GothicFiction

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298 Teaser - THE HOUSE OF USHER (1960) + THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961) [FULL EP ON PATREON]

A vain woman’s obsession with beauty leads her to a cursed locket, revealing the horrifying truth about her soul and the devastating price of her desires.

TheLocketsReflection

The song tells the tale of a young, adventurous mariner captivated by the enchanting voice of a mermaid, who is revealed to be a siren. Her mesmerizing song leads him into a dreamlike state, only for him to awaken lost and heartbroken. Despite searching the seas, he realizes too late that he has fallen victim to the siren's spell, which leaves him unable to return to his former life. The song serves as a cautionary tale to all sailors about the dangers of the alluring yet deceptive siren's song.

Siren's Song

A cunning and enigmatic woman named Jacqueline of Spades deceives and eliminates her wealthy husbands—a banker, a lawyer, and a politician—vanishing without a trace after each crime. With a heart of steel and a masterful touch, she plays a deadly game, leaving behind only mystery and whispers in the dark.

Jacqueline of Spades

"Night Mare’s Call" is a haunting and empowering song about a young girl who faces relentless bullying due to her father's role as the town constable. The bullies, three older girls seeking revenge, corner and threaten her for her father's actions. In the darkest moment, a mysterious and terrifying ghostly apparition, known as the night mare, appears and scares the bullies away. The night mare commands the girl to tell her tormentors that she dealt with the creature herself. Emboldened by this encounter, she confronts her bullies with newfound confidence, knowing that the night mare will return if they ever threaten her again. The song’s chorus emphasizes the night mare’s protective presence, urging the girl to embrace her inner strength and not fear the shadows. It is a tale of overcoming fear, facing adversity, and finding the courage within oneself.

Night Mares Call

In this week's episode, novelist Paul D Coombs delves into his dark, gothic thriller The Great Orme. We explore the problems with a London-centric publishing industry, the influence of landscape on his writing and why confession makes as good a topic for a thriller as a murder.

Find out more:
https://www.pauldcoombs.com/
https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/the-great-orme-paperback-pre-order
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Music credit: 'Water of Tyne' performed by Edinburgh University Brass Band (2009) arranged by Jack Stobbs, edited and scored for Brass Band by David Dye. Used with kind permission of the publisher, arranger and performers.

Episode 75: Paul D Coombs

Northern Voices explores Northern writers (published and unpublished), storytelling and publishing. The podcast is hosted by Jen Bowden, a writer, editor and journalist with a PhD in Creative Writing from Curtin University exploring biases against the North in the UK book industry.

In the shadowed alleys and brass-lit avenues of Valthyros, a world where the hum of steam engines mingles with whispers of forgotten legends, one name drifts from lips like an old song—Dante Von Carlo. A wandering minstrel, a poet of the road, and a keeper of untold tales, Dante roams from towering spires to the depths of hidden catacombs, his journey chronicled in melody and prose.

With a well-worn lute slung over his back and a tattered journal brimming with sketches and notes, Dante is not merely a storyteller—he is a witness to the strange and the sublime. His website serves as a portal into the world of Valtheris, a collection of songs, stories, and art inspired by the enigmatic figures he meets along his journey. From clockwork alchemists seeking the secret of life to skyship captains haunted by the ghosts of lost voyages, Dante’s work immortalizes the souls who might otherwise be forgotten.

Each piece—a ballad, a short story, or a visual composition—is a fragment of Valtheris’ vast and intricate world, a place where gothic shadows dance with the glow of mechanical ingenuity. For those who crave adventure, mystery, and the allure of a forgotten age, Dante Von Carlo offers an invitation to step beyond the veil, into a realm where history is written in soot and starlight, and every turn of the wheel brings forth another tale worth telling.

Join Dante on his travels.

The journey awaits.

Welcome fellow SLEAZOIDS!!! Come along as hosts Josh Lewis and Jamie Miller (and, occasionally, guests) go down the rabbit hole of 20th century genre fare from the most influential canon classics to the the trashiest exploitation films we can get our hands on. Each week is a double feature—grindhouse style—where we discuss two films loosely related by subject, genre, actor, filmmaker or franchise and at the end of each episode, along with our HONORARY SLEAZOIDS (click on over to our patreon to become one), we decide on ratings and rankings for each film that's covered. Join us as together we work to uncover the best genre films of 20th century.

New tracks tagged #GOTHIC FICTION