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For Members: Your January Exclusive Story The Beetle by Richard Marsh - a sensation when published in 1897, outselling even Dracula in its day, yet mysteriously forgotten by modern readers. This is Victorian gothic horror at its most lurid and unsettling. When a destitute clerk stumbles into a decrepit house in London's West End, he encounters something that defies all natural law - a shape-shifting creature of ancient Egyptian origin, neither wholly male nor female, human nor insect. What follows is a tale of mesmerism, possession, and relentless pursuit through the fogbound streets of imperial London. Told through multiple narrators, each revealing another layer of mounting dread, The Beetle delivers everything the Victorians craved: forbidden knowledge, Oriental mysticism, psychological terror, and the ever-present threat that beneath civilisation's veneer lurks something far older and infinitely more malevolent. Book One (Chapters 1-4, just under an hour) is now available exclusively to members.

Members Story for February 2026: A swollen river, two tired men on a canoeing adventure, and an island that shouldn’t feel as watchful as it does. The willows lean closer than seems natural; the sounds in the dark don’t quite belong to wind or water. As the current eats at the shore and the sky presses low, the landscape itself begins to feel like there is someone there noticing them, weighing them. A story about how isolation can breed terror. First published in 1907 in the collection The Listener and Other Stories.Now widely regarded as a foundational work of early eco‑cosmic horror. Algernon Blackwood (1869–1951) was an English writer, journalist, and occultist, celebrated as one of the great masters of weird fiction.His stories fuse landscape, mysticism, and terror, and profoundly shaped later cosmic horror, influencing writers including H. P. Lovecraft. 📚 Buy my paperbacks here: https://books.by/tony-walker-books 🎙️ Buy my ebooks and audiobooks here: payhip.com/TheClassicGhostStoriesPodcast

On the sun-baked plains of Texas, cowpuncher Steve Brill, driven by crop failure and looming poverty, stumbles upon an ancient burial site shrouded in mystery. His neighbor, Juan Lopez, speaks of dark secrets and dire warnings passed down through generations. But Brill, desperate for any chance to change his fortunes, dismisses the ominous tales. As dusk settles over the lonely prairie, something stirs in the depths of the earth – something that bridges the Old World and the New, something that hungers.  Robert E. Howard's "The Horror from the Mound" blends frontier grit with supernatural dread, challenging the limits of human courage against forces older than the West itself.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can be haunted by your unlived life? Henry James, master of psychological fiction, invites us into the labyrinth of the human mind with his haunting tale, "The Jolly Corner." Spencer Brydon, returning to his childhood home after decades abroad, becomes ensnared in a web of regret and possibility. As he prowls the empty rooms, James's acute psychological insights illuminate the shadows of Brydon's consciousness. The line between reality and imagination blurs, leading to a chilling confrontation with the specter of an unlived life. This is no mere ghost story, but a profound exploration of identity, choice, and the paths not taken. Allow James's exquisite prose to guide you through the corridors of memory and the depths of the psyche.  ⭐ Join my Patreon ⭐ https://patreon.com/barcud Go here for a library of ad-free stories, a monthly members only story and early access to the regular stories I put out.  You can choose to have ghost stories only, or detective stories or classic literature, or all of them for either $5 or $10 a month.  Many hundreds of hours of stories. Who needs Audible? Or, if you'd just like to make a one-off gesture of thanks for my work https://buymeacoffee.com/10mn8sk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can a house possess your soul? In Richmal Crompton's "The House Behind The Wood," a stranded trio seeks refuge in a seemingly abandoned house. As moonlight bathes the countryside, an eerie atmosphere envelops them. A mysterious caretaker appears, and soon, long-buried passions surface. The narrator finds himself entangled in a web of unexpected emotions and conflicting loyalties. But is it real, or are they pawns in a spectral game? As dawn breaks, they face a revelation that challenges their perception of reality. Uncover the secrets lurking in the shadows of this haunting tale. Listen now, and let the whispers of the past draw you in. ⭐ Join my Patreon ⭐ https://patreon.com/barcud Go here for a library of ad-free stories, a monthly members only story and early access to the regular stories I put out.  You can choose to have ghost stories only, or detective stories or classic literature, or all of them for either $5 or $10 a month.  Many hundreds of hours of stories. Who needs Audible? Or, if you'd just like to make a one-off gesture of thanks for my work https://buymeacoffee.com/10mn8sk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Edith Wharton’s story Kerfol, published in 1911, a solitary traveller visits an ancient house in Brittany—a place shrouded in silence and mystery. Wandering the grounds, he encounters a pack of strange, silent dogs, their watchful eyes heavy with meaning. But Kerfol is no ordinary house. Its walls seem to echo with an unspoken history, a lingering presence that refuses to be forgotten. What happened within its cold stone halls? And why do the dogs remain? Step into this haunting tale of solitude and shadows. Listen now and let Kerfol draw you into its unsettling secrets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Open Window by Saki In this masterful tale by Saki, a nervous man arrives for a formal call, bearing a letter of introduction. Greeted by the niece of his intended hostess, he finds himself drawn into an unsettling conversation. As they await the lady of the house, the young girl recounts a tale of family tragedy, casting a shadow over the pleasant autumn afternoon. Despite his best efforts, the visitor finds his eyes straying to the open window, unable to shake a growing sense of unease. Saki's sharp wit and keen observations of Edwardian society shine through every carefully chosen word. Plus +++ The Return by R. Murray Gilchrist What spectres haunt the moors of Derbyshire? In this chilling Gothic tale by R. Murray Gilchrist, a man returns to a remote rural village after decades away, seeking his long-lost love. Mist-shrouded orchards and decaying manor houses harbor dark secrets, while ghostly figures flit through moonlit corridors. As he searches, reality warps and time unravels. Gilchrist's prose drips with dread and melancholy, weaving a tapestry of promises kept and promises broken. ⭐ Join my Patreon ⭐ https://patreon.com/barcud Go here for a library of ad-free stories, a monthly members only story and early access to the regular stories I put out.  You can choose to have ghost stories only, or detective stories or classic literature, or all of them for either $5 or $10 a month.  Many hundreds of hours of stories. Who needs Audible? Or, if you'd just like to make a one-off gesture of thanks for my work https://buymeacoffee.com/10mn8sk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My voice has given up so I can't record a story without it sounding like a rubber tyre riding on polystyrene. So, I dug into the archives and found an old 'true ghost' / timeslip story I narrated on an H5 zoom in a closet using the H5 Zoom built in microphone. As such, forgive the audio. On 10th August 1901, two English women walked into the past. During a visit to the Palace of Versailles, on the anniversary of the French Revolution, two ordinary women saw the French Queen, Marie Antoinette sitting in the gardens in front of them, along with nobles, gardeners, houses, bridges and stones that when they went back, were no longer there. Backed up by a decade of research, the two women decided to publish their extraordinary adventure in 1910. Their timeslip experience has become known as the Ghosts of the Petit Trianon. Did these two Edwardian women actually experience time travel, or did they see the ghosts of things that had been? Previously, out of print, this is a new edition, edited and translated for the modern age, with additional material that looks at subsequent timeslip type experiences at Versailles An Adventure Ebook For You To Read Along Here's a link to a PDF I made of the book so you can read along and see where I made mistakes. An Adventure by Charlotte Moberley and Eleanor Jourdain Book Club Áine Moroney has asked me to remind you of the existence of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast Book Club to be found on Discord. Please use this link to join. https://discord.gg/tZQrbsCf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denys Val Baker (1917-1984), a prolific author and editor, made significant contributions to British literature, particularly in short fiction and regional writing. His work often drew inspiration from his adopted home of Cornwall, where he settled in 1948. "The Face in the Mirror" is the title story from Val Baker's first American collection, published by Arkham House in 1971. This limited edition of 2,045 copies introduced Val Baker's unique blend of everyday observation and uncanny elements to a new audience. The collection showcases his ability to capture the essence of human experience with both humour and poignancy, traits that had already established him as a notable figure in 20th-century British letters. "The Face in the Mirror" exemplifies Val Baker's skill in crafting tales that blur the boundaries between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Lodger in Room 16 by David Dixon In a faded guesthouse perched on the edge of an unnamed northern town, Room 16 has always had its secrets. When an elusive lodger, rumoured to work in the local cemetery, takes residence, reality begins to fray at the edges. The residents soon discover unsettling truths—each revelation more absurd and disturbing than the last. As it becomes clear that the lodger has always been there, predating even the current landlord, the occupants find themselves trapped in an escalating nightmare, haunted equally by their quiet desperation and the uncanny presence behind Room 16’s door. Dixon's chilling tale captures the grim absurdity and psychological unease of modern British horror, where dread seeps through the mundane, and the most disturbing terrors are those quietly entrenched within. ⭐ Join my Patreon ⭐ https://patreon.com/barcud Go here for a library of ad-free stories, a monthly members only story and early access to the regular stories I put out.  You can choose to have ghost stories only, or detective stories or classic literature, or all of them for either $5 or $10 a month.  Many hundreds of hours of stories. Who needs Audible? Or, if you'd just like to make a one-off gesture of thanks for my work https://buymeacoffee.com/10mn8sk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katherine Mansfield's "The Daughters of the Late Colonel" draws you into the subdued world of two sisters, adrift in the aftermath of their overbearing father’s death. Yet with the death of their patriarch, a new kind of burden takes hold. Long silences, stifled desires, and a sense of… something unseen echo through the house. Is freedom really possible, or is the past a ghost that will forever cling? Listen, and lose yourself within this subtly devastating story of lives haunted by what might have been. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A neglected Georgian house, shutters still, poplars trees surround it, whispering. Downstairs is a row of servant bells to call servants. One has a mysterious name and is reputed to ring when no one is there. Rumour speaks of a hooded figure and an owl; the corridors mutter with sounds of pipes, disconnected wires, and something harder to dismiss. By night, faces seem to change in the mirror; but by day, the rooms are ordinary. Servants won't stay there and then the owner organises an investigation, a ghost hunt, if you like. A society of guest who are to keep their counsel until Twelfth Night, listening for what remains and for the presence that speaks when the house is empty. First published as the Christmas number of All the Year Round (December 1859), a collaborative sequence framed and partly written by Charles Dickens. This reading includes Dickens’s chapters: “The Mortals in the House” and “The Ghost in Master B.’s Room.” Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was a British novelist and social critic, author of Oliver Twist, Bleak House, and Great Expectations. He edited Household Words and All the Year Round, helping to make the Victorian Christmas ghost story a tradition. Join Our Podia Community for 100s of Ad Free Ghost Stories www.classicghost.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Four-Fifteen Express, a Christmas Ghost Story by Amelia B. Edwards A fantastic story by the very competent Victorian writer, Amelia B. Edwards. This story was published in the 1866 Christmas number of Charles Dickens's magazine All The Year Round. It's set against the railway investment bubble of the 1860s and has a ghost, a mystery, a crime and a cigar case. What more could you want? I need you to support me. Join my Patreon.com/barcud even as a free member and it will help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christmas at Colonel and Lady Garrison’s house is all warmth, laughter, and parlour games, until the evening’s “entertainment” arrives: a small, shabby medium with disconcertingly sharp eyes. The guests settle round the table for an amusing bit of spiritualism. As the lights dim and the control takes over, the party games curdle into something closer to an inquest, and the most unwelcome of visitors finds its way back. First published in The Sphere on 20 November 1935, “The Man Who Came Back” was collected in The Floating Café and Other Stories (Jarrolds, 1936). It has since reappeared in several modern anthologies of seasonal supernatural tales, including the British Library’s Sunless Solstice: Strange Christmas Tales for the Longest Nights (2021). Margery Harriet Lawrence (1889–1969) was an English writer who moved with ease between ghost stories, occult fiction, romance, and crime, and whose work was widely read in the inter-war decades. She is now best remembered for her Club of the Round Table tales and for Dr Miles Pennoyer, her “psychic doctor” occult detective, whose cases draw heavily on the spiritualist beliefs she embraced in later life. Buy My Christmas Ghost Stories Paperback as a Gift for Someone!? https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=MxXXCglWV2Uu4L9ArK8eIz8rexI8huhrBketkRcyMfh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It began as an attempt to recount from the book Hungry Ghosts by Joe Fisher but ended up as a series of my own supernatural reminiscences. This isn't a story but a series of related anecdotes.