Tonight, as part of our 6th annual spooky sleep story series, we’ll rebroadcast the opening to “Carmilla”, an 1872 Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu which first aired in October of 2022. Tune in every Wednesday this month for sleep stories of the darker variety- like classic horror literature and ghost stories. If you prefer to avoid the mildly macabre we hope you’ll enjoy one of our many other stories available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Originally published in 1872, Carmilla predates Bram Stoker’s Dracula by over 25 years and is considered one of the earliest works of vampire fiction. Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella is a gothic tale set in a remote Austrian estate, where a young woman named Laura encounters the enigmatic and alluring Carmilla. What begins as an unexpected friendship quickly descends into something far more sinister as Laura becomes entangled in Carmilla’s dark, seductive influence.

What makes Carmilla particularly fascinating is its portrayal of a female vampire with overtly sensual undertones, challenging Victorian norms. The novella is rich with gothic atmosphere, utilizing isolated settings, eerie dreams, and uncanny occurrences to build suspense.

Le Fanu’s story is not only notable for its eerie ambiance but also for its early feminist subtext. Carmilla is portrayed as a powerful, predatory force in a genre that typically cast women as passive victims.

For fans of gothic literature and early vampire lore, Carmilla remains a foundational piece, paving the way for the vampire genre as we know it today, and offering a haunting tale of desire, fear, and the dangers lurking behind a beautiful façade.

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Tonight, to continue our 6th annual “Spooky Sleep Story Series”, we shall read the opening to The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards. Tune in every Wednesday this month for sleep stories of the darker variety- like classic horror literature and ghost stories. If you prefer to avoid the mildly macabre we hope you’ll enjoy one of our many other stories available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Catch up on previous years by finding our free standalone podcast series “Snoozecast Presents: Spooky Stories” or if you are a premium subscriber, look for “Snoozecast+” or “Snoozecast+ Deluxe: Spooky Stories” instead to listen ad-free.

The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards, first published in 1864, is a classic Victorian ghost story. Edwards, an accomplished novelist, traveler, and Egyptologist, was known for her keen storytelling abilities, especially in weaving the supernatural into everyday occurrences. In this tale, she explores the eerie and unsettling experience of a man lost in a snowstorm who encounters a mysterious coach that may not be of this world.

Set against a bleak, wintry landscape, The Phantom Coach delves into themes of isolation, fate, and the unknown. What sets The Phantom Coach apart from other ghost stories of its time is Edwards’ use of psychological suspense. Rather than relying on overt scares, she creates a slow-burn tension that lingers long after the tale is finished. The story reflects the Victorian fascination with the unknown and the afterlife, common themes in the literature of the period, making it a quintessential example of 19th-century ghostly fiction.

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Tonight, to continue our 6th annual “Spooky Sleep Story Series”, we shall read the opening to “The War of the Worlds”, written by H.G. Wells and first published in 1898. Tune in every Wednesday this month for sleep stories of the darker variety- like classic horror literature and ghost stories. If you prefer to avoid the mildly macabre we hope you’ll enjoy one of our many other stories available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Catch up on previous years by finding our free standalone podcast series “Snoozecast Presents: Spooky Stories” or if you are a premium subscriber, look for “Snoozecast+” or “Snoozecast+ Deluxe: Spooky Stories” instead to listen ad-free.

H.G. Wells, often referred to as the “father of science fiction,” published The War of the Worlds in 1898, marking a groundbreaking moment in the genre. Born in 1866 in England, Wells was a prolific writer whose works spanned both fiction and non-fiction, often reflecting his deep interest in social issues, science, and human evolution. The War of the Worlds stands out as one of his most enduring and influential works, imagining a catastrophic alien invasion of Earth.

Set in Victorian England, the novel explores the vulnerability of humankind in the face of superior extraterrestrial forces, an idea that was revolutionary for its time. Wells blended scientific ideas with thrilling narrative, vividly imagining Martian invaders wielding advanced technology like heat-rays and enormous tripods. This portrayal of a technologically superior race wreaking havoc on humanity mirrored concerns of imperialism and the unknown, while questioning the assumptions of Western dominance.

The story's cultural impact is immense—most notably when Orson Welles’ 1938 radio adaptation apparently caused public panic, as listeners mistook the dramatization for a real Martian invasion. Although new data seems to suggest the extent of this “panic” may have been minimal. Wells' tale remains timeless, continuing to inspire adaptations, films, and discussions on human survival and the role of science in society. In The War of the Worlds, Wells not only entertains but also offers a compelling critique of humanity’s fragile position in the universe, showcasing the blend of imagination and intellect that defined his career. 

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Tonight, to start off our 6th annual “Spooky Sleep Story Series”, we shall read the opening to “How He Left The Hotel”, written by Louisa Baldwin and first published in 1895. Tune in every Wednesday this month for sleep stories of the darker variety- like classic horror literature and ghost stories. If you prefer to avoid the mildly macabre we hope you’ll enjoy one of our many other stories available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Catch up on previous years by finding our free standalone podcast series “Snoozecast Presents: Spooky Stories” or if you are a premium subscriber, look for “Snoozecast+” or “Snoozecast+ Deluxe: Spooky Stories” instead to listen ad-free.

Louisa Baldwin was a British writer known primarily for her contributions to the genre of supernatural fiction. She was part of the illustrious Baldwin family, with connections to notable figures in politics and the arts. Louisa was one of the "Macdonald sisters," four siblings whose descendants include celebrated authors and artists. Despite this distinguished familial background, she forged her own path in literature, creating ghost stories and other eerie tales that captivated readers with their chilling atmospheres and suspenseful narratives.

Baldwin's most famous works include the collection The Shadow on the Blind (1895), which features several of her ghost stories, showcasing her ability to weave psychological tension into supernatural occurrences. Her tales often delve into the uncanny, where ordinary lives are suddenly disrupted by inexplicable, ghostly events. Baldwin’s prose combines a sharp observational style with a deep understanding of human nature, leading readers into unsettling, suspenseful narratives that leave a lasting impression.

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Tonight, for the final in our 5th annual Spooky Sleep Story Series, we’ll read a Snoozecast original story about a fictional New England town and the brother and sister who go out on a trick or treating adventure within it.

While this is the end of this years spooky sleep stories, be sure to check out our freely available – called “Snoozecast Presents: Spooky Stories” or go to snoozecast.com/series to listen directly from our website. If you are a premium subscriber of Snoozecast+, all of our podcast series, including that one, are available to you ad-free. 

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Tonight, as part of our Spooky Sleep Story Series, we’ll read our own lightly adapted version of Algernon Blackwood’s “A Haunted Island” from “The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories” published in 1906. In this story, our narrator is left alone for a few weeks at an island lodge in the middle of a lake in Canada, where he thinks he will focus on his studies, but soon begins to see and hear strange things.

Tune in every Wednesday this month for sleep stories of the darker variety– lightly adapted and read in a way to evoke a mood of spookiness, without actually causing a fright. Catch up on previous years by finding our free podcast “Snoozecast Presents: Spooky Stories” or if you are a premium subscriber, look for “Snoozecast+” or “Snoozecast+ Deluxe: Spooky Stories” instead to listen ad-free

— read by 'N' —

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Tonight, for the next in our 5th annual “Spooky Sleep Story Series”, we shall read the narrative poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1845.

The poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a mysterious visit by a talking raven. The lover, often identified as a student,[1][2] is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. Sitting on a bust of Pallas, the raven seems to further antagonize the protagonist with its constant repetition of the word "Nevermore".

By the way, “a bust of Pallas” refers to a sculpture of Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. The fact that the narrator has one in his bedroom represents his interest in learning and scholarship, and also can be taken as representing his own rational, sane mind. The Raven, by landing on the bust when it flies into the room, signifies a threat to the narrator’s ability to understand the reasons (if any) behind the Raven’s coming and its message. That the Raven stays on top of the bust of Pallas at the end of the poem, never flitting, suggests that irrationality has taken up a permanent home in the narrator’s formerly rational mind.

Poe claimed to have written the poem logically and methodically, with the intention to create a poem that would appeal to both critical and popular tastes. The poem makes use of folk, mythological, religious, and classical references. Its publication made Poe popular in his lifetime, although it did not bring him much financial success. It remains one of the most famous poems ever written.

Tune in every Wednesday this month for sleep stories of the darker variety- like classic horror literature and ghost stories, read in a way to evoke a mood of spookiness, without actually causing a fright. Catch up on previous years by finding our free podcast “Snoozecast Presents: Spooky Stories” or if you are a premium subscriber, look for “Snoozecast+” or “Snoozecast+ Deluxe: Spooky Stories” instead to listen ad-free.

— read by 'V' —

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Tonight, to start off our 5th annual “Spooky Sleep Story Series”, we shall read the opening to “The Metamorphosis”, written by Franz Kafka and first published in 1915. Tune in every Wednesday this month for sleep stories of the darker variety- like classic horror literature and ghost stories, read in a way to evoke a mood of spookiness without actually causing a fright. Catch up on previous years by finding our free standalone podcast series “Snoozecast Presents: Spooky Stories” or if you are a premium subscriber, look for “Snoozecast+” or “Snoozecast+ Deluxe: Spooky Stories” instead to listen ad-free.

“The Metamorphosis” is referred to as a masterpiece of existential literature because of how it demands the reader to accept the absurdity of our lived modern human reality. Although some of the events may be fantastical, the ideas about existence, and humanity are highly relatable.

— read by 'V' —

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Tonight, for our final episode of this year’s spooky sleep story series, we’ll read “The Haunted Orchard” written by British author Richard Le Gallienne and published in 1912.

Born Richard Thomas Gallienne, the author changed his last name to “Le Gallienne” after college when he began working in an accountant’s office. Soon after he attended a lecture by Oscar Wilde, Le Gallienne abandoned his job to become a professional writer and poet. Five years later, he met Wilde, they had a brief affair and a longer friendship.

Le Gallienne married three times and had two children including famous and successful stage actress and director Eva Le Gallienne. After becoming a resident of the United States, he eventually settled in the French Riviera in the 1940s. During the war he refused to write propaganda for the local German and Italian authorities and, with no income, once collapsed in the street owing to hunger. He persevered, however, and continued to write into his 70s.

— read by V —

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Tonight, for our 600th episode, and the next in our October spooky sleep story series, we’ll read an excerpt from “The Castle of Otranto”, a novel by Horace Walpole. First published in 1764, it is generally regarded as the first gothic novel. Set in a haunted castle, the novel produced a new style that has endured ever since, and has shaped the modern-day aesthetic of the goth subculture.

Although in later editions of this novel’s publication the author acknowledged his authorship, in the first publication the story was purported to be a recently discovered ancient manuscript from the time of the Crusades.

Many years later it was discovered that the main character, Manfred, was inspired by the real medieval King of Sicily by that name. This historic Manfred is remembered for being noble, handsome and intellectual, along with being ex-communicated by three different popes.

This excerpt opens on a scene where Princess Isabella is fleeing through the castle from the wicked Manfred. He had recently asked her to marry him on the same evening her own fiance, Manfred’s own son, died by a giant helmet falling from the sky upon him.

— read by N —

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