This episode Mike and Will grab their guidebook, pack their bucket and spade and head off for a terrifying trip to sunny Cornwall in E.F. Benson’s ‘Negotium Perambulans’. Big thanks to Richard Crowest of the ‘Ghost Stories of E.F. Benson’ podcast for giving us permission to use extracts from his reading of this story in the episode. You can find out more about Richard, including his E.F. Benson and ‘Short Stories by Saki’ podcasts, at www.corvidae.co.uk. Show notes: E.F. Benson (wikipedia) Wikipedia has a good summary of E.F. Benson’s life, including links to information on his fascinating family. Life of E.F. Benson by Brian Masters (AbeBooks.co.uk) Brian Masters’ excellent biography of Benson is a must-read for those interested in learning more about Benson. Visible and Invisible by E.F. Benson (isfdb.com) Negotium Perambulans originally appeared in Hutchinson’s magazine, and was later anthologised in this volume, along side such other Benson classics as ‘And the dead spake…’ and ‘The Horror Horn’. ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Something-or-Other: E.F. Benson’s “Negotium Perambulans”’ (tor.com) This article contains some interesting insights into this story and its the influence it may have had on H.P. Lovecraft. ‘Negotium Perambulans’ by Loneanimator (deviantart.com) This illustration from Loneanimator does a great job of capturing the horrifying climax of this story.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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