Audiobooks by Sheridan Le Fanu

The Top 10 Short Stories - Haunted House

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions - Why that story? Why that author? The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.In this volume our classic authors invite us in to share hospitality at a house most of us are ever keen to veer away from. But the invitation has been issued and it would be rude to disappoint, despite the rising fear that begins to take its chilling grip on us.01 - The Top 10 - Haunted House - An Introduction02 - The Fall of the House of Usher - Part 1 by Edgar Allan Poe03 - The Fall of the House of Usher - Part 2 by Edgar Allan Poe04 - They by Rudyard Kipling05 - The Rats in the Walls by H P Lovecraft06 - The Ebony Frame by Edith Nesbit07 - Lost Hearts by M R James08 - The Room in the Tower by E F Benson09 - The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell10 - An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street by Sheridan Le Fanu11 - The Empty House by Algernon Blackwood12 - Decay by Marjorie Bowen

Algernon Blackwood, E F Benson, Edgar Allan Poe, Edith Nesbit, Elizabeth Gaskell, H.P. Lovecraft, M R James, Marjorie Bowen, Rudyard Kipling, Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), David Shaw-Parker, Robbie Mcnab, William Dufris (Narrator)

Audiobook

Love Beyond the Grave - Short Stories

Love. Perhaps the one word solution for everything. An emotion, a state of mind that we strive for, search for. A wondrous force that binds, inspires, and a force that can spin out of control; unbalanced and fragile. Love reflects, changes and embraces us all. In this series we explore the many facets of love through literary talents that span both time and country. The capture of love in this life is a very special happening, it may only strike us once, and for some perhaps never. But what if those on the ‘other side’ have designs on us? What if their desire is just so strong that we can’t resist? Can true love survive?1 - Love Beyond the Grave - Short Stories - An Introduction2 - The Testament of Magdalen Blair - Part 1 by Aleister Crowley3 - The Testament of Magdalen Blair - Part 2 by Aleister Crowley4 - The Dream Woman by Wilkie Collins5 - The Phantom Rickshaw by Rudyard Kipling6 - Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter by Sheridan Le Fanu7 - The Story of Salome by Amelia Edwards8 - The Moonlit Road by Ambrose Bierce9 - The Haunted Orchard by Richard Gallienne10 - The Mystery of the Semi Detached by Edith Nesbit11 - The Cold Embrace by Mary Elizabeth Braddon12 - The Snow by Hugh Walpole13 - The Second Generation by Algernon Blackwood14 - Since I Died by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps15 - Wake Not the Dead - Part 1 by Ernst Raupach16 - Wake Not the Dead - Part 2 by Ernst Raupach

Aleister Crowley, Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), Ian Holm, Lisa Braverman (Narrator)

Audiobook

J. Sheridan Le Fanu: A BBC Radio Full-Cast Gothic Horror Collection: Carmilla, Uncle Silas, Shalker

Dramatisations and readings of Sheridan Le Fanu's best-known Gothic masterpieces One of the leading ghost story writers of the Victorian era, Sheridan Le Fanu is renowned for his chilling tales of mystery and horror. His pioneering lesbian vampire novella Carmilla was a major influence on Bram Stoker's Dracula, and spawned numerous film adaptations including Hammer Horror's Karnstein Trilogy. Opening this anthology is a dramatisation of that classic tale, starring Anne-Marie Duff as Laura, the lonely girl living in a solitary Austrian castle, who strikes up a dangerous friendship with the mysterious, bewitching Carmilla. It is followed by Ian MacDiarmid's reading of 'Schalken the Painter', the eerie story of a 17th Century Flemish artist in love with his master's daughter. Le Fanu's suspenseful Gothic thriller, Uncle Silas, about a young heiress placed under the guardianship of her father's disgraced brother, is dramatised with a full cast including Teresa Gallagher, George Cole, Joan Sims and Dorothy Tutin. Also featured is The Le Fanu Ballads, a supernatural portmanteau drama bridging Le Fanu's era and our world today. Based on the short stories 'The Watcher', 'Madam Crowl's Ghost', 'Schalken the Painter' and 'Mr Justice Harbottle', and set in a basement nightclub in Dublin, it stars Paul Chahidi, Haydn Gwynne and Jonathan Forbes. One unabridged readings conclude our collection. In 'The Ghost and the Bonesetter', read by Sean Barrett, a terrified house-sitter receives an unusual request from the tyrannical spirit of a local squire. Cast and credits Written by Sheridan Le Fanu First published 1838 ('The Ghost and the Bonesetter'), 1839 ('Schalken the Painter'), 1847 ('The Watcher'), 1864 (Uncle Silas), 1871 ('Madam Crowl's Ghost'), 1872 (Carmilla, 'Mr Justice Harbottle') Carmilla Cast: Anne-Marie Duff, Brana Bajic, David Warner, Celia Imrie, Jacqueline Pearce, Nigel Anthony, Roger May, Kenneth Cranham Dramatised by Don McCamphill. Produced by Lawrence Jackson First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 June 2003 Schalken the Painter Read by Ian McDiarmid. Produced by Lawrence Jackson First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 29-30 May 2006 Uncle Silas Cast: Teresa Gallagher, Graham Crowden, Dorothy Tutin, Joan Sims, Kathleen Byron, Tessa Worsley, John Hartley, Jonathan Keeble, Roger May, Geoffrey Whitehead, Stephen Critchlow, George Cole, Jane Whittenshaw, George A Cooper, Becky Hindley, Pauline Letts, David Collings, John Evitts, Linda Regan, Joan Littlewood Dramatised by Alan Drury. Directed by Enyd Williams First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8-22 October 1995 The Le Fanu Ballads Cast: Paul Chahidi, Haydn Gwynne, Jonathan Forbes, Ruth Everett, Matthew Durkan, Alexandra Hannant, Rebecca Crankshaw, Chris Jack, Michael Begley, Neil McCaul. Sheridan Le Fanu's ghost stories adapted by Neil Brand Directed by Tracey Neale. Music composed and played by Neil Brand, with 'Nuala's Ballad' sung by Ruth Everett First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17 April 2022 The Ghost and the Bonesetter Read by Sean Barrett. Produced by Gemma Jenkins First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 September 2001 © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), Anne-Marie Duff, Celia Imrie, David Warner, Full Cast, Hadyn Gwynne, Joan Sims, Paul Chahidi, Roger May, Teresa Gallagher (Narrator)

Audiobook

Carmilla

A Gothic Horror of the Vampire, predating Dracula by some 26 years. Carmilla is a tale of creeping horror, narrated by a young girl, who finds herself beset by a mysterious illness, that her newfound and mysterious friend, Carmilla surely can't have anything to do with... Considered one of the founding works within the Vampire genre, its influence can be found throughout popular horror fiction and other media. Written by Sheridan Le Fanu and narrated by Michael Ward.

Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), Michael Ward (Narrator)

Audiobook

B. J. Harrison Reads Schalken the Painter

'Schalken the Painter' is a ghost short story by Sheridan Le Fanu, taking place in the 17th-century Netherlands. An aspiring painter falls in love with his master’s niece but one day, a mysterious man comes to ask for the niece’s hand, and the master agrees. Yet the heartbroken painter can’t help but feel that is something totally wrong with this new suitor. This is a short story of about greedy family relations, and is a psychologically unnerving and ghastly tale that fans of horror fiction will definitely love. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish author of short stories and novels. He was one of the most important writers of Gothic, mystery and horror stories of the Victorian era. Le Fanu’s influence cannot be neglected, for he helped develop the writing styles for atmosphere, setting, and narration. His most important works are 'Uncle Silas', 'The House by the Churchyard', and his short story collection 'In a Glass Darkly'.

Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), B. J. Harrison (Narrator)

Audiobook

B. J. Harrison Reads The Room in the Dragon Volant

'The Room in the Dragon Volant' is a mysterious story about a premature burial, a theme favoured by Poe some years previously. When a chivalric young man tries to save an innocent countess from the clutches of a greedy count, little does he suspect that the whole situation could be a trap. With plenty of Gothic elements and some remarkable episodes of horror, 'The Room in the Dragon Volant' is a haunting mystery story that will keep readers at the edge of their seat. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish author of short stories and novels. He was one of the most important writers of Gothic, mystery and horror stories of the Victorian era. Le Fanu's influence cannot be neglected, for he helped develop the writing styles for atmosphere, setting, and narration. His most important works are 'Uncle Silas', 'The House by the Churchyard', and his short story collection 'In a Glass Darkly'.

Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), B. J. Harrison (Narrator)

Audiobook

B. J. Harrison Reads Uncle Silas

'Uncle Silas' is a Gothic locked-room mystery novel by Sheridan Le Fanu. Maud Ruthyn is an orphan, left in the care of her mysterious and evil uncle Silas. The latter keeps thinking up new and creative ways to get rid of his niece. In a similar vein to Wilkie Collins' novels, Le Fanu's 'Uncle Silas' depicts a heroine in danger, who moves from one hair-raising adventure to the next, making it a perfect, terrifying, horror tale of greed and vile intentions. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish author of short stories and novels. He was one of the most important writers of Gothic, mystery and horror stories of the Victorian era. Le Fanu's influence cannot be neglected, for he helped develop the writing styles for atmosphere, setting, and narration. His most important works are 'Uncle Silas', 'The House by the Churchyard', and his short story collection 'In a Glass Darkly'.

Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), B. J. Harrison (Narrator)

Audiobook

B. J. Harrison Reads A Chapter in the History of the Tyrone Family

'A Chapter in the History of the Tyrone Family' is a Gothic short story by Sheridan Le Fanu focusing on a young woman who marries a Scottish landowner with a dark past. A short story whose haunting and semi-supernatural elements might have influenced Charlotte Brontë’s 'Jane Eyre', Le Fanu’s tale combines a lot of elements – horror, romance, thriller, and drama – to create a compelling and sophisticated world from which there is no easy escape. All this, together with the countless secrets, murders, and betrayal turn the short story into a melodramatic Gothic classic, recommended to fans of the genre. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish author of short stories and novels. He was one of the most important writers of Gothic, mystery and horror stories of the Victorian era. Le Fanu’s influence cannot be neglected, for he helped develop the writing styles for atmosphere, setting, and narration. His most important works are 'Uncle Silas', 'The House by the Churchyard', and his short story collection 'In a Glass Darkly'.

Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), B. J. Harrison (Narrator)

Audiobook

Catherine's Quest

Traumatised by dreams and visions about the unassuming chest under the window in her bedroom, Catherine Lestrange demands it be opened; but what is found inside has the power to change her future as well as her reveal her past. Catherine's Quest is taken from the second volume of the Victorian Anthologies "Horror" series, featuring short stories by classic writers of the spooky, the scary and the supernatural. Guaranteed to give you the shivers, each collection includes familiar and loved creepy tales as well as those less well-known. With music by Benedict Edwards.

Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), Kate Millner (Narrator)

Audiobook

Green Tea

'Green Tea' tells the haunting story of a man plagued by a demonic monkey. The unnamed narrator, a trained surgeon who can’t practice because of the loss of two of his fingers, is organising the papers of his deceased mentor, the famous German physician Dr. Martin Hesselius. In doing so, he stumbles upon a strange case, dating back sixty-four years.

Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), Gerry O'brien (Narrator)

Audiobook

The British Short Story - Volume 2 - Mary Diana Dods to Sheridan Le Fanu

These British Isles, moored across from mainland Europe, are more often seen as a world unto themselves. Restless and creative, they often warred amongst themselves until they began a global push to forge a World Empire of territory, of trade and of language.Here our ambitions are only of the literary kind. These shores have mustered many masters of literature. So this anthology's boundaries includes only those authors who were born in the British Isles - which as a geographical definition is the UK mainland and the island of Ireland - and wrote in a familiar form of English.Whilst Daniel Defoe is the normal starting point we begin a little earlier with Aphra Behn, an equally colourful character as well as an astonishing playwright and poet. And this is how we begin to differentiate our offering; both in scope, in breadth and in depth. These islands have raised and nurtured female authors of the highest order and rank and more often than not they have been sidelined or ignored in favour of that other gender which usually gets the plaudits and the royalties.Way back when it was almost immoral that a woman should write. A few pages of verse might be tolerated but anything else brought ridicule and shame. That seems unfathomable now but centuries ago women really were chattel, with marriage being, as the Victorian author Charlotte Smith boldly stated 'legal prostitution'. Some of course did find a way through - Jane Austen, the Brontes and Virginia Woolf but for many others only by changing their names to that of men was it possible to get their book to publication and into a readers hands. Here we include George Eliot and other examples.We add further depth with many stories by authors who were famed and fawned over in their day. Some wrote only a hidden gem or two before succumbing to poverty and death. There was no second career as a game show guest, reality TV contestant or youtuber. They remain almost forgotten outposts of talent who never prospered despite devoted hours of pen and brain.Keeping to a chronological order helps us to highlight how authors through the ages played around with characters and narrative to achieve distinctive results across many scenarios, many styles and many genres. The short story became a sort of literary laboratory, an early disruptor, of how to present and how to appeal to a growing audience as a reflection of social and societal changes. Was this bound to happen or did a growing population that could read begin to influence rather than just accept?Moving through the centuries we gather a groundswell of authors as we hit the Victorian Age - an age of physical mass communication albeit only on an actual printed page. An audience was offered a multitude of forms: novels (both whole and in serialised form) essays, short stories, poems all in weekly, monthly and quarterly form. Many of these periodicals were founded or edited by literary behemoths from Dickens and Thackeray through to Jerome K Jerome and, even some female editors including Ethel Colburn Mayne, Alice Meynell and Ella D'Arcy.Now authors began to offer a wider, more diverse choice from social activism and justice - and injustice to cutting stories of manners and principles. From many forms of comedy to mental meltdowns, from science fiction to unrequited heartache. If you can imagine it an author probably wrote it. At the end of the 19th Century bestseller lists and then prizes, such as the Nobel and Pulitzer, helped focus an audience's attention to a books literary merit and sales worth. Previously coffeehouses, Imperial trade, unscrupulous overseas printers ignoring copyright restrictions, publishers with their book lists as an appendix and the gossip and interchange of polite society had been the main avenues to secure sales and profits.

Charles Dickens, Mary Diana Dods, Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), Ghizela Rowe, Ian Holm, Tom Mclean (Narrator)

Audiobook

Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was born on August 28th, 1814, at 45 Lower Dominick Street, Dublin, into a literary family with Huguenot, Irish and English rootsThe children were tutored but, according to his brother William, the tutor taught them little if anything. Le Fanu was eager to learn and used his father's library to educate himself about the world. He was a creative child and by fifteen had taken to writing poetry.Accepted into Trinity College, Dublin to study law he also benefited from the system used in Ireland that he did not have to live in Dublin to attend lectures, but could study at home and take examinations at the university as and when necessary.This enabled him to also write and by 1838 Le Fanu's first story The Ghost and the Bonesetter was published in the Dublin University Magazine. Many of the short stories he wrote at the time were to form the basis for his future novels. Indeed, throughout his career Le Fanu would constantly revise, cannabilise, embellish and re-publish his earlier works to use in his later efforts.Between 1838 and 1840 Le Fanu had written and published twelve stories which purported to be the literary remains of an 18th-century Catholic priest called Father Purcell. Set mostly in Ireland they include classic stories of gothic horror, with grim, shadowed castles, as well as supernatural visitations from beyond the grave, together with madness and suicide. One of the themes running through them is a sad nostalgia for the dispossessed Catholic aristocracy of Ireland, whose ruined castles stand in mute salute and testament to this history. On 18 December 1844 Le Fanu married Susanna Bennett, the daughter of a leading Dublin barrister. The union would produce four children. Le Fanu was now stretching his talents across the length of a novel and his first was The Cock and Anchor published in 1845.A succession of works followed and his reputation grew as well as his income. Unfortunately, a decade after his marriage it became an increasing source of difficultly. Susanna was prone to suffer from a range of neurotic symptoms including great anxiety after the deaths of several close relatives, including her father two years before. In April 1858 she suffered an "hysterical attack" and died in circumstances that are still unclear. The anguish, profound guilt as well as overwhelming loss were channeled into Le Fanu's work. Working only by the light of two candles he would write through the night and burnish his reputation as a major figure of 19th Century supernaturalism. His work challenged the focus on the external source of horror and instead he wrote about it from the perspective of the inward psychological potential to strike fear in the hearts of men. A series of books now came forth: Wylder's Hand (1864), Guy Deverell (1865), The Tenants of Malory (1867), The Green Tea (1869), The Haunted Baronet (1870), Mr. Justice Harbottle (1872), The Room in the Dragon Volant (1872) and In a Glass Darkly. (1872).But his life was drawing to a close. Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu died in Merrion Square in his native Dublin on February 7th, 1873, at the age of 58.

Sheridan Le Fanu (Author), David Shaw-Parker, Ghizela Rowe (Narrator)

Audiobook