Anthropomorphic Dreams Publishing

If you wanta learn you somethin’, go on down to a place where two roads cross. Get there Saturday ’round midnight, and wait there ’til Sunday morning—do that for nine Sundays, all in a row. The dark man, he’ll send his dog to watch on you while you wait. And on the ninth morning, the dark man will meet you. And he will learn you—anything you wanta learn. But you remember this: that dark man, he don’t work for free.

PodCastle’s story Nine Sunday’s in a Row spins an interesting yarn leading up to one person’s ill-fated deal with the devil. It mixes character drama with a nice southern flavor and is told from the sympathetic viewpoint of the Dark Man’s dog himself.

Pseudopod’s recent story Love Like Thunder is a wonderful mix of Native American folklore and mythology along with a nice tale of a sympathetic monster.

It has mature content due to bits of violence and horror imagery, but it also has some nice drama.

Catching up on back issues of the Drabblecast, a weekly podcast of weird fiction, I found this belated Halloween treat. The Great Old Pumpkin is a fun story which manages to blend the Cthulu mythos with the familiar world of Peanuts holiday specials. It was a nice bit of clever humor which was a lot of fun to listen to.

Our serialized novella concludes with a mix of action and drama. Happy Halloween!

“The Thing in the Toyshop” Chapter Four by Simon Barber

Read by Peter Katt

Music from the Podsafe Music Network

Intro song: “Restless Spirits – Halloween 2” by composer David Beard

Outro song: “Creepy Doll” by Jonathan Coulton

“The Thing in the Toyshop” also appeared in the dramatic horror fiction anthology Alone in the Dark.

Download or listen to the episode here.

Halloween night brings its share of surprises, both tricks and treats.

“Halloween Tricks” by Will A. Sanborn

Read by Belic Bear

Download or listen to episode here.