Fast Asleep with Gena Marie
Episodes
"The House Party" by Stanley Ellin, relaxing storytelling
13 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
333 - "He was falling. His handswere outflung against the stone-cold blackness of space, and his body tiltedhead over heels, heels overhead, as h...
“The Fly” · Katherine Mansfield, relaxing story telling
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
330 - You may not believe this yet, but acclaimed author Katherine Mansfield will make you fall in love with a housefly! You may also fall for a griev...
"Galloping Foxley" by Roald Dahl, relaxing storytelling
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
329 - Even Roald Dahl was shocked by the ending of his own (autobiographical?) story! Tuck in for the lurid details. :)
"Louise" by Truman Capote, relaxing storytelling
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
328 - Louise, the new student at the academy: "The girls worshipped her, and the teachers jealously admired her both for her mind and for her uncanny ...
"A Service of Love" by O. Henry, relaxing storytelling
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
325 - Ready for LOVE? Tuck in for a tender tale with a twist: a classic romance from O. Henry.
"I Am the Doorway" by Stephen King, relaxing storytelling
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
324 - Something bad happened out there in space, but of course it did -- Stephen King wrote it. Tuck in for this astronaut's disturbing story.
"Motive v. Opportunity" by Agatha Christie, relaxing storytelling
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
323 - Miss Marple solved it instantly. Can you? Tuck in and solve another Agatha Christie mystery, "Motive v. Opportunity."
"The Ice Palace" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Part 2 of 2, relaxing storytelling
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
322 - Don't miss this riveting conclusion! Tuck in for the extraordinary event that occurs in this genuine setting of "The Ice Palace" once again from...
"The Ice Palace" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, relaxing storytelling, (part 1 of 2)
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
321 - Not a fantasy, this palace, made of ice, actually existed in the good old U.S.A., and F. Scott Fitzgerald wrapped a decidedly American love stor...
"The Renegade" by Shirley Jackson, relaxing storytelling
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
320 - Author of the unsettling short story, Shirley Jackson was anything but an ordinary housewife. Tuck in as her sinuous views on the subject twist ...
"Silent Snow, Secret Snow" by Conrad Aiken, relaxing storytelling
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
319 - Was this the autobiography of the author with a tragic childhood? "The thing was above all a secret, something to be preciously concealed from ...
"The Basement Room" by Graham Greene, relaxing reading
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
318 - ". . . he opened his eyes and Mrs. Baines was there, her gray untidy hair in threads over his face . . . 'Where are they?' she whispered. 'Where...
"Death on Christmas Eve" by Stanley Ellin, relaxing storytelling
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
317 - It is December 24 and . . . "This is one day I'd like to cut out of the calendar permanently." Tuck in to discover why from the Grand Master of ...
"A Chaparral Christmas Gift" by O. Henry, relaxing reading
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
316 - Madison Lane and Rosita McMullen were joyously married on Christmas Day, but not everyone was happy about it. Tuck in for this festive O. Henry ...
"The Man Who Did Not Believe in Luck" by Jerome K. Jerome, relaxing storytelling
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
315 - "You can have no idea, if you've never been HIT ON THE HEAD WITH A GOOSE, how it hurts," said "The Man Who Did Not Believe in Luck." Tuck in for...
"The Way Up to Heaven" by Roald Dahl, relaxing storytelling
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
314 - Perhaps their long marriage wasn't perfect . . . "She noticed with a kind of horror that he was staring intently at . . . the corner of her left...
"Captain Christy's Thanksgiving" by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, relaxing storytelling
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
313 - "The summer folks go, but I stay here . . . and listen for the cries from the wrecks. I'm as busy in the winter as in the summer and terribly lo...
"Ingots of Gold" by Agatha Christie, relaxing storytelling
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
312 - There's a Spanish galleon wrecked off the coast of Cornwall, but was it ever brimming with gold bullion? Thanks to the most widely published aut...
"The Eyes Have It" by Philip K. Dick, (along with one other), relaxing storytelling
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
311 - Light and scrumptious and from Philip K. Dick! Tuck into not one -- but TWO -- tales from this gripping author of speculative and science fictio...
"The Optimist" by Saki (H. H. Munro), relaxing storytelling
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
310 - Author Saki (H. H. Munro) loved to taunt the upper class with his short stories and his readers with his twisted endings. Tuck in and enjoy how ...
"Grey Matter" by Stephen King, relaxing reading
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
309 - What's scarier than something safe and familiar turning into dread and doom? Now add a dash of absurdity and that's the way we complete the spoo...
"The Demon Lover" by Elizabeth Bowen, relaxing storytelling
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
308- She had "The Demon Lover" and wondered "After twenty-five years . . . What did he do to make me promise like that?" Tuck in for this Irish-Bri...
"The Shadows on the Wall" by Mary Wilkins Freeman, relaxing reading
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
307 - "That shadow on the wall . . . It's been there every night since he died." Tuck in for this ghoulish ghost story from the prim New England autho...
"A Haunted Island" by Algernon Blackwood, relaxing storytelling
05 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
306 - Completely isolated on a tiny island, loneliness is not his only concern . . . Tuck in for "A Haunted Island" from the master of the ghost story...
"The Middle Toe of the Right Foot" by Ambrose Bierce, relaxing storytelling
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
305 - "It is well known that the old Manton house is haunted." (Without a doubt!) Tuck in to navigate the abrupt twists of this disquieting ghost stor...
"The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe, relaxing storytelling
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
304 - Alcohol and cherished pets do not always mix: "One night, returning home, much intoxicated from one of my haunts . . ." Tuck in for th...
"Soliloquy on a Park Bench" by Conrad Aiken, relaxing storytelling
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
303 - " . . . one wanted, sometimes, to be alone." But she will NOT be alone on this day! She will be plagued by a strange young man full of...
"Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield, relaxing storytelling
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
302 - A Sunday afternoon in a most idyllic place, idyllic save for the loneliness of Miss Brill . . . Tuck in for this poignant (autobiographical?) st...
"Kindred Spirits" by Truman Capote, relaxing storytelling
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
301 - Tuck in for a fascinating convo between these two . . . Mrs. Rittenhouse: ". . . he fell an enormous distance from over the bridge railing ...
"Across the Bridge" by Graham Greene, relaxing storytelling
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
300 - Everything would have been different if he would have just made it . . . "Across the Bridge." Tuck in for this slightly twisted, class...
"The Idol House of Astarte," part 2, by Agatha Christie, relaxing storytelling
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
299 - Who -- or WHAT -- killed Sir Richard Haydon? Tuck in for the conclusion of this Miss Marple mystery.
"The Idol House of Astarte" by Agatha Christie, Part 1, Relaxing Storytelling
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
298 - Step into the forest and prepare yourself to solve another tantalizing mystery from the Queen of Crime! Can YOU unlock it before Miss Marple?
"The Locket" by Kate Chopin
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
296 - "There was a soldier -- a mere boy --lying with his face to the sky. Around his neck hung a gold chain and locket." Tuck in for the te...
H. H. Munro 's (Saki) "Tobermory"
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
295 - He can teach animals to speak perfect English! Tuck in for the excitement that ensues from the Master of the Mischievous Short Story.
Agatha Christie's "The Tuesday Night Club," relaxing storytelling
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
294 - From the world's most published author, tuck in for the first of the original Miss Marple mysteries.
Shirley Jackson's "Men with Their Big Shoes," relaxing storytelling
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
293- Is poor, young Mrs. Hart being blackmailed? Tuck in as this hypnotic author takes us through the transformation of her idyllic life.
"Day of the Butterfly" by Alice Munro, relaxing storytelling
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
292 - Tuck in to see how cruel girls can be. “A game developed: 'Let's be nice to Myra! What do you wash your hair in, Myra? . . . she washes it in ...
"Broker's Special" by Stanley Ellin, relaxing storytelling
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
291 - "Judge Hilliker had once told him . . . 'Guns? . . . Knives? Blunt instruments? . . . there is just one perfect weapon -- an automobile...
"The Bloodstained Pavement" by Agatha Christie
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
290 - Miss Marple knows: "There is a great deal of wickedness in village life." Tuck in for another captivating Marple mystery!
"The Golden Castaways" by Lloyd Osbourne
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
289 - "All I did was to pull him out by the seat of his trousers . . . (and) he called me a hero! . . . I departed in a blaze of glory." Tuc...
"East Wind" by Daphne du Maurier
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
288 - "Perhaps he was drowned, or picked up by some passing ship; no one could say, for he never came back. No one who left the island returned.&...
"Miss Marple Tells a Story" by Agatha Christie
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
286 - The Queen of Crime and Mystery has graced one of her best upon us. Tuck in and find out "whodunnit."
"The Hint of an Explanation" by Graham Greene
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
285 - Spoken to a bewildered little boy, "You wouldn't ever be safe in your own house. I know ways to get into houses when people are asleep....
"The Utterly Perfect Murder" by Ray Bradbury
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
284 - ". . . on my 48th birthday, lying in bed that night beside my wife, with my children sleeping through all the other quiet moonlit rooms of ...
"Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, part 2, relaxing storytelling
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
283 - “He had been sent to the bank with Denny & Carson's deposit. There was nearly a thousand (dollars) which he had . . . quietly transferred to h...
"Louisa, Please Come Home" part 2 by Shirley Jackson
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
281 - "How do we know what the family is keeping secret? Or if she was kidnapped by a homicidal maniac, why should he send a ransom note?" Tuck in for...
"Louisa, Please Come Home" part 1 by Shirley Jackson
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
280 - Her family is begging her to come home, but . . . what if she can't? Tuck in for another gem from the most requested author. (Conclusion next w...
"The Crown Derby Plate" by Marjorie Bowen
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
279 - "When she brought her glance back to the door . . . it had been opened and someone, obscured by the darkness, was looking at her intently.&...
"The Mouse" by Saki (H. H. Munro)
16 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
278 - "A warm, creeping movement over his flesh betrayed the unwelcome and highly resented presence of . . ." Tuck in for the --anything bu...
"Taking of the Veil" and "Honeymoon" by Katherine Mansfield
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
277 - Have you, too, suffered for love? Take heart and tuck into not one, but TWO tender love stories from the "young upstart" author.
"If I Were a Man" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
276 - ". . . she was wishing heart and soul she was a man. And all of a sudden she was!" Tuck in for this mind-bending story.
"The Cat's-Paw" by Stanley Ellin
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
275 - For his employer, Mr. Crabtree was the definition of a cat's-paw: a person used for the purposes of another; a tool. Tuck in for another perfect...
"Vengeance Is Mine, Inc." by Roald Dahl
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
274 - "Then it happened. I stopped short . . . I had the whole brilliant magnificent plan worked out." Tuck in for Vengeance Is Mine, Inc., ...
"The Inn" by Guy de Maupassant
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
273 - "It seemed to him as if the silence, the cold, the solitude, the winter death of these mountains were taking possession of him . . ." ...
"A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
272 - The sweet little boy in this week's story will grow up to write an infamously terrifying non-fiction novel that will change his life forever, bu...
"The Burglar's Christmas" by Willa Cather
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
271 - A mother's love on Christmas . . . "To-night you have come back to me, just as you always did after you ran away . . . I never asked yo...
"The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
270 - It's a Wonderful Life . . . Frank Capra's magical movie is based on this heartening short story. Enjoy the story-behind-the-story as you...
"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
269 - " 'But the law requires you to tell what you're going to use it for.' Miss Emily just stared at him . . . until he looked away ...
"Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen" by O. Henry and "The Romance of a Busy Broker" by O. Henry
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
268 - "Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years the Old Gentleman had come there to find Stuffy Pete on his seat. . . But now he looked up at the Ol...
"Shut a Final Door" by Truman Capote
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
267 - "Met the divinest man. Danced with him six times, a divine dancer . . . and he is terribly, divinely good-looking," gushed the heiress...
"The Piece of String" by Guy de Maupassant
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
266 - "The good man was choking with indignation and fear. '. . . how can they tell such lies as that to slander an honest man?'" T...
"The Woman's Ghost Story" by Algernon Blackwood
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
265 - From the master of ghost stories: ". . . I saw that there was some one else in the room besides myself. A man's figure stood between me...
"The Specialty of The House" by Stanley Ellin
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
263 - Is ten years too long to wait . . . for a tour of your favorite restaurant's kitchen? Our author didn't wait long to be published. Tuck in for h...
"The Damned Thing" by Ambrose Bierce
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
262 - Our first story of the season: "Inexpressibly terrified, I struggled to my feet . . . and may heaven in mercy spare me from another sight like t...
"The Hitchhiker" by Roald Dahl
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
261 - He was more than a hitchhiker . . . soooo much more.
"A Cup of Tea" by Katherine Mansfield
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
260 - A beautiful, "battered" little creature, not in the least like the . . . average beggar, approaches wealthy Rosemary. Rosemary's r...
"Everything that Rises Must Converge" by Flannery O'Connor
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
259 - This controversial author shied away from nothing, including the unrest of the 1960s. Tuck in for her intriguing "bus ride" of a tale....
"The Torment of Three Sleepwalkers" & "One of These Days" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
258 - Tuck in for the creator of "magical realism" . . . "At night, we heard the steady murmur of her body, heavy, moving between two d...
"Marsh Rosemary" by Sarah Orne Jewett
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
257 - She thought he was dead. Instead he had just . . . left her . . . for another woman. Tuck in for the poignant tale from Maine's beloved aut...
"A Drive in the Country" by Graham Greene
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
256 - "He took her arm and ran her into a blind unlighted alley . . . " Tuck in for the the adventure and its startling ending. Content warning: e...
"Swamp Terror" and "Parting of the Way" by Truman Capote
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
254 - "Whut would yo' ma say if she knew you was out here in these spooky ol' woods lookin' for some ol' convict?" Truman Ca...
"The Lady with the Pet Dog" by Joyce Carol Oates, Part 2 of 2
05 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
253 - It's 1972 and "cheating" on your spouse is not only common, it's expected. Tuck in for the conclusion of "Peace and Love," Joyce Carol Oates-sty...
"The Lady with the Pet Dog" by Joyce Carol Oates, Part 1 of 2
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
252 - No, this one is not by Chekhov, but like that version there is sex outside of marriage -- 1972 style along with the social movement that excused...
"Strange Moonlight" by Conrad Aiken
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
251 - Our author's childhood was anything but easy, yet he was very accomplished. Delve into his past, then tuck in for his poignant, most autobio...
"The Unnatural Mother" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
250 - A flood . . . and a mother's choice . . . From the author of another engrossing tale, "The Yellow Wallpaper," tuck in for the details of Mrs. Gi...
"The Horse Dealer's Daughter" by D. H. Lawrence
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
249 - Daughter Mabel was unconcerned about her future; she clearly had unexpected plans in mind. Tuck in and decide which assessment rings true: D.H. ...
"Pillar of Salt" by Shirley Jackson
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
248 - A little apartment fire . . . a dismembered leg . . . and suddenly New York City has lost its appeal for Margaret. The beloved author again give...
"The Attic" by Algernon Blackwood
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
247 - ". . . a chill ran down my spine, but what frightened me more than . . . the eerie cry was . . . mother." Why save Algernon Blackwood ...
"The Bridal Party" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
246 - She left him . . . for a wealthy man . . . and now she's invited him to her lavish wedding in Paris. Tuck in for the champagne-fueled mayhem...
"The Other Woman" by Sherwood Anderson
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
245 - Known for his self-revealing works (and his four marriages), our author makes use of his expertise in this scintillating story.
"The Way Up to Heaven" by Roald Dahl
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
243 - "She noticed with a kind of horror that he was staring intently at . . . the corner of her left eye where she could feel the muscle twitchi...
"Zero Hour" by Ray Bradbury
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
242 - "The explosion! The house shook with the dull sound. There were other explosions in other yards on other streets." Tuck in for this st...
"The Man in a Case" by Anton Chekhov
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
241 - Our author adored storytelling in the moonlight. Here's the first of a trilogy. You decide if there is more.
"At Twilight" by Susan Glaspell
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
240 - After seeing the beauty of 40 springs on campus, this glorious May day was spoiled for the professor by this: "Haven't you noticed . . ...
"The Kiss," "A Respectable Woman," and "A Pair of Silk Stockings" by Kate Chopin
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
238 - "I've stopped kissing women; it's dangerous." Or has he? Critics called Ms. Chopin's works shocking and immoral. Tuck in a...
"Someone has Touched these Roses" and "Artificial Roses” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
237 - ". . . I think I will bring a bouquet of roses to my grave." It's been 40 years since the young boy has tragically passed. Tuck in for this and ...
"The Doll's House" and "The Little Girl" by Katherine Mansfield
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
236 - It was a big, glorious doll house and should have been enjoyed by EVERY little girl -- but Kezia takes care of that. This and one other heartwar...
"Hair" by William Faulkner
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
235 - Again Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winner William Faulkner awaits you. Are these his own thoughts about women, or is he merely showing us how ugly t...
"The Tooth" by Shirley Jackson
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
234 - A typical mid-century housewife in a very atypical situation . . . Hold on tight as Ms. Jackson pulls us through her doped up quest to remedy a ...
"Eveline" and "Clay" by James Joyce
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
233 - From Dubliners, Joyce's short story collection: Could both tales be about the same woman? In the first, she's young and planning a new life, and...
"Children on Their Birthdays" by Truman Capote
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
232 - The first sentence of this week's story: "Yesterday afternoon the six-o'clock bus ran over Miss Bobbit." Mr. Capote gets right to it, doesn't he...
"Fiction" Part 2 of 2 by Alice Munro
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
231 - Its true that not every marriage lasts . . . but it's what happens next in this conclusion that makes this tantalizing tale so interesting. &nbs...
"Fiction" Part 1 of 2 by Alice Munro
25 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
230 - How could this have happened? The perfect marriage broken apart by this? Enjoy the plot twists from Canada's Nobel Prize-winning author.
"A Story of Love" by Ray Bradbury
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
229 - From perhaps a surprising source, here's a captivating story of love, innocent love.
"The Lady with the Dog" by Anton Chekhov
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
228 - Said to be the greatest story ever written, here's a romantic tale for your special evening.
"Where is Here?" by Joyce Carol Oates
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
227 - A stranger comes to your door asking to revisit his childhood home -- now YOUR home. Would you let him in? Tuck in and see what happens.
"And His Letters Grew Colder" by Daphne du Maurier
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
226 - From the "Lost Stories" collection: Unearthed in 2014, this startling find is said to be darker and more sinister than du Maurier's later works....
"The Enduring Chill" Part 2 of 2 by Flannery O'Connor
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
225 - The conclusion: Poor Asbury has come home to the farm to die . . . but will Mother "allow" it?
"The Enduring Chill" Part 1 of 2 by Flannery O'Connor
14 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
224 - From "the best book ever to have won the National Book Award" to you: a tale filled with outlandish, morally-flawed southern characters.
"Silent Snow, Secret Snow" by Conrad Aiken
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
223 - From the author: "This story has haunted me for over 20 years . . . be warned of its effect . . ."