Showing results by narrator "John W. Michaels" in All Categories

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence announced that the 13 American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as 13 newly independent sovereign states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they formed a new nation - the United States of America. Narrated by John W. Michaels, a must listen.

Hercules Keating would have had to gain weight to become a 97 pound weakling. Add to that his hobby of growing orchids, and an overbearing aunt, well you get the point. Imagine Hercules receiving from one of his suppliers a carnivorous orchid with a penchant for raw meat. Is it possible that Hercules, or Hercules' plant will rid him of at least one of his problems?

Isaac Asimov has never laid claim to the title of “Mr. Science Fiction,” but he personifies science fiction in many ways. For one thing, he has grown up with the field, improving as he went; for another, he is actually a teacher of science by profession. But most significant, perhaps, is the scope of his vision, ranging (like that of science fiction itself) from the infinitely vast - as in many of his novels - to the poignantly small - as in this story… Narrated by John W. Michaels.

Written in the summer of 1926, it was first published in Weird Tales, February 1928. It is the only story written by Lovecraft in which the extraterrestrial entity Cthulhu himself makes a major appearance. It is written in a documentary style, with three independent narratives linked together by the device of a narrator discovering notes left by a deceased relative.

One man against the limitless wastes of time, he fought the strange, inhuman civilizations of Earth's unguessable future, searching hopelessly among the never-ending tomorrows-for the road to one unforgettable yesterday!

After a brutal fight to the Mississippi River, Jonathan Fisher and the few survivors that follow him have begun their journey south. His task is clear and his reason to live has been renewed. Somewhere out there is power, working airplanes and a possible refuge from the nightmare around them. A small mute girl known as Geeda deserves a chance at life, and they want to make sure she has it. But it will not be easy. Lack of food, shelter and weapons makes their trip difficult. Foreign invaders, infected crazed citizens, and treasonous “Wranglers” make it perilous. 

What sort of sin could a priest commit that would force him to spend the rest of his existence as a werewolf? A village priest by day, but forced to haunt a Hungarian forest at night. The newly wedded wife of a woodsman befriends the fiend, but now has her sin become as great as the cursed priest?

The excitement, if you know what I mean, had gone from Alice Darnell's 20-year marriage, and she thought she had found the solution when she paid a Hindu fakir to teach her the secret to the Indian rope trick.

This tale by Alfred Bester has a strong thread of plausibility running through it. Just enough conviction, if in fact, to wake up in the middle of the night with a feeling that someone stole the blankets.

Narrated by John W. Michaels, this short story by Fritz Lieber brings together the forces of pure evil, and two very unlikely heroes: a diminuitive thief and a seven-foot-tall barbarian.

Four co-workers raise some very interesting questions over lunch regarding Creationism and Evolution. This short Asimmov short story may leave you wondering.

First published in 1913, "Fishhead" by Irwin S. Cobb takes place at real Reelfoot Lake, the largest lake south of the Ohio line mostly in Tennessee but extending up across what is now the Kentucky line. The protagonist, Fishhead, a halfbreed lives alone by his choice and by the choice of his neighbors because of his deformity that causes his head to resemble a fish. This story was written in 1913, and the narrators chosen to leave the N-word in as part of the narration, so please be aware. This is another nery creepy story, that no doubt influenced H.P. Lovecraft.

H.P. Lovecraft collaborated with Zealia Bishop to craft this short story of the curse of Yig, a cousin of Quetzalcoatl. The next time you are tempted to squash that garter snake or run over a rattler, you will think twice after listening to this chilling tale.

"His eyes followed her around the room." We know what is meant by that statement - or do we? Imagine the eyes literally following her around the room like a puppy. Our protagonist believes he has found an alien species that has invaded Earth. A rather humorous short story by Philip K. Dick.

One of H. P. Lovecraft’s earliest works, published in 1917, as we get a picture of his later science fiction. Dagon the fish God inspires the creature that drives the protagonist to madness.

Abraham Lincoln delivered what is considered to be the most famous speech ever at the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg Pennsylvania on November 19, 1863. There are five known copies of this speech in Lincoln’s handwriting, each with a slightly different text. John W Michaels reads from the Bliss copy which appears on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. In the background we hear the U.S. Army chorus performing the Battle hymn of the Republic.

It can be very lonely if the other half (the males) of a species sent to colonize a planet die off before they can accomplish their mission.

This short story was written for a syndicated newspaper page for children; but Mr. Asimov, like every good writer of children's stories, is talking not only to the children but to all of us. His characters here are young, but the idea hehind the story is as timeless as it is acute.

Some creatures hunt for food, and some hunt for sport, but what happens when the hunter becomes so effective he kills all of the prey and still lusts for the sport?

He sought the answer to a witch's curse among the very fiends of Hell! First, a dancing girl tried to stab him. Then, a snake sprang at him out of thin air. Finally, a phantom woman appeared in the darkness of his sleeping chamber - wicked, lustful, and seeking his death! It was then that Pyrrhas, the barbarian, knew that a curse was on him - a curse made with a witch-queen that could not be broken until he had followed her to the very nethermost pits of the hell that had spawned her.