News, Reviews, and Commentary on all forms of science fiction, fantasy, and horror audio. Audiobooks, audio drama, podcasts; we discuss all of it here. Mystery, crime, and noir audio are also fair game.
Considered by some to be the worst Conan story written by Howard, The Devil In Iron isn’t my favourite either.
In it the “gay clad” barbarian visits an island fortress, wrestles a giant green snake, fights an unstabable demon, and saves a sleepy-headed and scantily dressed beauty.
The plot, which is rather intricate, doesn’t do much for me – but several scenes have that Howard writing magic I love.
The Devil In Iron
By Robert E. Howard; Read by Phil Chevernet 6 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 1 Hour 35 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: March 16, 2013 Alone on the strange enchanted island of Xapur, Conan must face Khostaral Khel, a fearsome monster made of living metal! First published in Weird Tales, August 1934.
This UNABRIDGED AUDIOBOOK (4 Hours 53 Minutes) comes to us courtesy of LibriVox.org. The Status Civilization was first published under the title Omega and was serialized in the August and September 1960 issues of Amazing Science Fiction Stories Magazine.
Will Barrent awakes without memories just before being deposited on Omega, a planet for criminals where the average life expectancy is three years. He’s listed as a murderer and released into the illicit society as a “peon” the lowest class imaginable. A mysterious girl gives him a weapon that starts him on his path to status, a path that requires constant brutality. But it must be borne if our hero is to discover the reason for his imprisonment; A reason that pits him against himself, and involves the sardonically similar but devoutly different creeds of Omega and Earth.
Stephen Vincent Benét’s The Hemp (A Virginia Legend) is a lovely rhyming ballad about a despicable scabrous pirate.
LibriVox has the audio |MP3|. And I’ve made a |PDF| from the original publication in the January 1916 issue of Century Magazine (complete with illustrations).
An early tale of “unspeakable horror” this reading by D.E. Wittkower is very good.
The Tomb
By H.P. Lovecraft; Read by D.E. Wittkower
1 |MP3| – Approx. 32 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: January 23, 2008 Jervas Dudley found an abandoned mausoleum in the forest near his home, then he found himself strangely attracted to it. First published in the March 1922 issue of The Vagrant.
Also be sure to check out DrFaustasAU’s unfinished Dr. Seuss style version that begins HERE.
A straightforward feud gets interrupted by intruders bent on spoiling the fight. Twice! God intervenes and then others.
The Interlopers
By Saki; Read by C.T. Hart
1 |MP3| – Approx. 13 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: January 21, 2008 Georg and Ulrich are bitter enemies who meet meet, with weapons, in a Carpathian forest. First published in The Bystander, January 17, 1912.
Was It A Dream?
By Guy de Maupassant; Read by Sandarroch (Sandy Wood)
1 |MP3| – Approx. 12 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: March 26, 2009
There’s also a terribly muddy recording, of a cool sounding CBSRMT adaptation too:
CBS Radio Mystery Theater #0548 – The Graveyard
Based on Was It A Dream? by Guy de Maupassant; Adapted by Elspeth Eric; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 46 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBS Radio
Broadcast: November 8, 1976
Source: CBSRMT.com A man mourns for his lost love who died after riding out into a rain storm to buy a new dress. He learns the truth about her in a hard way.
Cast:
Ralph Bell
Evie Juster
Norman Rose
Jada Rowland
Guy Sorel
The Devil In Iron
CBS Radio Mystery Theater #0548 – The Graveyard