On this episode of Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra reads the supernatural horror short story, The Body Snatcher by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. William Burke and William Hare gained notoriety for allegedly carrying out at least sixteen “anatomy murders”—murders committed for the purpose of providing fresh cadavers for medical study—over the course of roughly ten months…

This week Cassandra reads H.G. Wells’ The Red Room. The narrator of The Red Room is a 28-year-old who doesn’t believe in the supernatural. He comes to Lorraine Castle with the intention of spending the night in the Red Room, a place rumored to be haunted. As Cassandra explains it, the story “intertwines the psychological…

This week on Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra Harold takes us on a journey through the whimsical and thought-provoking short story, “A Quicksilver Cassandra” by John Kendrick Bangs. Known for his wit and satire, Bangs weaves a tale that blends fantasy with a touch of the absurd, much like the prophetess Cassandra (not our Cassandra!) herself—gifted with…

This week on Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra reads the eerie ghost story “Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad” by M.R. James. First published in 1904 and now in the public domain, this chilling tale is part of James’ Ghost Stories of an Antiquary collection. The story’s title is inspired by a 1793 poem…

This week on Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra Harold brings to life F. Marion Crawford’s eerie tale “The Upper Berth.” In this haunting short story, the dark secrets of a haunted cabin aboard a ship unfold, as a man becomes entangled in a chilling mystery that blurs the line between the living and the dead. “The Upper…

In this episode of Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra Harold brings the eerie and unexpected world of Saki (H.H. Munro) to life with a reading of his classic short story, The Open Window. Published in 1914, Saki was known for his sharp wit and dark humor, and crafts a tale of deception and suspense that leaves the…

A Christmas Carol is perhaps the most loved classic holiday story of all time. Cassandra Harold, once again shares her narration of the full version of Ebenezer Scrooge’s tale by Charles Dickens. Did you know that while the phrase “Merry Christmas” first appeared in written form in 1536, it was Charles Dickens who helped popularize…