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By: Various

Book cover Dreams Collection 2 - Stories and Poems

This is a collection of 20 stories and/or poems, contributed by volunteers, pertaining to dreams.

Book cover Short Story Collection Vol. 086

A diverse collection of short stories selected and read in English by readers. Old favorites, such as Oscar Wilde, Lord Dunsany, Stephen Leacock and others are joined by less familiar writers to bring you tales of lessons to be learned, poignant romance, the quirky and the amusing. So sit back and enjoy the 86th Short Story Collection!

By: O. Henry (1862-1910)

Book cover O. Henry Encore

These 45 early stories, sketches and poems by the famed O. Henry, nearly all published under the pseudonym of the "Post Man", were discovered in the files of the Houston Post, 1895-1896, by Mary Sunlocks Harrell while she was conducting research in 1934-35 for her M.A. degree at the University of Texas. These writings were published just before O. Henry, or Will Porter as he was known at that time, fled to Honduras in July of 1896 after being charged with embezzlement.

By: Various

Book cover Short Story Collection Vol. 087

Presenting the 87th Short Story Collection, in which readers have selected and read a variety of fictional works. In this anthology, you are invited to listen to stories by Saki, Conan Doyle, Balzac and Lawrence, among others.

Book cover BLAST No. 1

BLAST, edited by Wyndham Lewis and subtitled 'Review of the Great British Vortex', was the magazine of the short-lived Vorticist movement in British art. Influenced by Cubism and Futurism, and Imagism in literature, the Vorticists embraced all things modern and veered towards abstraction. The first issue of BLAST was published, with its distinctive puce cover and bold typography, on 20 June 1914, but within weeks war had broken out in Europe. The Vorticists held an exhibition at the Doré Gallery in London in 1915 and a second issue of BLAST was published, but the movement did not survive the war...

By: John Hay Beith (1876-1952)

Book cover Good Dog Book

A collection of adult stories and poems - sad, humorous, and adventurous - about Man's Best Friend. NOTE: Most of these selections contain violence that will be objectionable to some listeners. - Summary by TriciaG

By: Various

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 05 February 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. The fifth issue has the following 6 stories: "The mysterious card", by Cleveland Moffet : a man desperately tries to understand the horrible message which utterly destroyed his life "Tang-u", by Lawrence E. Adams: through excellent eyesight, a young boy saves the lives...

Book cover Children's Short Works, Vol. 035

Children's Short Works Collection 035: a collection of 15 short works for children in the public domain read by a variety of members.

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 06 March 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. This is the sixth issue, offering the following 5 stories: "Eleanor Stevens' will", by Isabel Scott Stone: a rich woman's final will creates a stir among fortune hunters ''To let'', by Alice Turner Curtis: midnight screams scare away new residents in a cottage with a terrible history "Of course - Of course not", by Harry M...

Book cover Short Story Collection Vol. 088

Once more, we bring you a stellar collection of short stories, selected and read by readers. Joining regular favorites, such as Kate Chopin and Charles Dickens, we bring you Alexander Pushkin, Henry Iliowizi and Thomas Bailey Aldrich, among others.

Book cover Love Stories Volume 3

Here are 20 more love stories under an hour each, covering all kinds of experiences involving romantic or other kinds of love resulting in heartbreak or happiness -- where the heart overflows with passion, pride, emotion or wonder.

Book cover A to Zed Collection Vol. 002

This is a collection of 26 selections, both fiction and nonfiction, in which each topic begins with a different letter of the alphabet.

Book cover Short Story Collection Vol. 089

Our 89th Short Story Collection is of exceptionally high quality. In addition to perennial favorites, such as Kate Chopin and Mark Twain, our readers have delved into the more esoteric, with a translation of a Polish tale, a story by Rabindranath Tagore and Charles Henkle.

Book cover Children's Short Works, Vol. 036

Children's Short Works Collection 036: a collection of 15 short works for children in the public domain read by a variety of members.

Book cover Short Story Collection Vol. 090

Here we present the 90th Collection of Short Stories selected and read by volunteers. For your enjoyment, we bring gems by Hemingway, Tolstoy, D.H. Lawrence and Alexander Pushkin, plus a lesser known work by Arthur Conan Doyle, so sit back and enjoy!

By: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

Book cover Lot No. 249

Abercrombie Smith, Edward Bellingham and William Monkhouse Lee are three students at Oxford University, sharing adjacent lodgings. When people against whom Bellingham holds a grudge are attacked, Smith starts to investigate. Is Bellingham innocent? But what are the strange noises coming from his room when he is not home? This short gothic horror story first published in 1892 is a bit outside the usual haunts of Conan Doyle and has been compared to the writings of Edgar Allan Poe and H. Rider Haggard. - Summary by Availle

By: Various

Book cover Short Story Collection Vol. 091

This is the 91st short story collection, with stories selected and read by readers. We brush with science fiction in The Marching Morons by Cyril M. Kornbluth and on the ghostly with Guy de Maupassant's An Uncomfortable Bed, in addition to stories by the ever-popular Lord Dunsany, Leo Tolstoy and Edgar Allan Poe.

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 07 April 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. The seventh issue, offers the following 6 stories: "The mystery of the thirty millions", by T. F. Anderson and H. D. Umbstaetter : what happened to the large ocean-steamer that inexplicably vanished in mid-Atlantic ? "The man at Solitaria", by Geik Turner: after 15 years...

Book cover Short Story Collection Vol. 092

This collection of short stories in the English Language brings another rich compendium of old favorites fro Lord Dunsany, Guy de Maupassant, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Kate Chopin. They are joined by whimsical pieces by Colette, Fenton Johnson and others.

Book cover Short Story Collection Vol. 093

The 93rd Short Story Collection is here for your enjoyment! Here our readers visit old favorites: Lord Dunsany, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Ambrose Bierce writing as Dod Grile. We also bring you by authors new to: William M. Conselman, Myrtle Levy Gaylord and Helen Woljeska as well as the only short story ever written by a 1922 magazine competition winner, Helen H. Dudley.

By: Henry Lawson (1867-1922)

Book cover Dramatic Selections from Henry Lawson's Short Stories

01. That Pretty Girl in the ArmyThe Salvation Army is having a hard time of things in the rough Outback town of Bourke.  That is, until Sister Hannah arrives... - Summary by Son of the Exiles Coordinated by: Son of the Exiles Sister Hannah: Devorah Allen Jack Moonlight: Tomas Peter Billy Woods: Jim Locke Jake Boreham: Larry Wilson Reformed Drunkard: Wayne Cooke Bob Brothers: Algy Pug Mitchell: Alan Mapstone Donald Macdonald: Michele Eaton One-Eyed Bogan: lorda Female Testifier: Lauren-Emma Blake Blunderer: Therese Lindholm Black Testifier: Wayne Cooke Heckler: ToddHW Narrator: KHand 02...

By: Jack London (1876-1916)

Book cover South Sea Tales

The eight short stories that comprise South Sea Tales are powerful tales that vividly evoke the early 1900’s colonial South Pacific islands. Tales of hurricanes, missionaries, brotherhood and seafaring are intertwined with enslavement, savagery, and lawless trading to expose the often-barbarous history of the South Pacific islands. You will also gain unsparing insight into the life, culture and relations between natives and Westerners during this period. If you like nautical and sea adventures, if you are interested in the history of the South Pacific islands, and especially if you want to read gripping tales set in the exotic lands, then this book will be perfect for you...

By: Various

Book cover Children's Short Works, Vol. 039

Children's Short Works Collection 039: a collection of 15 short works for children in the public domain read by a variety of members.

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 08 May 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. This is the eighth issue with the following 5 stories: "For fame, money, or love ?" by Rodrigues Ottolengui : a piano composition reveals the final thoughts of a musician ''A No Account Niggah'', by Leonard M. Prince: a clumsy new recruit proves his worth when it matters...

By: Henry Wallace Phillips (1869-1930)

Book cover Trolley Folly

This collection of eleven short stories is packed with Henry Wallace Phillips' offbeat humor. You will find a trolley car driver, bored with his route, who decides to drive around town instead. There are a couple of men unfamiliar with the basic properties of a canoe. And watch out for the curse of the chewing gum. Fun to read. Fun to record

By: Various

Book cover Children's Short Works, Vol. 040

Children's Short Works Collection 040: a collection of 15 short works for children in the public domain read by a variety of members.

Book cover Short Story Collection Vol. 094

Here we give you Short Story Collection 94. Readers have chosen their own texts and, once again, we have a wide range of topics, from the mysterious to the quirky.

Book cover Coffee Break Collection 029 - Dogs

This is the 29th Coffee Break Collection, in which readers select and read stories or poems, fiction or non-fiction pieces of fifteen minutes' duration or less, suitable for short commutes and coffee breaks. The subject for this collection is "DOGS"... and the collection is full after 20 pieces have been submitted. - Summary by ~ Michele Fry

Book cover Children's Short Works, Vol. 044

Children's Short Works Collection 044: a collection of 15 short works for children in the public domain read by a variety of members.

Book cover Children's Short Works, Vol. 042

Children's Short Works Collection 042: a collection of 15 short works for children in the public domain read by a variety of members.

Book cover Myths and Legends Around the World - Collection 04

This collection is dedicated to recordings of short mythical or legendary works which are in the Public Domain. The stories tell of legends, heroes, myths, and ancient lore from many different cultures.

Book cover Christmas Hamper: Full of Pictures and Tales

This book contains stories, tales, and pictures from Christmas for little folks! - Summary by Shriya

By: Lawrence Labree

Book cover Rover Vol. 01 No. 01

"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. This is the very first issue, containing 7 short stories. - Summary by Sonia

By: Various

Book cover Christmas Short Works Collection 2020

Presenting the Christmas 2020 collection with many surprises and a few old favorites. Amongst other stories Santa is kidnapped, a basket of goodies brightens Christmas on a snowbound train and Aunts are appreciated. And a visit by 2 aliens has unexpected results.

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 09 June 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. The ninth issue offers the following 5 stories: "The House across the Way", by Leo Gale: after measuring the length of two adjacent rooms, the horrible mystery of a walled-up space is revealed "Mrs Sloan's Curiosity", by Mabell Shippie Clarke: what unusual name is hidden behind the initials G...

Book cover Love Stories Volume 4

Here are 20 more love stories under an hour each, offered by volunteers, covering all kinds of experiences involving romance or other kinds of love resulting in heartbreak or happiness -- where the heart overflows with passion, pride, emotion or wonder. You know -- love.

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 10 July 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. This is the tenth issue, offering 5 more stories: "On the last trail", by H. W. Phillips and Rupert Hughes: witness the final showdown between the marshall and his friend ''A message from where ?", by L. Francis Bishop: a boy's imagination is kindled by a mysterious beautiful woman in an old picture "The man with the box", by George W...

By: Lawrence Labree

Book cover Rover Vol. 01 No. 02

"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. This second issue contains 6 short stories, including a translation of Victor Hugo's narrative "Claude Gueux". - Summary by Sonia

Book cover Rover Vol. 01 No. 03

"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. This is the third issue, containing 5 stories. - Summary by Sonia

By: Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1810-1865)

Book cover Short Stories (Household Words, 1854-58)

Elizabeth Gaskell published 18 short works in Charles Dickens' Household Words between 1850 and 1858. This collection follows the collection of the 1850-1853 works, with recordings of 7 Household Words pieces published between 1854 and 1858. The collection includes two of Gaskell's most important shorter works: Half a Lifetime Ago, set in the English Lake District, and The Poor Clare, in which the bewitched heroine is pursued by a mischievous double. The Sin of a Father and The Manchester Marriage are both tales with a message. The collection begins with three documentary pieces that emerged from Gaskell's travels in France.

By: Various

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 11 August 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. The eleventh issue offers the following 5 stories: "The Mysterious Card Unveiled", by Cleveland Moffett: the long-awaited sequel has arrived and a man's dark soul is finally revealed "Mrs. Bilger's Victory", by Emma S. Jones and Geik Turner: a woman fights for justice against a big corporation "A Defender of the Faith", by John D...

Book cover Myths and Legends Around the World - Collection 06

You get to choose what you want to read! So long as the source is Public Domain for you, any short story or chapter that tells of legends, heroes, myths, or ancient lore, is welcome. We are looking for representations of many different cultures within each collection. If you have questions of whether a source is Public Domain for you , I recommend asking about that in this project's discussion before you begin recording. Simply post the question with a link to the source you've found. :) Limit of 2 sections per reader in a given Myths & Legends collection. - Summary by Lynette Caulkins

By: A. A. Milne (1882-1956)

Book cover Gallery of Children

A collection of 12 fantasy stories for children. Clever little tales that mothers can smile over and children enjoy. The illustrations for this book were originally Colgate ads, and who but a master such as Mr. Milne could have taken those charming pictures and made them come alive.

By: Lawrence Labree

Book cover Rover Vol. 01 No. 04

"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. This is the fourth issue, containing 7 stories and a poem. - Summary by Sonia

By: Various

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 12 September 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. The twelfth issue offers the following 6 stories: "The Reapers", by Ly Batterman Lindsay: eager to start a new life, a young couple learns that they cannot run from their past "A Kindergarten Hold-Up", by Mabell Shippie Clarke: a good-for-nothing tramp finds empathy while watching the innocent play of children "The Guardian of Mystery Island", by Dr...

Book cover Coffee Break Collection 030 - Mythical Creatures

This is the 30th Coffee Break Collection, in which readers select and read stories or poems, fiction or non-fiction pieces of fifteen minutes' duration or less, suitable for short commutes and coffee breaks. The subject for this collection is "MYTHICAL CREATURES"... leprechauns, unicorns, angels, demons, ghosts, fairies, gnomes, dragons, mermaids, centaurs, werewolves . . . the list goes on and on. There are 21 stories in this collection.

Book cover Short Mystery and Suspense Collection 011

We present you with our 11th collection of short mystery and suspense stories. Several are taken from the magazine Weird Tales and they are joined by favorite authors G.K. Chesterton and Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. Sit back and enjoy!

Book cover Short Story Collection Vol. 096

We are back with the 96th Short Story Collection. All stories were selected and read by volunteers. One of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's lesser known stories is joined by an amusing Mark Twain piece, a poignant story by Conrad Aiken, two stories by the under-rated Katherine Mansfield and 15 other short stories compiled for your enjoyment!

By: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

Book cover Four Noncanonical Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

Although the Sherlock Holmes canon traditionally consists of four novels and 56 short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle, there are many Sherlock Holmes stories outside the canon. Most of these noncanonical stories were written by authors other than Doyle, but there are four short stories about Holmes written by Doyle that are nonetheless excluded from the canon, for various reasons. This album consists of these four noncanonical stories. The first story, "The Field Bazaar", was first published in 1896 in a special issue of a University of Edinburgh student newspaper called The Student...

By: Lawrence Labree

Book cover Rover Vol. 01 No. 05

"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. This is the fifth issue, with another interesting mix of poetry and prose texts. - Summary by Sonia

By: Various

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 02 No. 01 October 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. Volume 2 starts off with the following 6 stories in the first issue: "The house that Jack built", by Harold Donovan Hilton: a young man learns the intriguing story of an uncanny old house "In the garden of a villa", by R. George Smith Jr.: a female lark sees her tragic...

By: Lawrence Labree

Book cover Rover Vol. 01 No. 06

"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. This is the sixth issue, containing 5 short stories and 3 poems. - Summary by Sonia

Book cover Rover Vol. 01 No. 07

"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. The seventh issue features five short stories and a poem. - Summary by Sonia

By: Abdullah Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ (724-759)

Book cover Fables of Pilpay

These moralistic stories within stories date back to the Sanskrit text Panchatantra . They were first translated into Arabic by a Persian named Ruzbeh who named it Book of Kalilah and Dimna and then by Abdullah Ibn al-Muqaffa and later Joseph Harris in 1679 and then remodeled in 1818. Max Mueller noted that La Fontaine was indebted to the work and other scholars have noted that Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont and John Fletcher were both familiar with the fables. The Fables of Pilpay are a series of inter-woven fables, many of which deploy metaphors of anthropomorphized animals with human virtues and vices.

By: Various

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 02 No. 02 November 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. This is the second issue of volume 2 with the following five short stories: "Silas F. Quigley - To Arrive", by Lewis Hopkins Rogers: a puzzling letter incites Mr Quigley to explore an unusual way to secure a job "The Polar Magnet", by Philip Verrill Mighels: discover the terrible technique a sculptor uses to create very life-like casts for his art "Fitzhugh", by W...

By: Lawrence Labree

Book cover Rover Vol. 01 No. 08

"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. This is the eighth issue, featuring 5 short stories and 3 poems. "To be good is to be happy" is a short quote from the drama "The Fair Penitent" by Nicolas Rowe and "Passion - its history" is the final part of "Asmodeus at large" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. - Summary by Sonia

By: Various

Book cover Coffee Break Collection 031 - Springtime

This is the 31st Coffee Break Collection, in which readers select and read 20 stories or poems of their choice, fiction or non-fiction pieces of fifteen minutes' duration or less, suitable for short commutes and coffee breaks. The subject for this collection is SPRINGTIME.

By: Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

Book cover In Old Plantation Days

With this collection of short stories, Dunbar sought to draw on the success of his dialect poems by recreating and portraying the southern plantation during slavery. The stories focus on the stereotypical portrait of slaves as obedient workers happy to spend their lives in service of their benevolent owner. His attempt to find success was only partially realized, as his stories drew not only criticism but, in some cases, anger at their very stereotypical nature. The book itself, however, proved to be more lucrative than previous fiction works had been for the author.

By: Various

Book cover Short Science Fiction Collection 078

Science fiction is a genre encompassing imaginative works that take place in this world or that of the author’s creation where anything is possible. The only rules are those set forth by the author. The speculative nature of the genre inspires thought and plants seeds that have led to advances in science. The genre can spark an interest in the sciences and is cited as the impetus for the career choice of many scientists. It is a playing field to explore social perspectives, predictions of the future, and engage in adventures unbound into the richness of the human mind. ( Summary by A. Gramour

Book cover Black Cat Vol. 02 No. 03 December 1896

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. This is the third issue of volume 2 with the following six short stories: "The Lost Brook Trail", by Bert Leston Taylor: a man recruits a guide to a fishing expedition for an unusual catch "A modern de Pompadour", by Jennie Bullard Waterbury: a talented and creative wigmaker finally meets his rival "The Parchment Diary", by Willis B...


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