Journey #81 - The Goblins and the Gravedigger by Charles Dickens

Gabriel Grub, in the church graveyard, is seized upon by goblins, creatures seemingly more unpleasant than himself.

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This story was originally titled "The Goblins who stole a Sexton" and was extracted from Dickens' debut novel, The Pickwick Papers.

Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's most memorable fictional characters and is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. During his life, his works enjoyed unprecedented fame, and by the twentieth century his literary genius was broadly acknowledged by critics and scholars. His novels and short stories continue to be widely popular. They include Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, and A Christmas Carol.

B.J. Harrison is the host, and principle narrator, for the multiple award-winning Classic Tales Podcast.  The Classic Tales Podcast was awarded as one of iTunes’ Top Podcasts of 2007, and maintains a 5-star rating after over 600 reviews at iTunes.  Harrison has performed hundreds of character voices, including accents from Hungary, Russia, Ecuador, Italy, France, Arkansas, New York and many others. B.J. Harrison’s classic audiobooks are sold at Audible.com, and the iTunes Music Store. They are also available at his acclaimed website: www.thebestaudiobooks.com.

Realated Links:
Check out B.J. Harrison's latest story collection: Classic Scary Tales: Volume 1



Theme music: Liberator by Man In Space and Soundtrax for the Non-Existing Movies



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Journey #56 - Edgar Allan Poe-etry: Annabel Lee, The City in the Sea, and The Bells

Here are some poems of wonder and woe, written by a man named Edgar Allan Poe.

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Special thanks to B.J. Harrison of the Classic Tales Podcast, and John Robinson of NeedCoffee.com for allowing me to use their narations.

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 and became an American author, poet, editor and literary critic. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre, as well as the genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career. Poe died in 1849, in Baltimore, under mysterious circumstances, but he left us with a legacy of tales of wonder and woe, the marvelous and the macabre.

In the preface to The Raven and Other Poems , Poe commented, “Events not to be controlled have prevented me from making, at any time, any serious effort in what, under happier circumstances, would have been the field of my choice. With me poetry has been not a purpose, but a passion; and the passions should be held in reverence; they must not — they cannot at will be excited with an eye to the paltry compensations, or the more paltry commendations, of mankind.”

Related links:

Stan Lee reading Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven"

Some pictures of the panel at New Media Expo

Music and sound effects were found on Freesound.org

Theme music by Man In Space

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Journey #7 - The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster (part 2)

Kuno tries to escape the Machine, and then, the Machine stops.


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Cast of characters:
B.J. Harrison (of the Classic Tales Podcast) as Narator, and various voices
Julie Hoverson (of 19 Nocturne Boulevard) as Vashti
Marshal Latham as Kuno, and Vashti's friend
Alasdair Stuart (of Pseudopod) as Lecturer
Kelley Latham as Vashti's friend

Episode art from the Freise Brothers movie of "The Machine Stops"

Music used in this production:
Be Polite and Say Hello by Bone
End of the Era, Majestic Hills, and Lamentation by Kevin MacLeod

Several sound effects were found at freesound.org.

Theme music: Liberator by Man In Space

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Journey #6 - The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster (part 1)

Vashti begrudgingly leaves her safe home underground to visit her son, Kuno, who has wild notions of acting independent of The Machine.

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To download, right-click here and then click Save

Cast of characters:

B.J. Harrison (of the Classic Tales Podcast) as Narator, and airship passengers

Julie Hoverson (of 19 Nocturne Boulevard) as Vashti

Marshal Latham as Kuno, and an airship passenger

Renee Chambliss as the Airship Attendant

Episode art from the Freise Brothers movie of "The Machine Stops"

Music used in this production:

Continental Explorer by Pal Zoltan Illes

Be Polite and Say Hello by Bone

Several sound effects were found at freesound.org.

Theme music: Liberator by Man In Space

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