Explore every episode of the podcast Unpleasant Dreams

A Christmas Carol is perhaps the most loved classic holiday story of all time. Cassandra Harold, once again shares her narration of the full version of Ebenezer Scrooge's tale by Charles Dickens. Did you know that while the phrase "Merry Christmas" first appeared in written form in 1536, it was Charles Dickens who helped popularize its use in Victorian society through A Christmas Carol? Did you know the term "Scrooge" came to be synonymous with a miser and was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary with this meaning in 1982? Enjoy this super sized Christmas edition of Unpleasant Dreams. Merry Christmas and God Bless Us Every One! This episode includes the complete story. A Christmas Carol  by Charles Dickens, originally published 1843 and is in the Public Domain. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you enjoy classic ghost stories—especially those with a festive twist? This week on Unpleasant Dreams, Cassandra Harold has a special treat for you: a reading of Charles Dickens' The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton. You might be thinking, "Wait, didn't Dickens write the iconic Christmas ghost story A Christmas Carol?" That's true! But The Story of the Goblins was published seven years earlier and actually served as an inspiration or prototype for A Christmas Carol. In this spooky tale, a grumpy sexton (a type of undertaker or gravedigger) refuses to embrace the Christmas spirit. That is, until a group of mischievous goblins kidnap him and attempt to change his outlook on life. Originally published in 1836 as part of The Pickwick Papers, this story is in the public domain. Enjoy and Happy Holidays! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

December 5th is Krampusnacht! In honor of this special occasion, we revisit the real story of Krampus in today’s holiday edition of Unpleasant Dreams! Oh, and be sure to be good. You wouldn’t want to upset The Krampus… Find the original article by EM Hilker that this episode is based on HERE Episode originally released in 2021. SOURCES AND FURTHER READING Alchemist., The. “Witch Bells and How to Use Them.” Magical Recipes Online, 19 May 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2021. Armstrong, Patti Maguire. “An Exorcist Explains Why the Devil Hates Bells So Much.” NCR. Retrieved 5 December 2021. Billock, Jennifer. “The Origin of Krampus, Europe’s Evil Twist on Santa.” Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution, 4 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2021.  Brom. Krampus: the Yule Lord. Harper Voyager, 2012.  “Devils – Afraid of Bells.” Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 5 December 2021. Hart, Sandra Merville. “Ten Christmas Songs That Mention Bells.” Sandra Merville Hart, 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2021. History.com Editors. “Halloween.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 18 November 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2021.  Hix, Lisa. “You’d Better Watch Out: Krampus Is Coming to Town.” Collectors Weekly, 11 December 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2021.  Little, Becky. “Meet Krampus, the Christmas Devil Who Punishes Naughty Children.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 5 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2021. Littlechild, Chris. “The Terrible Tale of Hans Trapp, the Christmas Scarecrow.” Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, 8 December 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.  Loh-Hagan, Virginia. Krampus: Magic, Myth, and Mystery. Cherry Lake Publishing, 2019.  “Guardian Bells.” Motorcycle Minds, 28 November 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2021. Pandza, Tina. “The German Postcard Craze: Then and Now.” DW.COM, 21 Sept. 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2021. Raedisch, Linda. The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year. Llewellyn, 2013. Ridenour, Al. The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil. Feral House, 2016. Rogers, Jude. “The Mari Lwyd.” Wales. Retrieved 5 December 2021.  This post contains Amazon affiliate links that benefit Jim Harold Media when you make a qualifying purchase. Thank you for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cassandra Harold engages in some whimsy and nonsense this week on Unpleasant Dreams, reading two poems by Lewis Carroll. "Jabberwocky" was published in 1871 and is considered one of the greatest nonsense poems written in English. The poem has given us the nonsense words and neologisms such as "galumphing" and "chortle". It was included in Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Then, Cassandra tells us Carroll's poem "The Hunting of the Snark" which was published in 1876. It is also considered a nonsense poem. There are many analyses about what the poem means, with some people indicating it is an allegory for the search for happiness. What do you think? Both poems are in the Public Domain. Enjoy! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you like stories of terror and horror? You are in for a treat this week as Cassandra Harold tells us the short story, "What Was It? A Mystery". Written by Fitz-James O'Brien and first published in Harper's Magazine in 1859. It is in the Public Domain. This story is among the earliest modern tales to include the concept of "invisibility," predating H.G. Wells's 1897 work, "The Invisible Man." Enjoy! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Halloween has passed but the spooky stories continue on here on Unpleasant Dreams. Cassandra Harold reads the short story, The Boarded Window, by Ambrose Bierce on this week’s episode. It was written in 1891, and is in the Public Domain. Enjoy! — Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers’ intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library’s guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Halloween! Cassandra Harold reads the short work of prose fiction, "The Vampyre," by John William Polidori on this week's Unpleasant Dreams. It was written in 1819, was published in New Monthly Magazine that year, and is in the Public Domain. "The Vampyre" is believed to have started the romantic vampire genre. We hope you enjoy! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would you do if you were on your way to a wedding and a sailor stops you tell you a story about life or death? This week Cassandra Harold tells us The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. This poem was first published in 1798 and is in the Public Domain. Cassandra is narrating an 1834 edition. This famous poem features popular phrases that are still used today : "albatross around one's neck" and "Water, water, every where, / Nor any drop to drink". Enjoy! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's Unpleasant Dreams features a horror story written by H.P. Lovecraft. Cassandra Harold narrates the short story, "The Music of Erich Zann." "The Music of Erich Zann" was written in 1921 and first published in 1922 and is in the Public Domain. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us this week on Unpleasant Dreams as Cassandra Harold tells us the story of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death." "The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842 and is in the Public Domain. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, Mark Twain actually wrote a classic ghost story. Appropriately enough, it was called, "A Ghost Story" and it is our Season 4 premiere. Much more to come this fall! It is great to be back and thanks for your patience! We'll be back next week with more chilling Unpleasant Dreams. "A Ghost Story" by Mark Twain, was originally published in 1870 and is in the Public Domain. Our narrator is Cassandra Harold. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Unpleasant Dreams we dive into an eerie tale that tests the boundaries of darkness and the sway it holds over the mind. Our story is Edith Nesbit's "The Power of Darkness." "The Power of Darkness" by Edith Nesbit, originally published 1905 and is in the Public Domain. Our narrator is Cassandra Harold. Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33028 -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tune in for this classic Victorian ghost story written in 1852 by Elizabeth Gaskell. "The Old Nurse’s Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell, originally published 1852 and is in the Public Domain. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cassandra shares the troubling tale of "The Vale of Corbies" written by Arthur J. Burks. "The Vale of Corbies" by Arthur J. Burks, originally published 1926 and is in the Public Domain. You can find the original at The Internet Archive here: https://archive.org/details/WeirdTalesV06N05192511/page/n31/mode/1up Please tell your classic horror loving friends about Unpleasant Dreams! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A hard boiled journalist encounters something that shakes him to his core. That is the premise of H.F. Arnold's classic short story, The Night Wire. You can find it here: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Night_Wire  "The Night Wire" by H.F. Arnold, originally published 1926 and is in the Public Domain. Cassandra Harold is our narrator. Thank you for listening and please share with your friends who enjoy classic horror! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's the perfect story for a day dedicated to our hearts. It's The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. Enjoy! "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, originally published 1843 and is in the Public Domain. Cassandra Harold is our narrator. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Cassandra on a journey to the mysterious Goblin Market on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams! "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti, originally published 1862 and is in the Public Domain. Thank you for listening and please share the show your friends! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Yellow Wallpaper is a horror tale from 1892 which details a woman's decent into madness. Yet, it is much more and is considered a classic of feminist literature. The author is Charlotte Perkins Gilman and you can find the full text at Project Gutenberg. "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, originally published 1892 and is in the Public Domain. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. Thank you for listening and share the show with your friends right from your favorite podcast app. -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Christmas Carol is perhaps the most loved classic holiday story of all time. Cassandra shares her narration of the full version of Ebenezer Scrooge's tale by Charles Dickens. This episode includes the complete story. "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, originally published 1843 and is in the Public Domain. Enjoy this super sized Christmas edition of Unpleasant Dreams. Merry Christmas and God Bless Us Every One! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cassandra shares the conclusion of the terrifying tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! You can find the classic original, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, at this link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43/43-h/43-h.htm#chap02 "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, originally published 1886 and is in the Public Domain. Thank you for listening and please tell your friends who love classic horror! Stay tuned for the full version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in our next episode to be released in the week before Christmas! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this special Halloween edition, Cassandra shares the terrifying tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! This is part one.  You can find the classic original, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, at this link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43/43-h/43-h.htm#chap02 "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, originally published 1886 and is in the Public Domain. Thank you for listening and please tell your friends who love classic horror! Happy Halloween! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We delve into the conclusion of Robert W. Chambers’ “The Mask,” a tale that intertwines love, art, and the audacity of human ambition. What happens when an artist’s quest for eternal beauty crosses the unforgiving lines of mortality? Join us as we explore a story that ventures beyond the surface, examining the emotional and psychological toll of capturing perfection—at a price. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. You can find the original text of this classic 1895 story here: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8492/pg8492-images.html#THE_MASK "The Mask" by Robert W. Chambers, originally published 1895 and is in the Public Domain. Thank you for listening and please tell your friends who love classic horror! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We delve into Robert W. Chambers' "The Mask," a tale that intertwines love, art, and the audacity of human ambition. What happens when an artist's quest for eternal beauty crosses the unforgiving lines of mortality? Join us as we explore a story that ventures beyond the surface, examining the emotional and psychological toll of capturing perfection—at a price. Your narrator is Cassandra Harold. This is Part One. You can find the original text of this classic 1895 story here: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8492/pg8492-images.html#THE_MASK "The Mask" by Robert W. Chambers, originally published 1895 and is in the Public Domain. Thank you for listening and please tell your friends who love classic horror! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A terrifying tale of a lost soul on the sea crying for any help he can find for himself and his doomed wife. Cassandra Harold narrates the classic short story, "A Voice In The Night" by William Hope Hodgson. "A Voice in the Night" by William Hope Hodgson, originally published 1907 and is in the Public Domain. Please share this episode with your friends who love classic horror! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Classmates exchange mysterious tales about their "ordinary" Latin teacher. Their banter spirals into a gripping saga of ghostly encounters, where reality blurs with the realm of the unknown. Cassandra Harold reads this classic tale, A School Story by M.R. James on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. You can find the short story here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9629 "A School Story" by M.R. James, originally published 1911 and is in the Public Domain. Here's wishing you pleasant dreams!!! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever get an offer too good too be true? That's the terrifying predicament of our subject on this week's Unpleasant Dreams. Cassandra Harold narrates this classic short horror story. Source of A Suspicious Gift by Algernon Blackwood: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14471 "A Suspicious Gift" by Algernon Blackwood, originally published 1906 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man finds himself haunted by an unseen, malevolent force. Will he overcome it, will it drive him mad, or worse? Cassandra Harold narrates this classic Ambrose Bierce short horror story. Source of The Damned Thing: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/23172/23172-h/23172-h.htm "The Damned Thing" by Ambrose Bierce, originally published 1893 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man gets a most unwelcome visitor late at night! Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find A Midnight Visitor by John Kendrick Bangs at The Gutenberg Project: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8377/pg8377.html "A Midnight Visitor" by John Kendrick Bangs, originally published 1904 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://jimharold.com/count-magnus-part-two-unpleasant-dreams-38/A writer becomes fascinated by a mysterious Count and his manor. This episode is the thrilling conclusion. Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find COUNT MAGNUS at The Gutenberg Project: https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8486/pg8486-images.html#chap06 "Count Magnus" by M.R. James, originally published 1904 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A writer becomes fascinated by a mysterious Count and his manor. This episode is part one. Tune in next week for part two! Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find COUNT MAGNUS at The Gutenberg Project: https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8486/pg8486-images.html#chap06 "Count Magnus" by M.R. James, originally published 1904 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cassandra narrates the Edgar Allan Poe classic, The Fall of the House of Usher. This episode is part two! You can find part one HERE. Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find The Fall of the House of Usher at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/932 "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe, originally published 1839 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cassandra narrates the Edgar Allan Poe classic, The Fall of the House of Usher. This episode is part one. Tune in next week for part two! Cassandra Harold is your narrator. You can find The Fall of the House of Usher at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/932 "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe, originally published 1839 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man experiences the “strangest day of his life” and we are witnesses to this tale worthy of The Twilight Zone. The heat can do strange things… August Heat was written by W. F. Harvey in 1910. You can find the text at Project Gutenberg Australia here: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0605761.txt "August Heat" by W.F. Harvey, originally published 1910 and is in the Public Domain. Cassandra Harold is your narrator. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And…may all your dreams be pleasant! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An American couple comes to England hoping to find a haunted manor. Did they find it? Listen to the conclusion of this spine tingling tale to find out! Written by Edith Wharton in 1910. Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/306/306-h/306-h.htm "Afterward" by Edith Wharton, originally published 1910 and is in the Public Domain. Cassandra Harold is your narrator. Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And, may all your dreams be pleasant! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An American couple comes to England hoping to find a haunted manor. Did they find it? Listen to this episode of Unpleasant Dreams to find out! Part One. "Afterward" by Edith Wharton, originally published 1910 and is in the Public Domain. Cassandra Harold is your narrator. Follow Cassandra’s new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends! And...may all your dreams be pleasant! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A terrifying tale of the sea is the subject of one of HPL's early tales, Dagon. Cassandra Harold narrates. You can find the text here: https://www.steve-calvert.co.uk/public-domain-texts/h-p-lovecraft-dagon.html "Dagon" by H.P. Lovecraft, originally published 1919 and is in the Public Domain. Follow Cassandra's new Instagram here: https://instagram.com/unpleasant_dreams_podcast Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends!  -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Season 3, Unpleasant Dreams is back with a new format! Cassandra is now turning her attention to classic spooky stories! This week she shares the cautionary and terrifying tale of The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs. Be careful what you wish for! You can find The Monkey's Paw at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12122 "The Monkey’s Paw" by W.W. Jacobs, originally published 1902 and is in the Public Domain. Thanks for listening and please share the show with your friends!  -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A real-life series of deaths of young Hmong men inspired Wes Craven to create Nightmare On Elm Street. We tell this tragic story on this week's Unpleasant Dreams. EM Hilker is our writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. Find the original article by EM Hilker HERE. SOURCES “Brugada Syndrome.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 5 May 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022. “Hmong.” International Institute of Minnesota, 17 January 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2022.  Kruse, Colton. “Dying in Your Dreams: Freddy Krueger Syndrome Is Real.” Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, 21 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2022. Madrigal, Alexis C. “The Dark Side of the Placebo Effect: When Intense Belief Kills.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 14 September 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2022.  McCann, Erin. “Freddy Krueger Is Loosely Based on the Disturbing True Tale of 18 People Inexplicably Dying in Their Sleep.” Ranker, 14 June, 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2022. Morgan, Thaddeus. “How a Terrifying Wave of Unexplained Deaths Led to ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 30 October 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2022.  Stromberg, Joseph. “What Is the Nocebo Effect?” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 23 July 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2022. Sugg, Richard. The Real Vampires: Death, Terror, and the Supernatural. Amberley Publishing, 2019.  Tofield, Andros. “Pedro Brugada MD: The Spanish Cardiologist Who Together with His Brother Josep Brugada, First Described the Brugada Syndrome.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 7 March 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2022. Vatta, Matteo, et al. “Genetic and Biophysical Basis of Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS), a Disease Allelic to Brugada Syndrome.” OUP Academic, Oxford Academic, 1 February 2002. Retrieved 27 July 2022.      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe as read by your host, Cassandra Harold. "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, originally published 1845 and is in the Public Domain. Our little Halloween gift to you from Unpleasant Dreams. Boo! -- Jim Harold Media LLC respects writers' intellectual property. All fictional stories on Unpleasant Dreams are in the U.S. public domain, published before 1928. For more on public domain and copyright, visit the Cornell University Library's guide on public domain: https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mysterious disappearance of a group of nine Soviet hikers in 1959 has puzzled the world for decades. What happened? Was it simply horrible weather? A secret weapons test? Or, something otherworldly? That is the subject of this very Unpleasant Dream. EM Hilker is our writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. CLICK HERE for EM Hilker’s original article. SOURCES Borzenkov, Vladimir. “Trek Categories and Sports Ranks.” Dyatlov Pass. Retrieved 17 August 2022.  Eichar, Donnie. Dead Mountain: the Untold Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Chronicle Books, 2013. Hadjiyska, Teodora, and Igor Pavlov. “Dyatlov Group.” Dyatlov Pass. Retrieved 17 August 2022. Gaume, Johan, and Alexander M. Puzrin. “Mechanisms of Slab Avalanche Release and Impact in the Dyatlov Pass Incident in 1959.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 28 January 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2022. “Nikita Khrushchev.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 November 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2022. Niziol, Tom. “Whirls, Curls, and Little Swirls: The Science Behind Von Karman Vortices.” Weather Underground. Retrieved 18 August 2022.  Osadchuk, Svetlana. “Mysterious Deaths of 9 Skiers Still Unresolved.” The St. Petersburg Times, 19 February 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2022. Solly, Meilan. “Have Scientists Finally Unraveled the 60-Year Mystery Surrounding Nine Russian Hikers’ Deaths?” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 29 January 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2022.  Speltz, Lorin. “Salo.” Russiapedia. Retrieved 17 August 2022.  Wedin, B, et al. “‘Paradoxical Undressing’ in Fatal Hypothermia.” Journal of Forensic Sciences, U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 1979. Retrieved 18 August 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A seemingly idyllic Ohio town becomes the setting for one of the most mysterious cases of the 20th Century. Sinister letters are sent for years, a life is lost, while others are ruined and the whole matter remains a puzzle to this very day. EM Hilker is our writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. CLICK HERE for EM Hilker’s original article. TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE for a full transcript and sources   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did shooting a 1956 movie in the irradiated Utah desert eventually kill John Wayne and a host of his co-stars and crew? It seems very possible and that is the just the start of tragedy on this week’s edition of Unpleasant Dreams. -BetterHelp- The Paranormal Podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp is professional therapy done securely online, available to people worldwide. They have a special offer for my listeners: get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/dreams EM Hilker is our writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. CLICK HERE for EM Hilker’s original article. -TRANSCRIPT- CLICK HERE for a full transcript. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Houdini was the greatest magician in history…few realize that one of his best friends was the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle! They quickly bonded over their interest in Spiritualism but that was only the beginning of the story… -BetterHelp- The Paranormal Podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp is professional therapy done securely online, available to people worldwide. They have a special offer for my listeners: get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/dreams EM Hilker is our writer and researcher with additional writing by Cassandra Harold. Jim Harold is our Executive Producer. TRANSCRIPT & SOURCES CLICK HERE for a full transcript and source list. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Numbers stations are real and very weird. What are these and what are the successors to these bizarre transmissions? We delve into the mystery in this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. CLICK HERE for E.M. Hilker’s original article. TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE for a full transcript. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Granite columns in the middle of rural Georgia were placed in 1980 containing strange guidance for future generations. Who put them there and why? That is the subject of this week's Unpleasant Dreams. CLICK HERE for E.M. Hilker's original article. Show Art Photo Credit: Quentin Melson via Wikipedia -TRANSCRIPT- CLICK HERE for a full transcript Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This UK poltergeist case is possibly the most famous in history, inspiring many books and the motion picture, The Conjuring 2. It is the subject of tonight’s edition of Unpleasant Dreams! Primary writing is by EM Hilker with supplementary writing by Cassandra Harold. Cassandra Harold hosts and Jim Harold is the Executive Producer. -TRANSCRIPT- CLICK HERE for a full transcript. CLICK HERE for the original article by EM Hilker -SOURCES- Brennan, Zoe. “Enfield Poltergeist: The Amazing Story of the 11-Year-Old North London Girl Who ‘Levitated’ above Her Bed.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 4 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2022. “Brimsdown.” Hidden London. Retrieved 3 June 2022. “The Enfield Poltergeist: Living The Horror.” YouTube, New Line Cinema, 2016. Accessed 4 June 2022.  Guglielmi, Jodi. “Inside the Real Story That Inspired The Conjuring 2.” People.com, updated 13 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May, 2022.  Hyde, Deborah. “The Enfield ‘Poltergeist’: A Sceptic Speaks.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 1 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2022. “Interview With a Poltergeist.” YouTube, Channel 4, 2007. Posted April 2015. Accessed 4 June 2022.  Playfair, Guy Lyon. This House is Haunted: The Amazing Inside Story of the Enfield Poltergeist. White Crow Books, 2011. “Poltergeist.” New World Encyclopedia, 10 May 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2022. Smith, Duncan. “Enfield Poltergeist Case Offers New Proof of Paranormal Existence.” Enfield Independent, 31 August 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2022, Ward, Diarmaid. “Ten Myths about Council Housing.” City Monitor, 26 April 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The death car of James Dean, Little Bastard, is said to have brought doom to many who crossed its path. Today, we explore the legend of The Curse of Little Bastard on Unpleasant Dreams! TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE for the transcript and original article -SOURCES- Beath, Warren Newton. The Death of James Dean. Grove Press, 1986. Berg, Nik. “The Curse of James Dean’s ‘Little Bastard’ Porsche 550 Spyder.” Hagerty UK, 14 December 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Coombs, Cathy. “The Unexpected and Early Death of Promising Actor James Dean.” Medium, Medium, 10 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022. “Famous Cursed & Haunted Cars: Most Famous Spooky Cars.” Famous Cursed & Haunted Cars | Most Famous Spooky Cars. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Fitzgerald, Craig. “Cursed Cars: James Dean’s Haunted ‘Little Bastard’ Porsche 550.” BestRide, 29 October 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Hintz, Charlie. “Little Bastard: The Disappearance of James Dean’s Cursed Car.” Cult of Weird, 26 September 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2022. “James Dean Unpublished Crash Site Photograph’s Up for Auction.” Old Cars Weekly, Old Cars Weekly, 8 August 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2022.  JP. “‘Little Bastard’: the Silver Spyder Porsche/Dean Mystery Revisited.” The Selvedge Yard, 5 December 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Lerner, Preston. “What Really Happened to James Dean’s ‘Cursed’ Porsche.” CMG Worldwide. Retrieved 1 March 2022. Parker, Ryan. “Alec Guinness Warned James Dean About His Car One Week Before Deadly Crash.” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 July 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2022.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sad tale of the Donner Party is one of the most grisly in American history. So much tragedy on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. ARTICLE Find the original article by EM Hilker HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore the terrifying and fascinating phenomena of Spontaneous Human Combustion on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. JIM’S SPRING BOOK GIVEAWAY& NEWSLETTER Never miss anything going on at the Spooky Studio and qualify for Jim’s Spring Book Giveaway (some restrictions apply), sign up for Jim’s FREE newsletter HERE ARTICLE Find the original article by EM Hilker HERE TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE for a full transcript Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Betty and Barney Hill UFO abduction case is the perhaps the most famous in the history of the phenomena. We share their story on this edition of Unpleasant Dreams. JIM HAROLD’S SPRING BOOK GIVEAWAY & NEWSLETTER Never miss anything going on at the Spooky Studio and qualify for Jim’s Spring Book Giveaway (some restrictions apply), sign up for Jim’s FREE newsletter HERE ORIGINAL ARTICLE CLICK HERE for the original article by EM Hilker TRANSCRIPT CLICK HERE for the full transcript. SOURCES AND FURTHER READING Dickinson, Terence, et al. “The Zeta Reticuli (or Ridiculi) Incident.” Astronomy.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.  Fox, Margalit. “Betty Hill, 85, Figure in Alien Abduction Case, Dies.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2004. Retrieved 8 February 2022. Lacina, Linda. “How Betty and Barney Hill’s Alien Abduction Story Defined the Genre.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 4 September 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2022. Marden, Kathleen and Stanton T. Friedman. Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience. Weiser, 2007. Pflock, Karl and Peter Brookesmith, eds. Encounters at Indian Head: The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Abduction Revisited. Anomalist Books,  2007. Robinson, J. Dennis. “Historic Portsmouth: Simon Says ‘It Was a Dream’.” Seacoastonline.com, Portsmouth Herald, 28 May 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022.  Skomorowsky, Anne. “Alien Abduction or ‘Accidental Awareness’?” Scientific American, Scientific American, 11 November 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2022. Todd, Iain. “Zeta Reticuli: Facts About the Binary Star System.” BBC Sky at Night Magazine, 18 May 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2022. “UNH Innovation Spotlight – Betty and Barney Hill Collection.” UNHInnovation, 20 October 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices