Bobby D’s Reading Room

Mark Twain was my first favorite author. The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County was the story that first launched his literary career. Originally published in the November 18, 1865 edition of The New York Saturday Press. Hope you enjoy the story.  

The time is April 1953, what exactly is up there atop Mt. Everest? Mankind doesn't know, but we've seen the pictures. There's something up there. And whatever it is... it's moving! Check out this full audiobook recording of "Everest" a golden age sci-fi short story by the legendary Isaac Asimov.   In this short story -- originally published in Universe Science Fiction in December 1953 --- the summit of Mount Everest remains unconquered. It was the ultimate unreached destination on Earth. No human being had successfully stood at the peak and returned to tell the tale. But what a decision was made not to climb to the summit, but rather drop in with a parachute, some supplies, and a spacesuit. A plan so crazy... IT. MIGHT. JUST. WORK.   When the truth is finally revealed about the nature of those photographs, it wasn't the cold or a lack of oxygen that was stopping man who reaching the roof of the world... it is something far more mysterious. "Everest" is a quick and fun tale of Golden Age Sci-Fi that blends earthly exploration with Asimov’s signature twist!

You hear that? That's the haunting, deafening silence of the Red Planet in this full-length audiobook of Ray Bradbury's classic short story, "I, Mars" - alternately published as "Night Call, Collect." ​ Emil Barton, Martian colonist, has been stranded on Mars for sixty years (take THAT, Matt Damon!) and is utterly alone... until the telephone rings on his 80th birthday. But the voice on the line isn't a long-awaited rescue ship. It's the recorded voice of his younger self, a brilliant, arrogant man from decades past—an invention Barton created to stave off loneliness that has now turned into a relentless, mocking tormentor. ​ What if your greatest enemy was your own past? ​Come along with me on this chilling exploration of isolation, technology, and the psychological horror of confronting your own lost hopes. A compelling "lost" tale from the era of The Martian Chronicles, "I, Mars" is a profound and deeply melancholy journey into madness against the desolate, beautiful backdrop of a would be human civilization on Mars. The story still resonates decades later as Barton inadvertently created an AI of his own that has the power to ruin his life. I give the story my best reading and try to capture the poignant despair and creeping dread of Bradbury's words - and it was fun to read the voices too! Perfect for fans of classic science fiction, dark fantasy, and chilling audio drama. Subscribe for more classic science fiction, horror, and everything in between audiobooks! I, Mars was originally published in Super Science Stories, April 1949.

Welcome to this full-length Robert E. Howard audiobook! 👻 Dive into a chilling piece of classic psychological horror with "The Fearsome Touch of Death," one of Howard's powerful weird fiction short stories, originally published in Weird Tales (Feb 1930). A man decides to sit with a recently departed corpse overnight—it's a tradition, even for the most miserly of us. It's just a corpse. What could go wrong? Well.... everything. This is a deep dive into paranoia, fear, and the terror of the unknown, perfect for fans of classic horror audiobooks and pulp fiction from the 1930s. Relax (if you dare!), turn down the lights, and let me take you into a macabre world. Don't forget to like and subscribe to Bobby D's Reading Room for more free weird tales and classic horror!

A cursed Monkey's Paw grants three wishes to its owner. What. Could. Go. Wrong? The Monkey's Paw is a classic English horror story by W. W. Jacobs. The story originally appeared in Harper's Monthly in September 1902. It was later published in Jacobs' short story collection, The Lady of the Barge.

There were more Joes on Venus than you could shake a ray gun at. Perhaps there was method in Colonel Walsh’s madness – murder madness – when he ordered Major Polk to scan the planet for a guy named Joe. Welcome back to Bobby D’s Reading Room where I invite you to stick around for a little bit, pull up a chair, join me on a journey to Venus, and let me read you a story. Today’s story is a good one by S.A. Lombino… better known as Evan Hunter… better known still as Ed McBain. It’s A Planet Named Joe originally published in Planet Stories, November 1952.

Amra of Akbitana is the last warrior standing after a hellacious battle that left many slain. He’s beaten and weary when a woman appears before him, who promises to lead Amra to his doom. Will Amra survive the… Gods of the North? Today’s story is a wild one by one of my favorites, Robert E. Howard. Gods of the North was first published in The Fantasy Fan, March 1934. Some trivia about the story. Howard wrote Gods of the North originally as a Conan story, but after it wasn’t accepted for publication, Howard changed the hero’s name to Amra of Akbitana, and there you go. Editors… am I right?

Solomon Kane and a companion find an ill-maintained inn nestled deep in the Black Forest. Will these weary travelers find rest for the evening, or will they be haunted by the Rattle of Bones? Welcome back to Bobby D’s Reading Room where I invite you to stick around for a little bit, pull up a chair, join me on a trip to the Black Forest, and let me read you a story. Today’s story is a bone chiller. See if you can make it through the night with an offering from Robert E. Howard, featuring one of his best known creations, Solomon Kane: Rattle of Bones, which was originally published in Weird Tales, June 1928.

Two men who are guided by the writings of a mysterious book venture into a long forgotten cemetery in search of ungodly secrets long since buried in an ancient subterranean realm… Will both men live to tell the tale? Stick around for that famous final line! Prepare to have your sanity tested by one of H.P. Lovecraft’s most unsettling stories: The Statement of Randolph Carter, which was originally published in The Vagrant, May 1920

A man is lured by his friend into the dark and damp catacombs beneath the home of the once great Montresor family, oblivious to the horror and danger that awaits him. Of course, he was only interested in The Cask of Amontillado… Today’s story is an all-timer. An intoxicating tale that has captivated and haunted readers for generations: Edgar Allan Poe’s masterful short story, "The Cask of Amontillado." The Cask of Amontillado was first published in Godey’s Lady Book in November 1846.