sFor those looking for more audio fiction, here’s a podcast you might not have heard of: Cast Macabre. They started up in mid-2010, and filled a nice horror fiction gap while Pseudopod was on hiatus. It didn’t take too long to get caught up, as they’re only 28 episodes in. And in case you’re really pressed for time, here’s a top five for you. They’re also running classic stories, including Bram Stoker and H.G. Wells.
I first heard of Cast Macabre when Barry’s story “Corvus Curse” ran on Pseudopod (which made my Best of Pseudopod 2010+ list posted last week)
1. Metastasis by Nathaniel Lee
read by Barry J. Northern
A man searching for his brother. They both have powerful abilities, and the brother who has advanced stages of cancer, has not been himself lately. This story kept me on the edge of my seat, very good stuff.
2. Faces in the Window by Talu Briar
read by
Awesome dark humor! It’s all about a conversation between a married couple at the breakfast table. I won’t ruin the surprise for you, just go listen!
3. What They Consumed by Helmut Finch
read by Alasdair Stuart
A long lost manuscript discovered by C. Deskin Rink. Good Lovecraftian style horror in a classic style.
4. Like, Popular by Kevin Brown
read by Julie Hoverson
This one was chilling because I could just see it happening. What teens won’t do to be popular, child abuse becomes the next “in” thing.
5. A Little Nest Egg by Ken Goldman
read by Barry J. Northern
The protagonist in this one is one of those characters you love to hate, looking to find little old ladies to steal from. At first it seemed a bit predictable but this one had some twists and turns I didn’t see coming.
Ironically, “A Little Nest Egg” was one that almost made me stop listening because I found it so completely banal and predictable. Other than her reason for killing people (which, while an unusual form of crazy, I felt still boiled down to “just plain nuts”), what surprised you about it? I’d agree that it’s well-made; I just didn’t find it anything other than a straightforward iteration of an old, old formula.