An ugly policeman doesn’t have a lot of chances for love. Well then, what does he have to lose? P.G. Wodehouse, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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I recently finished recording the latest audiobook from Dean Koontz. Now he’s a pretty famous suspense writer, but with his latest book, Going Home in the Dark, it’s actually a comedy. He’s told me that in the past when he’s tried something like this, the publisher’s would push back. They just didn’t get it – that it was supposed to be funny. But Dean heard my audition and thought I’d get where he was going. He thinks I’ve done a “bang-up job” with it. He describes me as someone “who knows funny – and how not to oversell it”.

So, to honor this good news, we have a P.G. Wodehouse story from the short story collection The Man with Two Left Feet.

And now, The Romance of an Ugly Policeman, by P.G. Wodehouse

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How will the world change after Rip Van Winkle’s 20 year nap? Washington Irving, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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Irving wrote Rip Van Winkle when he was temporarily residing in Birmingham, England. Though the story is set in New York’s Catskill Mountains, Irving admitted, “at the time I wrote the story, I had never been on the Catskills.”

And now, Rip Van Winkle, by Washington Irving

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A political agitator gets a biblical reception in the veldt of South Africa. Agatha Christie, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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Agatha Christie has sold over 100 million books. Her works have been translated into over 100 languages. She was a nurse and later an apothecary’s assistant in World War I, where she gained her knowledge of poisons.

Today’s story first appeared in the September 1922 issue of The Home: An Australian Quarterly. It was likely written when Christie was in Australia during her Grand Tour, having recently left South Africa, where she set the story. After the first World War, an ex-German soldier who has taken to being a paid political agitator flees for his life after some political work near Johannesburg.

And now, The Wife of the Kenite, by Agatha Christie

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What will happen to the innocent villagers when Dr. Ox begins his experiment? Jules Verne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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Last week, we met Dr. Ox, who graciously offered to light the town of Quiquendone at his own expense, pumping in a unique gas of his own invention. It’s time to turn it on.

And now, Dr. Ox’s Experiment, Part 2 of 2, by Jules Verne

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Have you ever dreamed something, and then it happened in reality? E.F. Benson, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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Edward Frederic Benson is often mentioned in the same breath as M.R. James and William Hope Hodgson, and holds a distinct place as one of the great writers of supernatural fiction in the Edwardian period. Today’s story is one of his finest.

Benson plays with the connection between dreams and reality, and builds the tension through the device of a recurring dream, with a progression of time that mirrors reality.

As with last week’s story, I was getting vibes from the original Twilight Zone when I read this one. I hope you like it.

And now, The Room in the Tower, by E.F. Benson

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Why does Dr. Ox offer to light the town with a mysterious gas at his own expense? Jules Verne, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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We kind of have a feeling when we think about Jules Verne. Around the World in 80 Days, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, A Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Lots of fun, sometimes predictive adventure fiction that leaves us feeling good, and a little bit smarter. Today’s story is in this vein. I hope you like it.

And now, Dr. Ox’s Experiment, Part 1 of 2, by Jules Verne

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Can music unlock an entrance to the netherworld? A.C. Benson, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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While many have heard of E.F. Benson, the early 20th century writer of weird fiction, many readers may not know that he was one of three brothers – all of whom wrote some stellar supernatural stories around the Edwardian period. Edward Frederic (E.F.), Robert Hugh (R.H.), and Arthur Christopher (A.C.) wrote over 150 books between them. Many of them stellar stories of suspense in their own right.

When I discovered today’s story, I felt like I was reading an episode of the original Twilight Zone. I hope you like it.

And now, Basil Netherby, by A.C. James

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The tale takes the final turn of the screw.  Henry James, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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Today we conclude The Turn of the Screw. I hope you like it. .

And now, The Turn of the Screw, Part 3 of 3, by Henry James

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A shot rings out, waking the household. A man stumbles out the front door followed by a dowdy woman with a revolver who shoots him again and again. W. Somerset Maugham, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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Today’s story was originally written in 1922, appearing in a collection of stories that came from Maugham’s travels in the Malay provinces. The racism in the story can be hard on the modern ear, but reflects the views of the time. Maugham uses racism as a literary device to fuel the tension in the story, to show the prejudices of the British toward the people they are exploiting. It also demonstrates how the native people in the region resent the British. So, if you’re feeling a bit uncomfortable, it’s by design.

This is one of Maugham’s most famous short stories, and the 1940 Bette Davis film is an excellent adaptation.

And now, The Letter, by W. Somerset Maugham.

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Is Miles influenced by a ghost?  Henry James, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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Today we continue with The Turn of the Screw. I hope you like it. .

And now, The Turn of the Screw, Part 2 of 3, by Henry James

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