Unpleasant Dreams

Jabberwocky and The Hunting of the Snark – Unpleasant Dreams 63

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…

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What Was It? A Mystery – Unpleasant Dreams 62

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…

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The Boarded Window – Unpleasant Dreams 61

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. Why is the only window in Murlock’s cabin boarded? It was written in 1891 and is in the Public Domain. Enjoy! — Jim Harold Media LLC respects…

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The Vampyre – Unpleasant Dreams 60

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…

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The Rime of the Ancient Mariner – Unpleasant Dreams 59

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….

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The Music of Erich Zann – Unpleasant Dreams 58

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…

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The Masque of the Red Death – Unpleasant Dreams 57

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…

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A Ghost Story – Unpleasant Dreams 56

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…

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The Power of Darkness – Unpleasant Dreams 55

This week on Unpleasant Dreams we dive into an eerie tale that tests the boundaries of darkness and the sway it holds over the mind. Our story is Edith Nesbit’s “The Power of Darkness.” Our narrator is Cassandra Harold. Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33028

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The Old Nurse’s Story – Unpleasant Dreams 54

Tune in for this classic Victorian ghost story written in 1852 by Elizabeth Gaskell. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. —– Note: The image used in the artwork accompanying this episode was generated by Midjourney AI. Everything else you hear was created by a human.

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