Showing results by narrator "B. J. Harrison" in All Categories

Seth is a young man torn by fear and indecision. His life no longer in his hands, he fears an uncertain future where the only certainty is a life of servitude to the kingdom. Fortunately for Seth, he is not alone. His brother, Garret, too attends the choosing ceremony where their fates will be decided. Together, the twins make their way to the castle city of Valdadore for the choosing ceremony but along the way Seth notices a strange new trend in his life.

There is a bridge at Owl Creek that is surrounded by dry and cracking driftwood. Burning the bridge would be the perfect way for a civilian Southerner to strike a blow against the Union Army. But Peyton Farkuar doesn't make it that far and instead finds a rope around his neck.

An anthology of chilling, classic horror stories, including "The Tale-Tell Heart", "The Pit and the Pendulum", and "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe; "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving; "The Hand", "Was it a Dream?", and "The Horla" by Guy de Maupassant; "The Red Room" by H.G. Wells; "Moon-Face" by Jack London; "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

An assassin is sent back in time to prevent the ravings of a religious zealot which, if left unchecked, will lead to absolute catastrophe. A master of the “Silver Age” of science fiction, Philip K. Dick won the Hugo Award in 1963, and the John W. Campbell Memorial award in 1975. Though he lived most of his life in near poverty, he is behind some of the most recognizable science fiction stories to date, penning the stories behind the films Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, Paycheck, and The Adjustment Bureau.

Two student anatomists purchase the remains of humanity in the small hours of the morning. The shadowy men who bring the bodies seldom speak, and the suspicions of the students are never spoken aloud. Until one morning when the drapery is lifted from the face of a new acquisition, and one student recognizes it as the face of a dear friend, alive and well only yesterday.

John Carter returns to his beloved Mars, and engages in airborne combat with the dreaded Black Pirates. In his second search for the famed Dejah Thoris, Carter leads a revolt to free the Martian races from a devious cult that thrives on secretive slavery.

When Tralane, an itinerant bard, was captured by the dread Sorcerer King, his only hope lay in stealing the Eye of Wyden. With that powerful amulet, he was able to escape to another variant world. But he could not so easily escape the destiny that seemed to pursue him. As he fled from world to world, each seemed to offer only greater misery and danger. And now he was stalked by the mocking figure of the Jade Warrior, a mysterious creature who waited patiently for his failure or death.

Looking Glass Friends is a story about finding your soul's reflection, the ideal person put on this earth just for you. But what if you are already married? What if you have kids? This quest for happiness lies at the heart of all our lives. Many of us face the choice that advances this story. Many of us know that our life will be utterly different in 20 years depending on the choice we make today. It is an intersection that changes everything forever.

Poor little Christine’s father dies and she is left to be raised by a protective angel in the Paris Opera House. After some time she begins hearing a voice who teaches her how to sing. Christine grows to be a magnificent singer with a beautiful voice. One day her childhood friend visits the Opera and he falls in love with her. The phantom who taught Christine to sing and who was imperceptibly by her side, gets jealous and things go out of control.

Dr. Amir Hadad is being stalked. A stranger, hiding in the dark crevices of his home, whispers, “I can’t rest.” Alarmed and unwilling to risk his family’s safety, Amir contacts the police. Only there is no trace of an intruder, no marks of forced entry. If there is a prowler afoot, the police cannot find him. As the days wear on and Amir continues to hear the same disembodied voice speaking to him, he begins to worry about his health and sanity. The Irish lilt has escalated from pleas for help to threats against Amir’s family unless Amir does precisely as he says.

Anodos is a young boy who finds a large and mystical castle with a big and impressive library. The library hides the secret story of the poor Cosmo who was a student at the university of Prague. Cosmo’s life changed forever because of a mirror. But it was no usual mirror; it was an enchanted and a beautiful girl’s soul was kept inside of it. Cosmo was determined to free the girl but was he able to? Read this short story and find out. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories.

"The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion" is a short story by Thomas Hardy that follows the encounter between a young woman and a homesick soldier. The sparks of passion immediately set their souls on fire, but their love is hampered by social conventions and prejudice. In a direct, almost fatalistic way, Thomas Hardy paints a rather gloomy picture of the social conditions of the time, and how often human relationships fell victim to its whims.

The world stands on the brink of the rocket age, and everyone is thrilled that humanity has attained this stunning achievement. But William Stanley isn’t convinced we should be here. Will he really stop the launch of this incredible rocket that he has helped to create?

Emma Woodhouse has it all - beauty, brains, breeding, and bucks. She considers it her highest achievement to have successfully played matchmaker for her governess, seeing her happily settled nearby. But when chooses Harriet Smith as her next matchmaking target, she unwittingly builds a house of cards for Harriet and herself. In one of Jane Austen’s most beloved novels, Emma explores the vagaries of class, the foibles of matchmaking, and the merits of true character.

On a cool night, an ill-formed man darkens the doorway of Mrs. Boxer. Her trepidation turns to instant joy when she discovers it to be her long-lost husband, who has been lost at sea for the past three years. But the supposed Mr. Boxer has a suspicious mother-in-law. And when she secretly connives with an ancient fortune-teller, new discoveries show that Mr. Boxer isn't the man he proclaims himself to be.

Dorian Gray embodies every artistic element for artist Basil Hallward. But when Lord Henry reveals the phenomenal world experienced only to the young and beautiful, Dorian makes a devious deal. Thus begins Dorian Gray's extensive journey into dissipation, while somehow maintaining every element of his youth and innocence. What is his secret? And why does he keep Basil Hallward's painting hidden from prying eyes?

As a firefighter, Captain Ken Cavanaugh knows his way around dangerous situations - but he'd rather run into a burning building than help plan his 25th high school reunion in Barefoot Bay. Unfortunately, it's his best chance of finally putting things right with Beth Endicott two and a half decades after they ended so badly. But the instant they see each other again, the years blow away like ashes in the heat of their combustible chemistry.

Wuthering Heights follows the tumultuous lives of Catherine and Heathcliff, two young playmates who become soul mates. While Catherine's wild childish capriciousness develops, Heathcliff "exemplifies the effects which a life of continued injustice and hard usage may produce on a naturally perverse, vindictive, and inexorable disposition".

On his first trip to the West Zane Grey became friends with Buffalo Jones the "last of the plainsmen" as he called him in the book he subsequently wrote about him. Jones had been witness to the great herds of buffalo that had once ranged on the Great Plains and he had been a participant in the destruction of those herds. In early 1923 Grey decided that he would write the epic story of the thundering herds of buffalo the great hunt that decimated them and the battle between the Plains Indians and the buffalo hunters.

John Hare lies dying in the desert until he is discovered and saved by the kind and generous rancher, August Naab. As Hare is nursed back to health on Naab’s ranch, he finds himself irresistibly attracted to Naab’s adopted daughter, Mescal. But Mescal is being relentlessly pursued by Holderness, a man who is not to be trusted. Hare is soon drawn into a web of adventure and intrigue over land, water, and the heart of a beautiful woman, all set against the sweeping backdrop of the Wild West.