{"product_id":"book-i26f","title":"The Algernon Blackwood BBC Radio Collection","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA collection of strange and fantastical tales from Algernon Blackwood, plus bonus documentaries\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDescribed by H P Lovecraft as 'the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere', Algernon Blackwood (CBE) was the acclaimed and prolific author of numerous ghost stories and horror tales. Throughout his lifetime, he wrote 14 novels, several children's books, a number of plays, and over 200 short stories.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis anthology opens with a selection of stories featuring his most influential character, occult detective Dr John Silence. The inspiration for the famous horror movie \u003ci\u003eCat People\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003e'Ancient Sorceries'\u003c\/b\u003e (read by \u003cb\u003ePhilip Madoc\u003c\/b\u003e), sees a timid tourist becoming enchanted by a sleepy French town whose residents have an oddly feline manner. It is followed by four chilling dramatisations starring \u003cb\u003eMalcolm Hayes\u003c\/b\u003e as Silence. In \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Nemesis of Fire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, the psychic doctor investigates eldritch events at an English manor house; while \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSecret Worship\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e is a chilling tale of haunting and evil in a Bavarian forest. A wilderness trip turns terrifying in \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Camp of the Dog\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, and in \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Empty Sleeve\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003c\/b\u003e a virtuoso violinist's desire for a rare instrument has dire consequences.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNext up are three gripping standalone dramas: \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Decoy \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e(starring \u003cb\u003eGeorge Baker\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eSusan Jameson\u003c\/b\u003e); \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKeeping His Promise\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e (starring \u003cb\u003eEric Deacon\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eChristopher Neame\u003c\/b\u003e) and \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Human Chord\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e (starring \u003cb\u003ePhilip Skale\u003c\/b\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlso included is Violet Pearn's captivating fantasy play \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Starlight Express\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, adapted from Blackwood's imaginative children's novel \u003ci\u003eA Prisoner in Fairyland\u003c\/i\u003e and starring \u003cb\u003eDenis Dowling, Patrick Barr\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eCecile Chavreau\u003c\/b\u003e. This is followed by \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Willows\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003c\/b\u003eread by Roger Allam: a claustrophobic tale of suspense and terror, as two companions camp on a remote island and become convinced they see a body in the water.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThree eerie supernatural stories are \u003cb\u003enarrated by Blackwood himself \u003c\/b\u003ein long-lost gems from the BBC Archive. They centre around mysterious encounters with  a depressed Englishwoman (\u003cb\u003e'The Occupant of the Room'\u003c\/b\u003e), a man who was frightened to death (\u003cb\u003e'The Woman's Ghost Story'\u003c\/b\u003e), and the spectral presence of a town (\u003cb\u003e'The Destruction of Smith'\u003c\/b\u003e), and are followed by a quartet of strange stories ('\u003cb\u003eAlgernon Blackwood Tells a Strange Story'\u003c\/b\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo conclude, two bonus documentary programmes, presented by Blackwood, delve into his life and career. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Genesis of Ideas\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e sees him revealing the sources of his material, while the reflective \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOn Being Eighty\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e finds him looking back on his many years of experience and experiment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWritten by Algernon Blackwood.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst published 1906 ('Keeping His Promise'), 1907 ('The Willows', 'The Woman's Ghost Story'), 1908 ('Ancient Sorceries', 'The Nemesis of Fire', 'Secret Worship', 'The Camp of the Dog'), 1910 ('The Human Chord'), 1911 ('The Empty Sleeve'), 1912 ('The Destruction of Smith'), 1916 ('The Starlight Express'), 1917 ('The Occupant of the Room'), 1921 ('The Decoy'), 1948 ('A Japanese Literary Cocktail')\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSpecial thanks to Keith Wickham for sourcing audio files.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eContents List \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAncient Sorceries\u003cbr\u003eThe Nemesis of Fire\u003cbr\u003eSecret Worship\u003cbr\u003eThe Camp of the Dog\u003cbr\u003eThe Empty Sleeve\u003cbr\u003eThe Decoy\u003cbr\u003eKeeping His Promise\u003cbr\u003eThe Human Chord\u003cbr\u003eThe Starlight Express\u003cbr\u003eThe Willows\u003cbr\u003eThe Occupant of the Room\u003cbr\u003eThe Woman's Ghost Story\u003cbr\u003eThe Destruction of Smith\u003cbr\u003eAlgernon Blackwood Tells a Strange Story\u003cbr\u003eThe Genesis of Ideas\u003cbr\u003eOn Being Eighty\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eContent Note: Contains some dated references that reflect the language and attitudes of the time.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin UK","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49353350414640,"sku":"BDi26f","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/i26f-cover.jpg?v=1759264720","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-i26f","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}