The Stranger Times
Episodes
The Believers - a non-Christmas story
28 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's the non-Christmas Christmas special of The Strange Times podcast with a brand new story read by the wonderful Janice Connolly. Enjoy!
Happy Mondays: a brand new story narrated by Phil Mealey
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
*Brand New Story Alert*Caimh is back with some updates, including a sort of 'live reaction' section of the podcast with a man looking at stu...
The Front Room Files - Brendan and Caimh Volume 1
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this 'special' episode narrator Brendan McDonald and author Caimh have a chat while also drinking. The results are a rambling shambles th...
Smile Like You Mean It
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
BRAND NEW STORY ALERT! That's right, the wonderful returning narrator Ruth Cockburn narrates a brand new Stranger Times story called Smile Like Y...
Season 5 offically starts - if it hasn't already
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I'm not sure if the last ep or this ep counts as the start of season 5, but we can all agree it's definitely started now. Also - news on eve...
Two brand new Stranger Times Releases
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Roll up, roll up. roll up - the Stranger Times is back with two releases - Tales From The Stranger Times, a collection of the short stories all narrat...
New: Paint by Numbers Ruth Cockburn
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode sees the return of the the magnificent Ruth E Cockburn reading a new Stranger Times short story, Paint by Numbers, Caimh give...
New: Launch Week, Baby! Relight My Fire Preview
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode sees Brendan McDonald’s caressing your ears with a cheeky preview of Relight My Fire (Chapter 2). Caimh’s also out in the wi...
New: A Good Book - Brand new story read by Mark Stay
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The legend that is Mark Stay is here to narrate a brand new Stranger Times story written by Caimh called A Good Book.
Happy New Year, Events, Prologues, previews!
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Caimh does his trademark rambling about God know's what before the episode is mercifully saved by the ever effervescent Brendan McDonald reading ...
New: Christmas Special read by Brendan McDonald!
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Finishing the year off in style, we've got the unsurpassable Brendan McDonald, narrator of The Stranger Times audiobooks, reading a brand new sho...
Christmas Trilogy Part 2 with Jason Manford
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join Caimh as he reveals exciting details about events (including the correct dates), gets very excited about meeting one of his heroes and then the i...
Christmas Trilogy: Part 1
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of the upcoming brand new Stranger Times Christmas special, we're going to be visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past. Also, the ghost of f...
Spooktacular - Brand new short story!
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this ep, Caimh reads a brand new short story that he read LIVE on the first annual Stranger times Spooktacular. As if that wasn't enough, he a...
Random Gold Part 2 - Awards, afflictions and Barry Castagnola
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join Caimh for some exciting news, an update on big events coming up and a slice of Stranger Times gold .
Random Gold - Deals, Feels and Janice Connolly
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Caimh drops a surprise ep, like one of them Beyonce Knowles albums - only this has no singles but it does have a deal, an update and a slice of pure S...
Series 3: Episode 7: We are ready for launch!
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Re-live the highlights, the lowlights and the big fights of the online launch event for Love Will Tear Us apart as Caimh, author Mark Stay and narrato...
Series 3, Episode 6: The Beautiful Game with Charlie Baker
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode of The Stranger Times is the last to be broadcast from Caimh's writing shed as it's move day! Caimh reminisces abou...
Season 3, Episode 5: Love Will Tear Us Apart Preview – Stanley's back!
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Caimh talks about being a consultant on a film and launch week rituals.The brilliant Brendan McDonnell takes it home in the last pr...
Series 3, Episode 4: How May I Direct Your Call? with Laura Lexx
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The brilliant Laura Lexx makes a triumphant return to the pod to narrate a brand new Stranger Times story. The story is based extremely loosely on a...
Series 3, Ep 3: Love Will Tear Us Apart Preview – Say Hello to Betty!
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Caimh presents another preview of Love Will Tear Us Apart. He also explains how you can help authors and then Brendan McDonald (no relation) takes it ...
Series 3, Ep 2: The Thing About The Future with Ruth Cockburn
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A brand new Stranger Times short story read by the brilliant Ruth E Cockburn and a very exciting bit of news about Caimh doing an event with the legen...
Series 3, Ep 1: We Back Baby!
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Stranger Times podcast returns with a preview of Love Will Tear Us Apart, book three of the series is out on 9th February. No animals or Brendan ...
Series 2: Ep 12 - A fond farewell for now and hello Brendan McDonald - no relation
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this, the final episode of series two of the pod, Caimh does a lot of thanking, reveals a bit of exciting news and has an idea for a unique way to ...
Series 2: Ep 11 - Phil Nichol - What Is and What Should Never Be
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode sees Caimh give his shortest ever introduction (yay!) before the smashing Phil Nichol's provides you with an aural sensa...
Series 2: Ep 10 – Danny Buckler – Before Your Very Eyes
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode sees the magnificent Danny Buckler bringing a touch of magic to Before Your Very Eyes. This short story reveals how stage mag...
Series 2: Ep 9 - Ben Van Der Velde - The Keeper of The Dead
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Caimh talks about launch week for This Charming Man, explains why he thinks it is important to have a diverse bunch of characters in ...
Series 2: Ep 8 - The swearing episode!
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this ep Caimh discusses swearing and how n This Charming Man Vincent Banecroft invents a whole new way of doing it. The on-line launch of which boo...
Series 2: Ep 7- Ian Cognito, a tribute and an Homage
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this ep Caimh explains for the uninitiated who the late great Ian Cognito was and how he came to name the character Cogs after him as a homage to a...
Series 2: Ep 6 - This Charming Man - Preview - Charmless Stanley Roker
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The wonderful Brendan McDonald (No relation) joins us to read a preview of This Charming Man - out Feb 17th. You'll love it so much, you'll ...
Series 2: Ep 5 - Toby Hadoke - Everybody Kills Hitler
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The man, the myth, the legend Toby Hadoke returns to read one of Caimh's timey wimey stories about how even when given the entire history of the ...
Ep 4: Michael Legge - The Trouble With Me Last Week
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week Light Entertainer Michael Legge joins us to read a story called The Trouble With Me Last Week. He shows incredible range by playing an angry...
Series 2: Ep 3 - Dame Janice Connolly - Beauty and the Beast
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we've got the absolute treat of national treasure Dame Janice Connolly reading Beauty and the Beast. This Charming Man, book 2 in The ...
Series 2: Ep 2 - Angela Barnes - Do The Research
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The wonderful Angela Barnes narrates a brand new Stranger Times story and Caimh for some reason does an introduction where he talks about toilet rolls...
Christmas Special: Fire In The Skies read by Jason Manford
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The brilliant Jason Manford reads a very special Stranger Times short story set in the Manchester Blitz, which took place on December 22nd 1940.
Halloween Special: The Owl and The Pussycat read by Eddy Brimson
31 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
That's right, we back baby! It's a one-off Halloween special that was supposed to come out after Halloween but thanks to Rob the sound wizar...
Ep 14: Ain't no party like an online book launch party!
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Caimh makes an announcement! He also unnecessarily says the words 'penis pump' a lot and then we have edited highlights of the on...
Ep 13: Sacrifice with Al Barrie
22 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A brand new short story called Sacrifice written by CK McDonnell and read by Alistair Barrie. NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ELTON JOHN SONG.
Ep 12: Stranger Times Preview Part 3 – Meet a Monster
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, which is the second in a launch week special, is the final preview of the audiobook. Caimh gets you acquainted with one of the monsters ...
Ep 11: Stranger Times Preview Part 2 - Meet The New Boss
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
in this launch week special episode - the first of two, Caimh introduces you to the tyrant that is Vincent Banecroft while managing to entirely forget...
Ep 10: Stranger Times Preview Part 1 - Meet the family
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Caimh wishes you a happy new year and gives you a disturbing analogy about being a sheep farmer. There's also a sneak peek at ch...
Ep 9: The Light with Alex Boardman
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the brilliant Alex Boardman reads a story about choice and consequence.
Ep 8: Christmas Special! A Christmas Carol with Jonathan Mayor
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for the most special of Christmas specials as everyone's fav Fairy Godmother, Jonathan Mayor, gives a uniquely Stranger Times take on A...
Ep 7: The Other Side With Barry Castagnola
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Barry Castagnola reads a story that explains, sort of, why the world is so full of lies and misinformation.
Ep 6: A Dog's Life with Lou Conran
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The splendiferous Lou Conran reads a story about what happens when a good doggie eats a very very bad thingie.
Ep 5: The Blitz Spirits with Hal Cruttenden
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're lucky enough to have Caimh's old mate Hal Cruttenden reading the story The Blitz Spirits.
Ep 4: Love and Death with Joanna Neary
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week the brilliant Joanna Neary narrates Love and Death in the Time of Necessary Track Maintenance. The story isn't as longwinded as the na...
Ep 3: Yes, Prime Minister with Toby Hadoke
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week Toby Hadoke narrates a story that is weirdly prescient and Caimh explains what he thinks and why he doesn't mind what you think, and ho...
Ep 2: Dance With The Devil With Matt Green
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode the wonderful Matt Green reads the story Dance With The Devil, which introduces us to the thoroughly objectionable Stanley Roker and w...
Ep 1: The Rain and The One with Laura Lexx and Ben Crompton
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Crompton reads a scary tale about the rain in Manchester and Laura Lexx reads a story about love, which is not the same things as a love story. Al...
Welcome to The Stranger Times
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Stranger Times is a newspaper based in Manchester dedicated to reporting the weird and wonderful from around the world. This pod is based on the b...