona" from the short story collection "Skeleton Key." A twisted tale of obsession, love, and terror.

In this chilling tale of despair and survival, a supercomputer named AM has eliminated humanity, leaving only a few survivors to endure its relentless torment. Dive into the psychological depths of fear, isolation, and the struggle for autonomy in a world stripped of hope.

Episode 2 of SHOCKtober 2024 is a story inspired by actual events. In 1985, a volcano erupted in Columbia. The heat from the volcano melted sheets of ice, resulting in mudslides. More than 23,000 people were killed. The media focused much attention on a 13-year-old girl trapped in the mud. The girl is called Azucena, and her rescuer is named Rolf Carle.

A classic and controversial short story by Shirley Jackson. Tame by modern sentiments, but a good launch pad for the four other shocking stories still to come...

The 100th Episode of the STS series! We bring back fellow creator and all-around lovely human Diane Jennings to star in this original adaptation of Stephen King's short story "That Feeling You Can Only Say What It Is In French."

"Zombies" by Chuck Palahniuk was first published in the Nov 2013 issue of Playboy and subsequently became a part of the "Make Something Up: Stories You Can't Unread" collection of short stories.

Alfie Zimmer, a traveling salesman peddling gourmet frozen foods, pulls into a Motel 6 in Nebraska for the night and contemplates ending it all...

"AMBITION: A Story by The Duke of Vandals" is from the novel HAUNTED by Chuck Palahniuk, a gut-churning collection of short stories that make up a larger narrative

A "Luckey Quarter" for 2024. Our best wishes for a wonderful and prosperous New Year, kicked off by a short story by Stephen King that we hope shares a little luck with our listeners

DJ BLAND returns to wish us all well this holiday season and bring us an olde timey story from the OG king of the Christmas story... Charles Dickens. "What Christmas Is as We Grow Older" was first published way back in 1851.

Journey and A Memoir Blue are candidates for video games as an art form for their unique approach to the silent narrative.

This is the second half of “Everything’s Eventual” and the season finale of our “Hell to the King” series for STS SPOOKTOBER 2023.

This is the first half of “Everything’s Eventual” episode 4 of our 5 part “Hell to the King” series for STS SPOOKTOBER 2023. Be sure to tune in episode 5 to hear the second half of the story!

Episode 3 of SPOOKTOBER 2023 is "The Boogeyman" by Stephen King

Episode 2 of SPOOKTOBER 2023 is "Graveyard Shift" “Hell to the King” is our SPOOKTOBER tribute to one of the most prolific, iconic, and important contemporary authors of horror, and a true living legend… Stephen King. We will be highlighting 5 lesser-known short stories this month, so make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the next one.

Welcome to SPOOKTOBER 2023… “Hell to the King” - our tribute to one of the most prolific, iconic, and important contemporary authors of horror in America today, and a true living legend… Stephen King. Episode 1 is "The Man Who Loved Flowers."

The New York Times called “Gone Home” the greatest video game love story ever told. It’s beautiful in its desolation… It's haunting in its endless hallways, and the seemingly simple story doesn’t exaggerate and it doesn’t pander. It wholly represents itself in a time and place that as time goes on fewer and fewer of us will be able or willing to remember. The awkward teenage years. When love hurts and life is a bitch and the whole world has abandoned you. The verisimilitude of solitude.

SEASON SIX PREMIERE "GRIS: A Story Without Words." "GRIS" stands as a remarkable piece of interactive art that showcases the power of visual storytelling through emotional depth and crossing multiple artistic and philosophical ideals to create a one of a kind experience for those curious enough to explore a world without words. The first in our season-long series arguing the merits of video games as an independent art form.

Even the tallest of tales are rooted in some sort of truth... Originally told by Allen Morse from the small town of Calais, Vermont, "A Strange Tale" speaks of a first-hand account of a handful of residents freezing their elderly and infirm in order to save resources enough to survive the brutal winters - only to turn around in the spring and return their frozen kin to perfect health in time to plant the spring corn.

... There was no colour upon her cheek, not even upon her lip; yet there was a stillness about her face that seemed almost as attaching as the life that once dwelt there:—upon her neck and breast was blood, and upon her throat were the marks of teeth having opened the vein:—to this the men pointed, crying, simultaneously struck with horror, "A Vampyre! a Vampyre!"

In episode 4, Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorn weaves a tale rich in religious imagery, doublethink, and madness set within the time of the Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts. First published in 1835.

"A Story of a Weir-Wolf" which was first published in 1845 is arguably the first published werewolf story written by a woman; author Catharine Crowe. But this is by no means your typical werewolf story... as the suspense and fear come not from the visceral and supernatural power of a creature that exists between animal and man, but from the callousness, cruelty, and jealousy of our own emotions and the power that this negativity can have to galvanize the masses and turn a level-headed community into a witch hunt... all because of the jealous lie of a single individual.

"The Yellow Wall-Paper" is a short story by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in January 1892 in The New England Magazine. It is regarded as an important early work of American feminist literature for its illustration of the attitudes towards mental and physical health of women in the 19th century.

IT'S SPOOKTOBER SEASON AGAIN! This year we examine five masters of horror from the very early days... For episode 1, we examine a story that has been spoofed, retold, and explored across every conceivable medium and still remains as chilling today as it was upon its release 120 years ago... this is... THE MONKEY'S PAW by W.W. Jacobs

My father passed away on October 11, 2021 at 59 years old... less than nine months after my mother passed from cancer at just 58. Losing one parent is hard, but losing both in the same year, before either of them reached the age of 60, is especially difficult. We all grieve in our own ways... but as a writer... I write. This is the life story of a creative, fiercely intelligent, emotionally distant, alcoholic american father... as seen through the eyes of his only son... me. He left no will. No life insurance. No last wishes. Only a remark to his roommates that "Eric will take care of it when I die." So I did. A writer writes... always...

LOCKED IN A VACANCY ep.30: "In the Spring" by Guy de Maupassant Another surprisingly fresh and relevant story from the godfather of the short story, Guy de Maupassant. The sign of a true work is how relatable it remains after its auther is gone. And considering it's been over a century, I think it's safe to say that Guy's work may outlive us all.

SAX in the 90’s Part One: "SAX Education" Presented by Sir Charles Brattleboro What honks but isn’t a goose, screams but isn’t a petulant child, and has 23 keys but doesn’t open a single door?

We sit here today in celebration of the quintessential Irish holiday… St Paddy’s Day… a day when pop-culture dictates “everyone's a little bit Irish.” The Irish people have had something of a glow-up over the last hundred years that is certainly worth mentioning, and it’s no secret we have fans and friends at STS of Irish heritage who we love a great deal. Amongst almost all ethnic groups I can think of not-a-one - outside the English - who have negative feelings in regards to the Irish people. For such a relatively small country, with a relatively small population (one who in fact have more people of Irish descent outside their country than in it) they are surprisingly beloved and celebrated. So today, I implore you to indulge your inner-irish, whether you have the blood or not, and raise a glass for those who fought and struggled and overcame discrimination to become the people they are today. And let us work towards providing the same sort of “glow-up” for the immigrant populations dealing with the same…

The final chapter of H.G. Wells 1914 novel "The War That Will End Wars" entitled "The War of the Mind." We at STS stand with the people in Ukraine and condemn the invasion by Russian President Putin, and would like to use this episode to remind people of the stark comparisons that can already be made between this conflict and WWI - "the war to end all wars." Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it...

It’s your old pal DJ BLAND, back for a sensual holiday dose of STORIES TELLING VALENTINE’S STORIES, sure to ignite your February festivities and put the “ass” back in “passionate” with sexy sounds and moist mouth noises sure to please the pants off your loved ones. When this velvet voice is rocking, don’t come a-knocking!

SEASON 5 PREMIERE! As is tradition, we return to the well and bring you another episode inspired by Danny DeVito's directorial debut - the black comedy "Throw Mama from the Train." Today, we take a look at Phil Perlman's novel "40 Yards of Naugahyde, a Girl, and a Dream" from Professor Donner's creative writing class!

The SEASON 4 Musical Finale of the STS podcast has us diving deep into a musical production of "Planet of the Apes" from THE SIMPSONS. Now, the show only gave us bits of a couple songs, so I had to do one better to honor the greatest actor in the animated world... Troy McClure!!!

Mark Twain's touching letter to his daughter Suzie - in the voice of old Saint Nick. A classic for the holiday season. SOCIALS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoriesTellingStories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiestellingstories/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/StoriesTellingStories

Within the bright and colorful universe of SUPER MARIO GALAXY exists quite possibly the saddest story Nintendo has ever told... the story of a young Rosalina and Luma and their adventure across the cosmos trying to find Luma's Mama. But what they discover along the way is even more heartbreaking than you can possibly imagine...

Traditions continue to morph as time passes. In another few generations, what constitutes American Halloween may not be recognizable to those of us alive today… just as our current traditions are mere tributes to the celebrations of the past… But not all October traditions are Games to be toyed with… This is… THE OCTOBER GAME by Ray Bradbury, closing out SPOOKTOBER 2021 on Stories Telling Stories...

People look to the stars and wonder if we are indeed alone in this universe… And the bold dare to dream as they stare out over that endless starry sea... What's beyond that sea, I wonder?

Scholars disagree over the origins of the Crossroads myth. Some maintain that the story originated in Africa, with Satan representing an African trickster deity such as the Dahomean Legba or Yoruba Eshu. This interpretation places the tale in a broader cultural context and elevates the musician to spiritual status. Other folklorists argue that the tale possesses many Western elements and reflects slavery’s impact on African American life. Regardless of its precise origins, the myth has become most associated with early twentieth-century bluesman Robert Johnson.

Hello friends… this is THE TRANQUILITY NETWORK… a product of Confectionary Industries Association… I am your neurological spirit guide on this trip through your DIGESTIVE SYSTEM... you didn’t think this was a FOOD RELATED HUMOR did you? That’s funny…

There’s something about the sublimely simple and otherwise benign that can become especially terrifying when things go “bump” in the night…

The epic conclusion of our 3-part series covering the narrative of the groundbreaking walking simulator game DEAR ESTHER, which ties together the surprisingly short third level "THE CAVES" with the heart-wrenching ending of the fourth and final level, "THE BEACON."

Level 2 of the 3-part series covering the story of pioneering "walking simulator" DEAR ESTHER by The Chinese Room... diving deep into the depths of human sadness, loss, grief, and mourning on our path towards transcendence.

The first chapter of the groundbreaking walking simulator by THE CHINESE ROOM, "Dear Esther" tells a haunting tale of solitude, isolation, and a descent into madness on a lonely Scottish island...

We at CONSOLIDATED INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION are against our listeners asking questions. Questions are not necessary, because there is nothing you need to know that we won't tell you. You are safe. You are happy. But we have to ask... where did you learn to fly?

You may have come here expecting STORIES TELLING STORIES but they are now a wholly-owned subsidiary of C.I.A - - Consolidated Industries Association… to better bring our vision of a better world, the only world, our world, directly to our listeners… keep those headphones on tight… Don’t forget to breathe!

One of the most influential authors of the 20th century, James Joyce was an author of Irish descent who helped define the modernist avant-garde movement, and is most fondly remembered for his novel "Ulysses" which is an artfully crafted retelling of Homer's Odyssey. But this week we take a deep dive into his lesser know work...

Let’s pull from my brain-head and see just where everything stands after 25 episodes of LOCKED IN A VACANCY and an entire year of lockdown… And the script ends… now.

It's Paddy's Day 2021 so on the day where everyone is a little bit Irish, we share a more modern take on the classic Irish folktale, to celebrate the launch of Season 2 of LOCKED IN A VACANCY. This is "Billy Duffy & The Devil" by P.H. EMERSON.

This is not how this new series was supposed to begin. But I couldn’t think of any other way to present it. A WRITER WRITES is the result of conversations I had with my biggest fan and most ardent supporter around the time of her 58th birthday. She was my proofreader and my sounding board, helping me to process and streamline thoughts that often came out as an avalanche of ideas. She was a writer in her own right, penning poems, novels, short stories, songs, and scripts that made it to the eyes of very few outside a select circle of family and friends. But most importantly, aside from being a muse and a constant source of encouragement, she was also my mother, and we lost her to cancer on January 23, 2021...