Unpleasant Dreams

Dec 11 2024 67 ep. 28 mins 2.6k
Unpleasant Dreams Podcast artwork

Classic horror tales told by Cassandra Harold. We feature stories from Poe, Lovecraft, Stevenson, Dickens, Bierce and more.

Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928.

  Society & Culture
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The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton - Unpleasant Dreams 65

Dec 11 2024 30 mins  
Do you enjoy classic ghost stories—especially those with a festive twist? This week on Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra Harold has a special treat for you: a reading of Charles Dickens' The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton. You might be thinking, "Wait, didn't Dickens write the iconic Christmas ghost story A Christmas Carol?" That's true! But The Story of the Goblins was publi

The Real Story of Krampus - Unpleasant Dreams 64

Dec 05 2024 19 mins  
December 5th is Krampusnacht! In honor of this special occasion, we revisit the real story of Krampus in today’s holiday edition of Unpleasant Dreams! Oh, and be sure to be good. You wouldn’t want to upset The Krampus… Find the original article by EM Hilker that this episode is based on HERE Episode originally released in 2021. SOURCES AND FURTHER READING Alchemist., The. �

Jabberwocky and The Hunting of the Snark - Unpleasant Dreams 63

Nov 21 2024 35 mins  
Cassandra Harold engages in some whimsy and nonsense this week on Unpleasant Dreams, reading two poems by Lewis Carroll. "Jabberwocky" was published in 1871 and is considered one of the greatest nonsense poems written in English. The poem has given us the nonsense words and neologisms such as "galumphing" and "chortle". It was included in Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, the se

What Was It? A Mystery - Unpleasant Dreams 62

Nov 13 2024 35 mins  
Do you like stories of terror and horror? You are in for a treat this week as Cassandra Harold tells us the short story, "What Was It? A Mystery". Written by Fitz-James O'Brien and first published in Harper's Magazine in 1859. It is in the Public Domain. This story is among the earliest modern tales to include the concept of "invisibility," predating H.G. Wells's 1897 work, "The In

The Boarded Window - Unpleasant Dreams 61

Nov 06 2024 14 mins  
Halloween has passed but the spooky stories continue on here on Unpleasant Dreams. Cassandra Harold reads the short story, The Boarded Window, by Ambrose Bierce on this week’s episode. It was written in 1891, and is in the Public Domain. Enjoy! — Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers’ intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public dom

The Vampyre - Unpleasant Dreams 60

Oct 30 2024 56 mins  
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' int

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Unpleasant Dreams 59

Oct 23 2024 30 mins  
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 tod

The Music of Erich Zann - Unpleasant Dreams 58

Oct 16 2024 25 mins  
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

The Masque of the Red Death - Unpleasant Dreams 57

Oct 09 2024 20 mins  
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' intellectu

A Ghost Story - Unpleasant Dreams 56

Oct 02 2024 20 mins  
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