Other books that might interest you

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  The Tales of Terror

  Robert Louis Stevenson

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  The Short Stories Of Robert Louis Stevenson. The short story is often viewed as an inferior relation to the Novel.  But it is an art in itself.  To take a story and distil its essence into fewer pages while keeping character and plot rounded and driven is not an easy task.  Many try and many fail.  In this series we look at short stories from many of our most accomplished writers.  Miniature masterpieces with a lot to say.  In this volume we examine some of the short stories of Robert Louis Stevenson.  In the Scottish canon to be placed alongside Burns is high praise indeed but it’s a rightful place for one of Scotland’s finest novelists.  Born in 1850 he managed to cram much into his 44 years travelling widely to France, the United States, Samoa and the South Seas.  Of course he is widely feted for his classics Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde, Treasure Island and poetry volumes such as A Child’s Garden Of Verses.  Here we concentrate on his short stories Olalla, The Body Snatchers and The Pavillion On The Links.  All offer compelling examples of narration and suspense superbly reduced to their essence.  Some of these stories are also available as an audiobook from our sister company Word Of Mouth.  Many samples are at our youtube channel   http://www.youtube.com/user/PortablePoetry?feature=mhee   The full volume can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon and other digital stores.  They are read for you by Richard Mitchley & Robbie McNab.  Index Of Titles; The Body Snatcher; Olalla.

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  Twelve Stories and a Dream

  H. G. Wells

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  A brand new collection of thirteen short stories by the master of supernatural suspense and thrillers, exploring science fiction and fantasy themes. All of the stories in this volume follow a simple and classic pattern: Exposition, conflict, resolution. Because of the short story format, there is not much room for complication or denouement, so these stories by nature are simpler than some of Wells’ other work, and therefore will keep the listener entertained and engrossed! 
  Included in this collection are:FilmerThe Magic ShopThe Valley of SpidersThe Truth About PyecraftMr Skelmersdale in FairylandThe Inexperienced GhostJimmy Goggles the GodThe New AcceleratorMr Ledbetter’s VacationThe Stolen BodyMr Brishner’s TreasureMiss Winchelsea’s HeartA Dream of Armageddon 
  About The Reader 
  John Banks is one of the UK’s most prolific audiobook narrators, working for the likes of Big Finish, Audible, Random House and Games Workshop. He is a true multi-voice, creating everything from monsters to marauding aliens. He is also an accomplished stage and TV actor. 
  About The Author  
  Herbert George Wells was a novelist, teacher, historian and journalist, who has become known as the “father of science fiction.” His works have been adapted countless times, and provided the basis for many literary and theatrical productions.

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  The Stalled Ox

  Hector Hugh Munro

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  When Theophil Eshley, the bovine painter, is called upon by his neighbour Adela Pingsford to remove a stray ox from her garden things go inevitably and comically wrong. No oxen are harmed in the course of this story, but sadly the same cannot be said of assorted chrysanthemums, drawing rooms and egos.

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  The Room in the Tower

  E. F. Benson

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  Edward Frederic Benson (1867-1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story writer, best known for his spine-tingling and beautifully written ghost stories. The Room in the Tower is the most famous of these. It describes a horrific recurrent dream of nameless dread, occurring over a period of 15 years, in which the dreamer arrives at a peculiar house inhabited by a sinister silent family, where he takes tea on the lawn and is then shown to the room in the tower where something dreadful, malicious, and evil lurks... though he does not know what. Until one day, he finds himself at the house of his dream, just as tea is being served on the lawn.

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  The Horla

  Guy de Maupassant

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  Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was born on August 5th, 1850 near Dieppe in France.  
   
  Maupassant’s early life was badly torn when at age 11 (his younger brother Hervé was then five) his mother, Laure, a headstrong and independent-minded woman, risked social disgrace in order to obtain a legal separation from her husband. 
   
  After the separation, Laure kept custody of her two boys. With the father now forcibly absent, Laure became the most influential and important figure in the young boy's life.   
   
  Maupassant’s education was such that he rebelled against religion and other societal norms but a developing friendship with Gustave Flaubert began to turn his mind towards creativity and writing. 
   
  After graduation he volunteered for the Franco-Prussian war. With its end he moved to Paris to work as a clerk in the Navy Department.  Gustave Flaubert now took him under his wing.  Acting as a literary guardian to him, he guided the eager Maupassant to debuts in journalism and literature.  For Maupassant these were exciting times and the awakening of his creative talents and ambitions. 
   
  In 1880 he published what is considered his first great work, ‘Boule de Suif’, (translated as as ‘Dumpling’, ‘Butterball’, ‘Ball of Fat’, or ‘Ball of Lard’) which met with a success that was both instant and overwhelming.  Flaubert at once acknowledged that it was ‘a masterpiece that will endure.’ Maupassant had used his talents and experiences in the war to create something unique.  
   
  This decade from 1880 to 1891 was to be the most pivotal of his career.  With an audience now made available by the success of ‘Boule de Suif’ Maupassant organised himself to work methodically and relentlessly to produce between two and four volumes of work a year.  The melding of his talents and business sense and the continual hunger of sources for his works made him wealthy. 
   
  In his later years he developed a desire for solitude, an obsession for self-preservation, and a fear of death as well as a paranoia of persecution caused by the syphilis he had contracted in his youth.  
   
  On January 2nd, 1892, Maupassant tried to commit suicide by cutting his throat.  Unsuccessful he was committed to the private asylum of Esprit Blanche at Passy, in Paris.  It was here on July 6th, 1893 that  
  Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant died at the age of only 42.

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  Horrid Henry: Mission Control

  Lucinda Whiteley

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  Henry to Mission Control! Join Henry and as he joins in a sleepover, tries a terrible tongue twister and more! Contains 5 Horrid Henry stories, performed by the show's full cast - includes  "Best Boys Sleepover", "Tongue Twister", "Awful Author", "Demon Dentist" and "Girl Talk". 

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