Explore every episode of the podcast Tom's Terror Trove
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| "The Mysterious Mr Montague" by Jane Percival | From the Land of the Long White Cloud | 15 Nov 2025 | 00:46:34 | |
"I never eat pork. It's not that I'm vegetarian, or Jewish or Muslim, it's all to do with something that happened in the 70's, when I was fifteen years old." So begins a tale of innocence lost, buckets of blood, and the lengths someone might go to in order that they might... sustain a life. A gruesome tale from New Zealand. Story featured with kind permission from the author: Jane Percival (https://heni-irihapeti.com/) Narrated and produced by Thomas Barker If you'd like to chip in a couple of dollars to help with hosting and production costs, I'd be enormously grateful. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Whisperer in Darkness" by H. P. Lovecraft | A Tale of the Cthulhu Mythos | 08 Nov 2025 | 03:16:28 | |
In the late 1920's, folklorist and assistant professor at Miskatonic University Albert N. Wilmarth investigates the ominous events that occured in the wake of the historic Vermont Floods. His ill-advised delving, and correspondance with the recluse Henry Akely, will lead to a series of cosmically horrifying revelations. Turn your lights down low, put your headphones on, and tune in to the penultimate episode of Tom's Terror Trove Season 2. Narrated and produced by Thomas Barker If you'd like to chip in a couple of dollars to help with hosting and production costs, I'd be enormously grateful. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Unspeakable Betrothal" by Robert Bloch | A Tale of the Cthulhu Mythos | 04 Sep 2025 | 00:42:50 | |
What if the otherworldly entities of the Cthulhu Mythos aren’t truly evil or malevolent, what if they are simply alien in the most profound sense of the word? This story from 1949 about a dreamy young woman named Avis Long, maintains an almost romantic, sensuous quality (at least - I think so!), right up until its horrifying conclusion. Listen out for the breaking into reality of creatures from Yuggoth and elsewhere. Er - screams. Narrated by Thomas Barker If you'd like to chip in a couple of dollars to help with hosting and music licensing, I'd be enormously grateful. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Vanderlark" by Margaret St. Clair | In Space, No One Can... | 28 Aug 2025 | 00:27:17 | |
Deep space. Two jumpy chancers. And the aching, endless hunger of the void. The Vanderlark was published in 1952, and written by prolific speculative fiction author Margaret St. Clair. It's the first 'pure' sci fi story for TTT. Rejoice! The name may stem from the Vrykolakas, a vampire of sorts from Greek folklore. You'll see why. Narrated by Thomas Barker If you'd like to buy me a ko-fi, I have a page for that! Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Lazarus" by Leonid Andreyev | Existential Dread | 21 Aug 2025 | 01:02:31 | |
Published in 1906, this lush, vivid and grim story paints a picture of the post-resurrection life of Lazarus not as a miracle to be celebrated, but an abomination to be abhorred. The author, Leonid Andreyev, lived from 1871 to 1919, and the rich vein of Expressionism that runs through his novels, plays and short stories proved highly influential. Authors such as H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, who read Andreyev in translation in the 1920's, spoke favourably of his work. Hold on to your hats, dear listeners, 'cause this one is B L E A K. Narrated by Thomas Barker If you'd like to buy me a ko-fi, I have a page for that! Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| Tom's Terror Trove Trailer | 15 Aug 2025 | 00:01:23 | |
Hello, and welcome to Tom's Terror Trove, a podcast currently disgorging The Crawling World, an original dark fantasy/sci fi, full cast audiodrama. I also narrate classics and little-known gems of horror fiction: Mid 19th - early 20th century a speciality. New episodes every Friday, 9am NZ Time. If you'd like to buy me a ko-fi, I have a page for that! Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Pickman's Model" by H. P. Lovecraft | Dark Corners of the Earth | 14 Aug 2025 | 00:43:54 | |
The madness and monstrosity lay in the figures in the foreground—for Pickman’s morbid art was preëminently one of daemoniac portraiture. In this classic short story by H. P. Lovecraft, the narrator, Thurber, describes his encounter with the reclusive painter of the story's title, and comes to a dreadful conclusion about the inspiration behind his creations. "Pickman's Model" was written in September 1926 and first published in the October 1927 issue of Weird Tales. Narrated by Thomas Barker If you'd like to buy me a ko-fi, I have a page for that! Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Out of the Deep" by Walter de la Mare | Last Gasp of the Gothic | 07 Aug 2025 | 01:20:52 | |
Walter John de la Mare (25 April 1873 – 22 June 1956) was a prolific writer of fiction, and a crafter of finely tuned psychological horror. Lumping this particular story in with the 'gothic' subgenre is a little crude, but it shares a fair some features with The Turn of the Screw, so if you enjoyed my reading of that legendary novella, you'll likely appreciate this. Then again, I don't think Henry James had much of a sense of humour. De la Mare on the other hand... Out of the deep features an unwanted inheritance, frequently interrupted sleep, childhood trauma, and something unpleasant 'below stairs'. Also - I'm going to have a bit of a catch-up and discussion at the start of each episode, for those of you who'd like a little more context with their weekly spooky tales. Fear not, there are skippable chapters! Narrated (as always!) by Thomas Barker Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| The Crawling World. Episode 8: Frying Pan, Fire | 01 Aug 2025 | 00:13:09 | |
Wes, Lithee and Garm contend with a monstrous interloper, as the pilgrims near the end of their journey through the mountain. Their troubles are far from over, as they now face the vast, fetid swampland of The Grey Grease. Part 8 of a multi-part series.
Produced and written by Thomas Barker Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Judge's House" by Bram Stoker | Last Gasp of the Gothic | 16 Jul 2025 | 00:48:32 | |
In this story: RATS! Seeking solitude in which to study mathematics for his upcoming tripos (it's a Cambridge university thing), a fresh-faced undergraduate takes lodgings at an ill-omened country house. Could this possibly end well? No. No it could not. Narrated by Thomas Barker Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| Double Feature! The Outsider, by H. P. Lovecraft & The Landlady, by Roald Dahl | Creepy Cozy | 09 Jul 2025 | 00:45:20 | |
Have you ever been out in the cold, yearning for the warmth of a crackling fire, and the company of kind humans? Well, tonight's double-feature will satisfy that unnatural yearning, as both tales concern the subject of companionship, although each with wildly different, and terrifying results... Narrated by Thomas Barker Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Inferno" by Dante Alighieri (translated by A. S. Kline). Part 2 of 2 | 02 Jul 2025 | 02:08:03 | |
The descent continues. Through fire, into ice. The deep, dark hell of frozen shades recount their heinous acts to our narrator and his spectral guide. The kaleidoscopic imagery and boundless, morbid imagination of Dante Alighieri is fully on display in this new translation, with each soul given their own distinct voice and characterisation by the narrator. Abandon all hope, but enjoy the ride! Narrated by Thomas Barker Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Dark" by Arch Oboler | Hallowe'en Special | Lights Out | 01 Nov 2025 | 00:28:30 | |
Two unsuspecting ambulance attendants get far, FAR more than they bargained for, in this disgusting story from 1938. Running from 1934 to 1947, Lights Out was an old-time radio program devoted to stories of horror and the supernatural. Created by Wyllis Cooper, later in the run it was helmed by the brilliant (and eccentric) Arch Oboler. I was spoilt for choice in picking an episode to recreate (it came down to this one and Chicken Heart). Narrated by Thomas Barker If you'd like to chip in a couple of dollars to help with hosting and production costs, I'd be enormously grateful. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Inferno" by Dante Alighieri (translated by A. S. Kline). Part 1 of 2 | 06 Jun 2025 | 02:05:54 | |
ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE. Narrated by Thomas Barker Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| The Crawling World. Episode 7: A Light from the East, A Bell from Below | 08 Mar 2025 | 00:16:27 | |
Another temporary shift. Away from the pilgrims and their murky problems, to a lighter sphere, at least at first glance. A place of grand palaces and ancient lineages. The roots of nobility are buried deep in this plane, but long rotted, and fit only for kindling. How, and when, will all these stories converge? The echoes are increasing. Part 7 of a multi-part series. Cast
Produced and written by Thomas Barker Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| The Crawling World. Episode 6: The Best Way Out, Is Always Through | 14 Feb 2025 | 00:10:23 | |
The group makes its way through the tunnels underneath the mountain, towards the marshes of the Grey Grease. Wes and Lithee are isolated from the main group, and encounter strange phenomena. Garm goes to investigate. Huw, Ra and Asher share a story.
Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| The Crawling World. Episode 5: The Pain of Awakening from Sleep, Through the Mountain, Big Day Tomorrow | 16 Jan 2025 | 00:07:59 | |
The pilgrims regroup to assess their situation, given the catastrophe that has befallen them.
Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| The Crawling World. Episode 4: Trapped in the Dark | 07 Jan 2025 | 00:07:21 | |
We rejoin the pilgrims in the aftermath of an attack by the Child of Iachtanabas. Trapped within the cave they fled to for safety, they set to in order to dig themselves out of trouble, literally. Huw enlists Wes and Lithee to search for the lost sleepers, and Garm entertains (in the loosest possible sense of the word) Ra with an old song.
Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| The Crawling World. Episode 3: A Parallel Narrative Unfolds | 31 Dec 2024 | 00:11:10 | |
Our narrative swerves, temporarily, and we find ourselves under a merciless sun, atop shifting sands, in an unknown time and place. Connections to our main story, the sunken realm and its imperilled pilgrims, will become apparent in due course.
Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| The Crawling World. Episode 2: When the Spawn of Gods Attack, Further Mysteries Revealed | 24 Dec 2024 | 00:06:48 | |
With no time to further understand the strange world he has been thrust into, the erstwhile sleeper and the small group that accompanies him flee for their lives. In the brief moments of respite during their flight, introductions are made.
Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| The Crawling World. Episode 1: Eyes Open, Now | 17 Dec 2024 | 00:05:39 | |
Behold, The Crawling World. A thickly huddled mass. Dark-hued, folded in on itself a thousand, nay ten thousand times over. From your vantage point beyond the veil, you can dimly make out vast oceans, a tumult of mountains honeycomb-riddled with caves, extending you suppose, down into the fused depths. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Worms of the Earth" by Robert E. Howard | Dark Corners of the Earth | 05 Sep 2024 | 01:31:32 | |
Sword and Sorcery clashes with the Cthulhu Mythos in this thrilling tale of the Pictish king Bran Mak Morn, by Robert E. Howard (a contemporary and correspondant of HP Lovecraft and creator of Conan the Barbarian). In order to bring justice to one of his people, the warrior-king enlists an ancient foe. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Shambler from the Stars" by Robert Bloch | A Tale of the Cthulhu Mythos | 26 Aug 2024 | 00:32:34 | |
The first in a sequence of three stories (The Shambler from the Stars, The Haunter of the Dark and The Shadow from the Steeple), this gruesome narrative involves a burgeoning writer who, in the desire for occult knowledge, purchases a forbidding book: De Vermis Mysteriis. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Brain-Eaters" by Frank Belknap Long | Dark Corners of the Earth | 25 Oct 2025 | 00:41:30 | |
We are once again adrift on dark and inhospitable waters this week, as, arriving hot on the heels of ferocious storms in New Zealand, Tom's Terror Trove is proud to present this newly-recorded version of The Brain-Eaters, from 1932. The title gives perhaps a scintilla of a clue as to the contents of the story. Good gross-out pulpweirdfiction stuff. Eat up! Narrated by Thomas Barker If you'd like to chip in a couple of dollars to help with hosting and production costs, I'd be enormously grateful. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce | Hometown Horrors | 26 Aug 2024 | 00:29:03 | |
This famous story (regarded by Kurt Vonnegut as the best short story in American literature) describes (in a style that today might be described as Lynchian) a moment in time. A man, condemned, and a dreamlike escape. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Hell Screen" by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa | Monogatari Macabre | 26 Aug 2024 | 01:09:18 | |
Narrated by a (somewhat) impartial court observer, this reworking of a much older tale, concerns the obsessive artistry, and terrible downfall of the painter Yoshihide. First published in 1918 in serial form, the author is considered the father of the Japanese short story, and himself met a tragic end. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Mezzotint" by M. R. James | Ghost Stories of an Antiquary | 28 Jul 2024 | 00:30:56 | |
It was a seemingly ordinary mezzotint*, unremarkable except for the unusually high price, and the half-missing attribution on the back. Until the changes began. For the curator of a university art museum, a most unexpected, and shocking series of events is about to unfold. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Haunter of the Dark" by H. P Lovecraft | A Tale of the Cthulhu Mythos | 20 Jul 2024 | 01:14:41 | |
Robert Blake is a hunted man, only he does not know it yet. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Wailing Well" by M. R. James | A Stable for Nightmares | 03 Jul 2024 | 00:27:53 | |
Warning! Tonal whiplash incoming. This delightful (and delightfully creepy) short story by master of the genre Montague Rhodes James is a sort-of Billy Bunter meets the contents of a Breugel the Elder painting. Hopefully that doesn't give too much away. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Pigeons from Hell" by Robert E. Howard | Hometown Horrors | 21 Jun 2024 | 01:23:40 | |
An ancient evil festers in the heart of a small community, and though the original perpetrators may be gone, traces of their misdeeds linger on. Also, it's never a good idea to stay the night in a seemingly abandoned mansion, even if you are on holiday. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James. Part 3 (of 3) | Last Gasp of the Gothic | 07 Jun 2024 | 01:34:35 | |
In our final instalment of this perplexing and perturbing story, (see episode 34 for part two). Things reach a fever pitch at Bly manor with multiple manifestations, disappearances, and a possible breakdown. Of reality, or of sanity? You be the judge. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James. Part 2 (of 3) | Last Gasp of the Gothic | 31 May 2024 | 01:15:00 | |
In part two (see episode 33 for part one), tension mounts, apparition encounters increase, and the governess at Bly begins to lose the plot. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James. Part 1 (of 3) | Last Gasp of the Gothic | 27 May 2024 | 01:59:12 | |
The ceremony of innocence is drowned in this, most ambiguous ghostly novella from 1898 by renowned Anglo-American writer Henry James. Lock the door, light a candle, and keep watch; for there may be faces peering in at the window. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Thing in the Hall" by E. F. Benson | A Stable for Nightmares | 16 May 2024 | 00:36:57 | |
If you open the doors of perception too far, who knows what might come knocking? An eminent physician is drawn into a dangerous occult scheme by a longtime colleague, with horrific results. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Voice in the Night" by William Hope Hodgson | A Precursor to the Mythos | 16 Oct 2025 | 00:42:27 | |
Tonight, Tom's Terror Trove returns to one of the most original minds in Weird Fiction, the pioneering William Hope Hodgson. The Voice in the Night concerns a lonely ship in the middle of the Pacific, and a grotesque interlocutor with a horrifying story to tell. B O D Y H O R R O R Narrated by Thomas Barker If you'd like to chip in a couple of dollars to help with hosting and production costs, I'd be enormously grateful. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The House on the Borderland" by William Hope Hodgson | A Precursor to the Mythos | 09 May 2024 | 06:40:07 | |
A remote house, a decaying journal. Two friends on a holiday in remote Western Ireland uncover a tale of wonders (and terrors), and an unfathomable abyss that will leave them forever changed. This unusual, and poignantly haunting novella from 1908, by one of horror fictions true originals, has been a massive influence on generations of subsequent writers. Narration and some music by Thomas Barker Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Hounds of Tindalos" by Frank Belknap Long | A Tale of the Cthulhu Mythos | 07 May 2024 | 00:42:06 | |
Upon rediscovering a drug used centuries ago to expand the consciousness of mystics, eccentric author Halpin Chalmers hopes (along with the aid of certain, esoteric mathematical formulae) to utilise it in an experiment. An experiment in TIME TRAVEL. Unbeknownst to him, his inquiry draws the attention of unwelcome entities, from dark dimensions. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Dagon" by H. P. Lovecraft | The Mythos Stirs | 22 Apr 2024 | 00:18:42 | |
One of the first stories written by Lovecraft as an adult, the story was inspired in part by a dream he had. "I dreamed that whole hideous crawl, and can yet feel the ooze sucking me down!" he later wrote. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The House of the Worm" by Mearle Prout | 14 Apr 2024 | 01:00:27 | |
Two friends embark on what was to be an innocent hunting trip, but which soon leads to decay, degredation, and a chilling secret that gnaws at the heart of the world. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "What Was It?" by J. S. Le Fanu | 04 Apr 2024 | 00:33:35 | |
Described by M.R James as "absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories", Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (1814 - 1873) created gothic and macabre tales that, more than a century hence, have not lost their power to make the flesh crawl, and those shadows in the corner of the room seem somehow darker. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Damned Thing" by Ambrose Bierce | 17 Feb 2024 | 00:24:00 | |
From 1893, this short tale of horror treats, in Bierce's inimitable style, with a sinister creature that is not detectable by mortal means. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "At the Mountains of Madness" by H.P Lovecraft (Part 6 of 6) / The Writhing Mass | 01 Feb 2024 | 00:36:51 | |
Tekeli-li.. . .Tekeli-li ... .
Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "At the Mountains of Madness" by H.P Lovecraft (Part 5 of 6) / Deeper, Deeper | 25 Oct 2023 | 00:44:40 | |
Signs of life stir in the aeon-dead city. Is something waking up? Or was it never asleep in the first place? Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "At the Mountains of Madness" by H.P Lovecraft (Part 4 of 6) / The Old Ones | 16 Oct 2023 | 00:45:44 | |
The history of The Old Ones, their ancient battles, decline and fall, as well as their amorphous servants The Shoggoths, is revealed. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "At the Mountains of Madness" by H.P Lovecraft (Part 3 of 6) / The Silent City | 17 Sep 2023 | 00:51:47 | |
Dr. Dyer and Danforth begin their descent into the cyclopean ruins. The cryptic murals and alien architecture they uncover begin to reveal troubling secrets about earth's long-distant past. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "Mr Justice Harbottle" by J. S. Le Fanu | Last Gasp of the Gothic | 09 Oct 2025 | 01:27:26 | |
A tale of debauchery, depravity, and pestiferous perukes! E F Benson (whose "The Thing in the Hall" I recorded in May 2024) said of Le Fanu, that his “best work is of the first rank, while as a 'flesh-creeper' he is unrivalled. No one else has so sure a touch in mixing the mysterious atmosphere in which horror darkly breeds". Before I forget, I should also mention the framing device which appertains to all the stories in the collection, which is that of the posthumous papers of an occult detective. And on that note, as the wind whips around the walls of the house in which I am recording these words, and seems to fair threaten to knock them down, let us begin. Narrated by Thomas Barker If you'd like to chip in a couple of dollars to help with hosting and music licensing, I'd be enormously grateful. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "At the Mountains of Madness" by H.P Lovecraft (Part 2 of 6) / A Terrifying Discovery | 25 Aug 2023 | 00:51:48 | |
Anxious to witness Lake's miraculous findings firsthand (and alarmed at an abrupt radio silence), the rest of the expedition makes out for his Northwestward base. What they uncovered, and subsequent discoveries by Danforth and our narrator - will prove utterly monstrous. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "At the Mountains of Madness" by H.P Lovecraft (Part 1 of 6) / The Antarctic Expedition | 14 Aug 2023 | 01:13:03 | |
This chilling (in a very literal sense) story details the events of a disastrous expedition to Antarctica in September 1930, and what is found there by a group of explorers led by the narrator, Dr. William Dyer of Miskatonic University. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Shunned House" by H.P Lovecraft / Dark Corners of the Earth | 20 Jul 2023 | 01:20:25 | |
Something is not right with the Mansion House in Benefit Street. For more than a century it has stood, casting a pall over those who have lived there. It harbours too many deaths, an unwholsome, dirt floor cellar, and an ancient evil from a far-off land. Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||
| "The Repairer of Reputations" from The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers / A Precursor to the Mythos | 13 Jul 2023 | 01:30:20 | |
The King in Yellow, published 1895 Queries, comments? Write to me at: tuomasva@outlook.com | |||