Thirteen: Reviews

A couple of reviews for Thirteen, which was released on 23rd August:

"A collection of spooky audio tales designed to keep you chilled no matter what the weather…

Scott Harrison – who contributes the linking story – has brought together an intriguing mix of writers for this tribute to the old horror anthologies of the 1970s. Not tied to a specific length, but none running more than 21 minutes (roughly the length of a side of an old LP, uncoincidentally), each boasts a different narrator and its own style.

Some are graphic in their horror, others are unsettling without the need for explicitness: one of my favourites of the latter is Dan Abnett’s Half Life, images from which have kept coming to mind in the week since I first heard it. There are homages to earlier classics, notably Johnny Mains’ I Wish, and ones that eventually evoke
familiar horror images, such as Gary McMahon’s Down, or Martin Day’s The Hairstyle of the Devil.

The narrators are well-suited to their tales and audiobook stalwart Barnaby Edwards is particularly chilling in the three-part linking story Hidden Track, which throws more than a few curveballs, as well as explaining the conceit of the album (although 78s actually only lasted about four minutes per side in reality).

There are no clunkers in the anthology; you might feel that a couple of them could lose a couple of scenes here or there, and there are a couple of similar resolutions, but overall this is an enjoyable anthology."

Verdict: A deliciously dark collation. 8/10                                               Paul Simpson  Sci-Fi Bulletin

"The individual chillers are held together by the traditional 'bridging' story, in this case the classic trope of the old curiosity shop, here selling vinyl records that contain a hidden track, which happen to be these particularly fine scary stories...Overall, this is a great collection of supernatural tales, with a mournful and melancholy tone. They feel very much like old fashioned ghost stories and are genuinely chilling."

9/10 Starburst Magazine

Side A

1  Hidden Track (part 1) by Scott Harrison read by Barnaby Edwards

2 Dead Space  by  George Mann read by Greg Wise

3  A Girl, Sitting  by  Mark Morris read by Jilly Bond

4 Finding The Path  by  Kaaron Warren read by Trevor White

5  The Hairstyle of the Devil  by  Martin Day read by Arthur Darvill
6  Down  by  Gary McMahon read by Stephen Rashbrook

7 Visions  by  Cavan Scott read by Michael Maloney

8  Half Life  by  Dan Abnett read by John Banks

9  Hidden Track (part 2) by Scott Harrison read by Barnaby Edwards

 
 
Side B

10  With Her In Spirit  by  Stephen Gallagher read by Frances Barber

11  Tabula Rasa  by  Alasdair Stuart read by Lalla Ward

12  One Hit Wanda  by  Kim Newman read by Samuel West

13  A Glass of Water  by  Mark Wright read by Gemma Arterton

14  Ghost Pit  by  Simon Clark read by Jeff Harding

15  I Wish  by  Johnny Mains read by Steven Cree

16 Hidden Track (part 3) by Scott Harrison read by Barnaby Edwards

"Nicely assembled...not a bad story or bad vocal performance amongst them. 3.5/5"            SFX Magazine

"If you're a fan of classic, spine tingling horror then that should be reason enough to listen to Thirteen" 

                                                        GeekPlanetOnline

Available from: Spokenworld Audio

The sources of Thirteen

Audible.co.uk: PM Hubbard

Here's a quick update on the latest releases from Audible.co.uk which I recorded in July:

Length: 5 hrs & 41 mins                            Length: 4 hrs & 41 mins                               Length: 4 hrs & 57 mins
Release Date: 19.7.2013                         Release Date: 09.08.2013                          Release Date: 16.08.2013

I particularly enjoyed recording these stories as they gave me the opportunity to attempt to assimilate an author's style over a series of books rather than as individual novels. Again, if you decide to have a listen, I hope you'll find something to enjoy. Synopses and 'trailers' are available on the Audible.co.uk web site.

Preachrs Podcast

Another brief posting to mention an interview I did a little while ago via Skype with Australian super-podcaster and Dr Who aficionado, Benjamin Maio Mackay. I've mentioned the interview in a previous posting, where I confess to having given incredibly long answers to Benjamin's straightforward and succinct questions.

If that doesn't put you off, the interview has now been posted and here's a link to it.  

You have been warned!

Preachrs Podcast Series 8 Episode 2: John Banks 

The podcast is also available to download via iTunes

Thirteen

Always a pushover for the 'stunning image', I'm delighted to post this artwork which relates to the release of Thirteen - an audio-book anthology of chilling tales. Here are further details of the anthology from producer Neil Gardner and... Matt Dillon's incredible artwork:

'Well, it is almost here…after two years of work and a lot of wonderful people donating their time, talent and enthusiasm, the THIRTEEN audio-book anthology is being released on 24th August 2013.

Edited by the mighty Scott Harrison and recorded & produced by me, published by my Spokenworld Audio company.  THIRTEEN contains 13 (well, obviously!) spine-tingling tales of terror, new short stories by some of our biggest and most beloved genre authors, read by some truly epic acting names.'

Neil Gardner

 

 THIRTEEN is released on 24th August 2013 from Spokenworld Audio

Project Motor Mouth 2

Just the briefest posting to mention that I'll be at Project Motor Mouth 2 tomorrow with Big Finish.


There are further details via this link: Project Motor Mouth 2 - maybe see you there!

Update - here's a great image from MM2!

Travellers Duty

Recorded in July and released today from Spokenworld Audio:

'Oh my. John Banks' reading of Sarah is perfect. Spokenworld have done such an amazing job.' MPJ Dillon

About The Audio

"When I was a boy there was this old man that used to live in my village. We’d seen him round about, swatting at things that weren’t there and yellin’ at the voices in his head. Us kids, we’d dare each other to go and poke him with a stick, or throw rocks at him. My old granny, she found out what we were doing and she wasn’t mad, she was afraid. Stay away, Samuel, she’d say. Stay away. That man have Duppies in his head."

"What’s a Dobby?"

"Duppy, mon. It’s like a spirit that haunts a man, whispers in his ear. The good ones, they come to you in your dreams, tell you nice things. But the bad ones… they enter through a hole in a man’s heart and steal his soul. What you got left is a madman: bitter and hollow. I tell you, the Tall Man? He’s got some nasty Duppies haunting him."

Connor Alasdair’s parents have never lied to him; they’ve always treated him like an adult and included him in family discussions. So why won’t they tell him about the strange red-haired man who keeps visiting their home? Why is his father lying about the monster in their back garden? And why are both parents so insistent that he stops asking questions?

Yesterday 1990s suburbia held no terror for a 15 year-old boy. Today Connor will discover the magic and horror hidden beneath the surface, and how his ordinary life holds the key to fulfilling an oath sworn fifty years before he was born.

Read By: John Banks

Written By: MPJ Dillon

Produced By: Neil Gardner 

If you'd like to listen to a short extract, please follow this link: TRAVELLERS DUTY

Copyright: Spokenworld Audio/Ladbroke Audio Ltd