Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories
Episodes
The Room in the Tower, by E.F. Benson
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Haunted since his youth by a recurring nightmare, a man discovers to his horror that sometimes dreams are more than simply the mind's anticipation...
The Call of Cthulhu, by H.P. Lovecraft
08 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this, the 5th anniversary of the podcast I read a special, slightly longer story than usual.In H.P. Lovecraft's archetypal tale of cosmic horro...
The Horror From the Mound, by Robert E. Howard
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this western horror, a young farmer discovers the horrifying reason why his neighbour avoids the hillock on the edge of his land, as its history is...
The Body Snatcher, by Robert Louis Stevenson
18 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A chance encounter in a country inn reveals the history of two old men with a dark past. Whilst medical students in the city of Edinburgh many years a...
Happy New Year!
10 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A very Happy New Year from the podcast!With the New Year comes a new feature - you can now make a wee donation, large or small or nothing at all, by v...
A Strange Christmas Game, by Charlotte Riddell
14 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After he inherits a country estate from a distant relative, the narrator moves in with his sister, only to discover the sinister truth surrounding the...
The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral, by M.R. James
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After he happens upon an old obituary notice our narrator unravels the mysterious and unusual circumstances surrounding the death of a clergyman a cen...
The Judge's House, by Bram Stoker
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In his search for somewhere secluded for his studies, a student happens across what appears to be the perfect location. However the house he chooses h...
The Portent of the Shadow, by E. Nesbit
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The housekeeper of a country house relates to a group of party guests the story of the unsettling supernatural events which befell a married couple of...
The Mask, by Robert W. Chambers
10 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A sculptor living in Paris makes a discovery which has unexpected and terrible consequences.Mr Spike's Bedtime Stories theme and incidental music ...
The Lost Room, by Fitz-James O'Brien
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 'The Lost Room' a man returns from taking the evening air to discover that the room in which he lives has undergone a mysterious transformation and...
The Upper Berth, by F. Marion Crawford
08 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whilst on a transatlantic voyage, a man is perplexed by strange events within the cabin he has been assigned. Soon he discovers its chilling history a...
The Door in the Wall, by H.G. Wells
11 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A successful politician recounts how thoughout his life he has been haunted by the memory of a chance childhood encounter with another world, accessed...
The Willows, by Algernon Blackwood - Part 2
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The concluding part of this story to mark the 4th anniversary of the podcast. Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who has listened in the past ...
The Willows, by Algernon Blackwood - Part 1
09 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two friends canoeing down the Danube encounter a terrifying, otherworldly presence which inhabits the islands on which they make their camp.This is a ...
The Shadow on the Blind, by Louisa Baldwin
09 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Mr Stackpoole takes on a run down old country house, little does he realise that the truth behind the tales he hears about the reasons why its pr...
Ligeia, by Edgar Allen Poe
12 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In "Ligeia," an unnamed narrator mourns the loss of his ethereal, otherworldly wife. When he finally marries again, his second wife becomes ill and th...
Between the Lights, by E.F. Benson
08 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A group of friends gather around the fireside on Christmas Eve to hear their host relate the story of a most frightening experience which began for hi...
Opening the Door, by Arthur Machen
10 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When he is sent to interview a retired clergyman whose predictions has recently gained a certain notoriety, a newspaper reporter hears the tale of a m...
Pickman’s Model, by H.P. Lovecraft
13 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When a talented but shunned artist's friend is brought to visit his studio in an old part of town, the paintings he finds there reveal terrifying subj...
The Tractate Middoth, by M.R. James
08 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When a young librarian is tasked with retrieving a certain old book, he finds himself entangled in a family feud where a forbidding secret of the past...
Dig Me No Grave, by Robert E Howard
11 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In "Dig Me No Grave," an old man’s unsettling death leads his friend to carry out bizarre final instructions involving dark occult rituals...
The Voice in the Night, by William Hope Hodgson
14 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In "The Voice in the Night" a ship's crew encounters a mysterious, disembodied voice pleading for aid from the darkness of the sea. The ...
The Horror of the Heights, by Arthur Conan Doyle
09 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After the disappearance of celebrated aviator Joyce-Armstrong, a notebook is found which chronicles his perilous journey to the upper reaches of the a...
The Crystal Cup, by Bram Stoker
12 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bram Stoker's first published story tells of an artist, torn from his lover and held captive in the palace of a king, forced to create a work of a...
The Most Dangerous Game, by Richard Connell
14 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Big game hunter Sanger Rainsford is stranded on an island in the Caribbean. There he meets the enigmatic General Zaroff who puts to him a most unusual...
For the Blood is the Life, by F. Marion Crawford
10 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In "For the Blood is the Life," the narrator is visited in Italy by a friend, a Scandinavian artist, and relates to him the strange tale beh...
The Yellow Sign, by Robert W. Chambers
11 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
An artist and his model are disturbed by unsettling dreams and the sight of a strange watchman at the church across from his studio. Soon after they f...
The Wood of the Dead, by Algernon Blackwood
14 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In "The Wood of the Dead" an unnamed narrator describes how, after stopping at a country inn a during a country ramble, he encounters an eni...
Man-Size in Marble, by E. Nesbit
10 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 'Man-Size in Marble' two newly-weds rent a country cottage to escape the bustle of the city. At first they are very happy, but before long ...
The Signal-Man, by Charles Dickens
12 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In "The Signal Man" our narrator relates the details of a chance encounter with a signal-man on a lonely stretch of railway and the tale he...
The Pit and the Pendulum, by Edgar Allen Poe
15 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An unnamed narrator tells of his imprisonment by the Inquisition and the subsequent torture which he undergoes at their hands. Mr Spike's Bedtime...
Monkeys, by E.F. Benson
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"Monkeys" concerns a respected and experimental surgeon who, after accompanying a friend to Egypt, becomes fascinated with a mummified corps...
The Hounds of Tindalos, by Frank Belknap Long, Jr
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In an very special episode of the podcast I am joined by Scott Dorward of The Good Friends of Jackson Elias for a reading of Frank Belknap Long's ...
The Tapestried Chamber, by Sir Walter Scott
16 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In The Tapestried Chamber, or The Lady in the Saque we learn of a General Browne, recently returned from America, whose stay at an old friend's st...
The People of the Pit, by Abraham Merritt
11 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the wilds of Alaska, a gold prospector and his companion marvel at a strange light in the sky over a five-peaked mountain. That evening as they mak...
The Corpse Light, by Dick Donovan
14 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"The Corpse Light" by Dick Donovan (whose real name was J. E. Preston Muddock) tells of a respected and level headed medical man whose journ...
Listener Request - Two Tales by H.P. Lovecraft
07 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many thanks to listener C.L. Larsson who requested these two short tales by H.P. Lovecraft. In "What The Moon Brings" an unnamed narrator t...
The Ring of Thoth, by Arthur Conan Doyle
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Ring of Thoth" concerns an academic who, whilst on a research trip to Paris, encounters a singular individual...
Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad, by M.R. James
19 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To mark the second anniversary of my little podcast of classic macabre tales, I've chosen a rather special story by arguably one of the most great...
The Cairn on the Headland, by Robert E. Howard
19 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"The Cairn on the Headland" tells of an academic, who along with his companion discovers that an ancient Irish landmark holds a secret that would be b...
The White Powder, by Arthur Machen
15 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"The Novel of the White Powder" concerns a young student of the law who after having become exhausted from overwork is prescribed a pick-me-up by the ...
The Empty House, by Algernon Blackwood
18 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"The Empty House" tells of Jim Shorthouse, who accompanies his aunt to an old house where, a century ago, a servant girl was thrown to her death from ...
Devo Nodenti, by Keris McDonald
20 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I am delighted to open the second season of my podcast with this cautionary tale from the compendium "The Private Life of Elder Things" "Devo Nodenti"...
A Special Announcement
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A short announcement to introduce the forthcoming new season of my little podcast....
Caterpillars, by E.F. Benson
02 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A visitor to the Italian Riviera has a dark foreboding about the villa in which they are staying. Then, that night they experience a most unusual drea...
Dracula's Guest, by Bram Stoker
18 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our narrator, an Englishman travelling through Germany from Munich on the last day of April is warned not to return late to his hotel. Despite this, t...
The Demoiselle d'Ys, by Robert W. Chambers: Part 2
04 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our narrator arises the following morning to learn more of the Château d’Ys and its inhabitants Opening music for Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories "The ...
The Demoiselle d'Ys, by Robert W. Chambers: Part 1
21 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our narrator finds himself lost on the moors of Brittany in north-western France, where he encounters a mysterious stranger. Opening music for Mr. Spi...
The Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allen Poe: Part 3
07 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Following the death of his sister, Roderick Usher's mental condition deteriorates still further. Our narrator attempts to cheer his spirits by reading...
The Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allen Poe: Part 2
24 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After learning of the rapid decline in his sister's condition, our narrator spends time with the master of the House of Usher and grows ever more conc...
The Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allen Poe: Part 1
10 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An unnamed narrator arrives at the ancient mansion owned by a boyhood companion, Roderick Usher, from whom he has recently received a letter. Usher is...
The Ash Tree, by M.R. James: Part 2
19 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the concluding part of The Ash Tree, Sir Matthew Fell's grandson discovers that his inheritance is not entirely fortuitous. Opening music for Mr. S...
The Ash Tree, by M.R. James: Part 1
05 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Castringham Hall in Suffolk is a house with an unfortunate history. Many years ago its owner's testimony was instrumental in the guilty verdict and ha...
A Ghost Story, by Mark Twain
22 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our unnamed narrator has taken rooms in an old property in New York City. As he settles down for the night he is disturbed by a very unnerving set of ...
John Charrington's Wedding, by E. Nesbit
08 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When, just two days before his wedding to May Forster, the prettiest girl in the village, John Charrington is called to visit his seriously ill godfat...
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, by Ambrose Bierce
24 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It is a time of Civil War and military justice is about to be served on a railroad bridge in Alabama. As the man waits for his execution at the hands ...
The Colour Out of Space, by H.P. Lovecraft: Part 3
10 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Slightly delayed due to an unexpected encounter with a malevolent staircase, the final part of of The Colour Out of Space concerns the return to the G...
The Colour Out of Space, by H.P. Lovecraft: Part 2
20 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of The Colour Out of Space, the fortunes of the Gardner family go from bad to worse through Spring, Summer and Autumn. When Ammi Pi...
The Colour Out of Space, by H.P. Lovecraft: Part 1
06 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In order to mark the first anniversary of my little podcast I have a special treat in store. Over the next three episodes, I'll be reading a classic t...
The Man of Science, by Jerome K. Jerome
20 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A tale is told among friends of a certain man of science who has a narrow escape from an old enemy. Some time later, however, events suggest that his ...
The Flayed Hand, by Guy de Maupassant
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A young Paris student eagerly shows his comrades a curious item he has recently picked up whilst visiting his home town. However the company's amuseme...
Two Tales by Saki
23 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In "The Open Window" a Mr. Framton Nuttel, on the advice of his doctor, travels to a village to affect a cure for his nervous condition. There he meet...
The Mezzotint, by M.R. James
09 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Mezzotint is the story of Mr. Williams, the curator of a university art museum who receives a mezzotint from an art dealer. The very disturbing en...
The Kit-Bag, by Algernon Blackwood
26 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A seasonally-adjacent tale to see out 2021. The tale of The Kit-Bag concerns the young private secretary of a noted barrister who has just won the acq...
The Monkey's Paw, by W. W. Jacobs
12 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic short story, three wishes are granted to the owner of a curious mummified paw, but the wishes come with an terrible price for interfer...
The Flowering of the Strange Orchid, by H.G. Wells
28 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A tale from The House of Apprehension. A cautionary tale in which an orchid collector finds that Mother Nature, despite her beauty, can often be treac...
In the Forest of Villefère, by Robert E. Howard
14 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A tale from The House of Apprehension. First published in Weird Tales, August 1925, In the Forest of Villefère tells of de Montour's passage through ...
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving
31 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A tale from The House of Apprehension. This short story tells the tale of a small town schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane whose unsuccessful attempts to...
How Nuth Would Have Practiced His Art Upon the Gnoles, by Lord Dunsany
17 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I'm little tardy with this story I'm afraid as I've been unusually busy of late. In this short tale by Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron D...
The Masque of the Red Death, by Edgar Allen Poe
26 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A mysterious and deadly disease is sweeping the land. Wealthy noble Prince Prospero retreats with a retinue of friends and hangers-on to the seclusion...
The Cats of Ulthar, by H.P. Lovecraft
12 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A tale from The House of Apprehension. In this short tale, our narrator relates the story of how a law forbidding the killing of cats came to be in th...
The Doom That Came to Sarnath, by H.P. Lovecraft
29 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A tale from The House of Apprehension. First published in 1920, this is the third story in Lovecraft's Dream Cycle. It tells the history of the ancien...
Tobermory, by Saki
15 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A slight departure this week in that the short story I read was not previously heard in The House of Apprehension. I hope you enjoy "Tobermory" by Sak...
Two Tales of Wonder, by Lord Dunsany
01 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A reading for The House of Apprehension Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist, notable for ...
Lost Hearts, by M.R. James
18 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A reading for The House of Apprehension Stephen Elliot, a young orphan boy, is sent to live with his middle-aged bachelor cousin, Mr. Abney. Abney liv...
The Tell-Tale Heart, by Edgar Allen Poe
04 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A reading for The House of Apprehension An unnamed narrator endeavours to convince the reader of his sanity, while describing a murder he committed. I...
Sredni Vashtar, by Saki
20 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A reading for The House of Apprehension Conradin, a sickly 10-year old boy, lives in the care of his despised, overbearing and controlling cousin Mrs ...
The Outsider, by H.P. Lovecraft
13 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A reading for The House of Apprehension Our mysterious narrator, who has been living alone in a castle for as long as he can remember, decides to brea...
The Thing on the Roof, by Robert E. Howard
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A reading for The House of Apprehension First appearing in the February 1932 issue of Weird Tales, The Thing on the Roof tells the tale of Tussman, a ...
The Statement of Randolph Carter, by H.P. Lovecraft
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A reading for The House of Apprehension The Statement of Randolph Carter is the first person testimony of the titular character, who has been found wa...
From Beyond, by H.P. Lovecraft
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A reading for The House of Apprehension An unnamed narrator details his experiences with a scientist named Crawford Tillinghast. Tillinghast has creat...
Casting the Runes, by M.R. James
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A reading for The House of Apprehension When an association rejects a paper of his, the author does not take the rejection well. After his appeals fai...
Welcome
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a brief introduction to the podcast. If you want to add to whatever podding app you use, the RSS feed is: https://anchor.fm/s/5f0e806c/podcast...