Your audiobook is waiting…
The Brains of Rats
Regular price: $19.95
People who bought this also bought...
-
Black Acres
- The Complete Collection
- By: Ambrose Ibsen
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 88
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 85
There's no place like home.... Kim and Julian Taylor are in the market for their first home, and a visit to the secluded Beacon estate finds them enamored. It's a peculiar home, rather large and in need of some renovations. The price is right, however, and after a tour, they snap the house up without hesitation. The man who sells them the house has one last detail to share before they sign on the dotted line. The previous owners of the home disappeared under mysterious circumstances nearly eight years ago and have recently been declared dead in absentia.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Creepy story!
- By D. Sturgeon on 03-22-19
-
Gilded Needles
- By: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: R. C. Bray
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 284
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 264
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 264
Welcome to the Black Triangle, New York's decadent district of opium dens, gambling casinos, and back-room abortions. The queen of this unsavory neighborhood is Black Lena Shanks, whose family leads a ring of female criminals - women skilled in the art of cruelty. Only a few blocks away, amidst the elegant mansions and lily-white reputations of Gramercy Park and Washington Square, lives Judge James Stallworth. On a crusade to crush Lena's evil empire, the judge has sentenced three of her family members to death. And now she wants revenge.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Definitely dark, but engrossing.
- By CJ Matthews on 08-09-17
-
The Elementals
- By: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,522
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,292
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 3,284
After a bizarre and disturbing incident at the funeral of matriarch Marian Savage, the McCray and Savage families look forward to a restful and relaxing summer at Beldame, on Alabama's Gulf Coast, where three Victorian houses loom over the shimmering beach. Two of the houses are habitable, while the third is slowly and mysteriously being buried beneath an enormous dune of blindingly white sand. But though long uninhabited, the third house is not empty. Inside, something deadly lies in wait.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Solid Haunted House Book - and that's rare!
- By Uber Femme on 06-28-18
-
The Amulet
- By: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 220
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 205
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 204
When a rifle range accident leaves Dean Howell disfigured and in a vegetative state, his wife Sarah finds her dreary life in Pine Cone, Alabama made even worse. After long and tedious days on the assembly line, she returns home to care for her corpse-like husband while enduring her loathsome and hateful mother-in-law, Jo. Jo blames the entire town for her son's mishap, and when she gives a strange piece of jewelry to the man she believes most responsible, a series of gruesome deaths is set in motion.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Just as good 38 years later.
- By Jon Weimer on 12-11-17
-
Blackwater: The Complete Saga
- By: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: Matt Godfrey
- Length: 30 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,935
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,676
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,668
Blackwater is the saga of a small town, Perdido, Alabama, and Elinor Dammert, the stranger who arrives there under mysterious circumstances on Easter Sunday, 1919. On the surface, Elinor is gracious, charming, anxious to belong in Perdido, and eager to marry Oscar Caskey, the eldest son of Perdido's first family. But her beautiful exterior hides a shocking secret. Beneath the waters of the Perdido River, she turns into something terrifying, a creature whispered about in stories that have chilled the residents of Perdido for generations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A 6 Star Worthy Epic!
- By jksullycats on 10-29-17
-
The Auctioneer
- Valancourt 20th Century Classics
- By: Joan Samson
- Narrated by: Matt Godfrey
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
In the isolated farming community of Harlowe, New Hampshire, John Moore and his wife, Mim, work the land that has been in his family for generations. But from the moment the charismatic Perly Dinsmore arrives in town and starts soliciting donations for his auctions, things begin slowly and insidiously to change in Harlowe. As the auctioneer carries out his terrible, inscrutable plan, the Moores and their neighbors will find themselves gradually but inexorably stripped of their freedom, their possessions, and perhaps even their lives....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Auctioneer
- By Deedra on 09-29-18
-
Black Acres
- The Complete Collection
- By: Ambrose Ibsen
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 88
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 85
There's no place like home.... Kim and Julian Taylor are in the market for their first home, and a visit to the secluded Beacon estate finds them enamored. It's a peculiar home, rather large and in need of some renovations. The price is right, however, and after a tour, they snap the house up without hesitation. The man who sells them the house has one last detail to share before they sign on the dotted line. The previous owners of the home disappeared under mysterious circumstances nearly eight years ago and have recently been declared dead in absentia.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Creepy story!
- By D. Sturgeon on 03-22-19
-
Gilded Needles
- By: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: R. C. Bray
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 284
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 264
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 264
Welcome to the Black Triangle, New York's decadent district of opium dens, gambling casinos, and back-room abortions. The queen of this unsavory neighborhood is Black Lena Shanks, whose family leads a ring of female criminals - women skilled in the art of cruelty. Only a few blocks away, amidst the elegant mansions and lily-white reputations of Gramercy Park and Washington Square, lives Judge James Stallworth. On a crusade to crush Lena's evil empire, the judge has sentenced three of her family members to death. And now she wants revenge.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Definitely dark, but engrossing.
- By CJ Matthews on 08-09-17
-
The Elementals
- By: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,522
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,292
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 3,284
After a bizarre and disturbing incident at the funeral of matriarch Marian Savage, the McCray and Savage families look forward to a restful and relaxing summer at Beldame, on Alabama's Gulf Coast, where three Victorian houses loom over the shimmering beach. Two of the houses are habitable, while the third is slowly and mysteriously being buried beneath an enormous dune of blindingly white sand. But though long uninhabited, the third house is not empty. Inside, something deadly lies in wait.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Solid Haunted House Book - and that's rare!
- By Uber Femme on 06-28-18
-
The Amulet
- By: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 220
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 205
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 204
When a rifle range accident leaves Dean Howell disfigured and in a vegetative state, his wife Sarah finds her dreary life in Pine Cone, Alabama made even worse. After long and tedious days on the assembly line, she returns home to care for her corpse-like husband while enduring her loathsome and hateful mother-in-law, Jo. Jo blames the entire town for her son's mishap, and when she gives a strange piece of jewelry to the man she believes most responsible, a series of gruesome deaths is set in motion.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Just as good 38 years later.
- By Jon Weimer on 12-11-17
-
Blackwater: The Complete Saga
- By: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: Matt Godfrey
- Length: 30 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,935
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,676
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,668
Blackwater is the saga of a small town, Perdido, Alabama, and Elinor Dammert, the stranger who arrives there under mysterious circumstances on Easter Sunday, 1919. On the surface, Elinor is gracious, charming, anxious to belong in Perdido, and eager to marry Oscar Caskey, the eldest son of Perdido's first family. But her beautiful exterior hides a shocking secret. Beneath the waters of the Perdido River, she turns into something terrifying, a creature whispered about in stories that have chilled the residents of Perdido for generations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A 6 Star Worthy Epic!
- By jksullycats on 10-29-17
-
The Auctioneer
- Valancourt 20th Century Classics
- By: Joan Samson
- Narrated by: Matt Godfrey
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
In the isolated farming community of Harlowe, New Hampshire, John Moore and his wife, Mim, work the land that has been in his family for generations. But from the moment the charismatic Perly Dinsmore arrives in town and starts soliciting donations for his auctions, things begin slowly and insidiously to change in Harlowe. As the auctioneer carries out his terrible, inscrutable plan, the Moores and their neighbors will find themselves gradually but inexorably stripped of their freedom, their possessions, and perhaps even their lives....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Auctioneer
- By Deedra on 09-29-18
-
The Croning
- By: Laird Barron
- Narrated by: Emily Zeller
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 163
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 152
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 153
Strange things exist on the periphery of our existence, haunting us from the darkness looming beyond our firelight. Black magic, weird cults, and worse things loom in the shadows. The Children of Old Leech have been with us from time immemorial. And they love us.... Donald Miller, geologist and academic, has walked along the edge of a chasm for most of his nearly 80 years, leading a charmed life between endearing absent-mindedness and sanity-shattering realization. Now, all things must converge.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great Writer - Good story - VERY Wrong Reader,
- By Old Man Parker on 10-17-12
-
Candles Burning
- By: Tabitha King, Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: Carrington Macduffie
- Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 260
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 211
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 207
When her daddy is tortured and murdered by two women with no discernible motivation, Calley and her mother find themselves caught up in inexplicable events that exile them to Pensacola Beach. There, another woman awaits their presence, a woman who knows what Calley is and who seeks to control her. For Calley is no ordinary little girl.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Pay Attention!!
- By Dan's Gal Sal on 03-21-07
-
Our Lady of Darkness
- By: Fritz Leiber
- Narrated by: Charles Busch
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 34
In this superb novel, originally published in 1977, Fritz Leiber explores the concept of "paramentals." Leiber makes his definitive statement on alienation within the urban environment and the capacity of concrete, steel, and glass to suck up miseries and spew forth monsters.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding!
- By Kindle Customer on 06-20-12
-
Wretchedness
- By: Ambrose Ibsen
- Narrated by: Jake Urry
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 130
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 124
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 123
A peculiar tablet unearthed in a Middle Eastern ossuary provokes madness in those who encounter it. One by one, people come under the tablet's sway and are subjected to horrific visions and dreams. In time, the tablet's true purpose becomes clear: It is the harbinger of an eons-dead god whose reemergence will steep the world in terror and suffering. Having put the pieces together, two men race against the clock and attempt to disrupt the terrifying work of an ancient cult.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Even creepier
- By Porkchop1 on 11-13-17
-
Night Things
- By: Michael Talbot
- Narrated by: Eric Bryan Moore
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 52
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 50
Built by a madwoman during the Victorian era, Lake House is a 160-room mansion in the Adirondacks with stairways that lead nowhere, bizarre rooms designed to distort the senses, endless series of mazelike halls - and a century-long history of violent deaths. Lauren Montgomery, her son Garrett, and her new rock star husband Stephen Ransom have just arrived at Lake House, anticipating a long and relaxing summer. But what they don't know is that their rental home is actually a labyrinthine puzzle at whose center lurks something unspeakably evil....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
thought it would be more scary.
- By TinkerMel on 09-10-17
-
The Handyman
- By: Bentley Little
- Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,256
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,171
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 1,169
Daniel Martin has never forgotten his childhood encounters with Frank Watkins, the man who built his family a summer home out of cardboard and plywood. Frank's gaze was oddly confusing, as if he was attempting to discern the proper way to behave because he didn't know how to respond in a human manner. Since Frank obviously wasn't an alien, young Daniel thought maybe the man was crazy. In the end, Daniel would learn the terrifying truth about Frank Watkins. And as an adult, Daniel is about to discover there are more of them out there.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
strange narration
- By Beantown on 11-24-18
-
Wicked Stepmother
- By: Michael McDowell, Dennis Schuetz, Axel Young
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 8
Seducing a proper Bostonian was easy. Making him die of a heart attack a week after the wedding was hardly any trouble at all. Now she has money, social status, everything she has cunningly schemed to get since she was a poor little girl. Everything except the Brookline mansion and the multi-million dollar trust fund left to the three children. But what wicked stepmother couldn't get rid of three children?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Michael McDowell does it again
- By Marilyn on 09-20-18
-
Cold Moon over Babylon
- Valancourt 20th Century Classics
- By: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,030
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,030
Welcome to Babylon, a typical sleepy Alabama small town, where years earlier the Larkin family suffered a terrible tragedy. Now they are about to endure another: 14-year-old Margaret Larkin will be robbed of her innocence and her life by a killer who is beyond the reach of the law. But something strange is happening in Babylon: traffic lights flash an eerie blue, a ghostly hand slithers from the drain of a kitchen sink, graves erupt from the local cemetery in an implacable march of terror.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best audible listen to date...
- By Bree Salyer on 06-27-16
-
The Haunted Forest Tour
- By: Jeff Strand, James A. Moore
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 465
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 434
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 434
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Haunted Forest Tour! Sit back, and enjoy a smooth ride in air-conditioned comfort as your heavily armored tram takes you through nature's most astonishing creation. The forest is packed to capacity with dangerous and terrifying creatures of all shapes, sizes, and hunger levels, and you'll get to observe these wonders in complete safety.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
So much fun!
- By Dawnde W. on 09-12-18
-
I Am Legend
- By: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 10,976
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8,388
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 8,406
In I Am Legend, a plague has decimated the world, and those unfortunate enough to survive are transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Robert Neville is the last living man on earth. Everyone else has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day, he stalks the sleeping undead, by night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Superb!
- By Steven Casper on 01-24-08
-
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Nick Offerman
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,044
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,824
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,823
With his trademark mirth and boundless charisma, actor Nick Offerman brought the loveable shenanigans of Twain's adolescent hero to life in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Now, in yet another virtuosic performance, the actor proves that despite being separated by a span of over a century, his connection to the author and his work is undeniable and that theirs is a timeless collaboration that should not be missed.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Mark Twain and Nick Offerman are a perfect match
- By Philip M. Chute on 10-23-17
-
The Talisman
- By: Stephen King, Peter Straub
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 28 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9,572
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,173
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,163
On a brisk autumn day, a 13-year-old boy stands on the shores of the gray Atlantic, near a silent amusement park and a fading ocean resort called the Alhambra. The past has driven Jack Sawyer here: His father is gone, his mother is dying, and the world no longer makes sense. But for Jack everything is about to change. For he has been chosen to make a journey back across America - and into another realm. One of the most influential and heralded works of fantasy ever written, The Talisman is an extraordinary novel of loyalty, awakening, terror, and mystery.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Had no idea.....
- By Nate_D on 03-26-14
Publisher's Summary
When Michael Blumlein's debut collection The Brains of Rats first appeared, it marked the arrival of a major new talent, earning widespread acclaim from mainstream critics as well as genre stalwarts Peter Straub, Harlan Ellison, Pat Cadigan and many others.
More from the same
Narrator
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars1
-
4 Stars5
-
3 Stars3
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars5
-
4 Stars4
-
3 Stars0
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Story
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars1
-
4 Stars4
-
3 Stars3
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Big Cheese
- New York
- 11-28-17
Odd Collection
If you like short, bizarre stories, then this collection is for you! While some were definitely more satisfying than others, none seemed amazing or terrible - all pretty middling for me. The one that really sticks with me is the wetsuit story. I remember it because I was loving it until the end where I felt robbed of a good ending. This wasn't my favorite collection of stories but absolutely anything narrated by Travis Baldree is worth listening to!
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- TU
- 10-13-17
great collection of psychological horror stories
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
So, this was a collection of short stories full of dark and visceral brooding. Michael Blumlein is apparently an MD, and some stories are very clinical, if creepy, and focus on a lot of the medical jargon while talking about the patient's perspective... The narrator was fantastic. He had a great voice for these psychological horror stories. All in all, this was a good experience.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Christine Newton
- 10-20-17
3..5* - great narration, different short stories
This collection of short stories gets rave reviews by other reviewers. I agree with some other reviewers who mentioned that 'Brain of Rats' and 'Tissue Ablation' were interesting. I also enjoyed the premise of 'The Domino Master' - I think it might be a neat idea to expand into a longer story. I preferred some of the stories more than others but my enjoyment seemed to be clinical, distanced, and somewhat muted. I didn't get pulled into some of the stories - which I admit is challenging for me when it comes to short stories.
I've reviewed other audiobooks narrated by Travis Baldree (in different genres) and I continue to be impressed by him.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Eric Hunley
- Hampton, VA USA
- 10-18-17
Well written and weird
This book was hard for me. The author has a crazy imagination and is a very descriptive and talented writer. However, the stories are not my cup of tea. It reminds me of Clive Barker. Crazy weird stories. Some I enjoy, some I don't.
I also want to give praise to Travis Baldree for the narration. Spot on. He really worked it and put a ton of energy into the performance.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bill
- 09-22-17
A dark and brooding 4.5 Stars
I listened to this one on audio.
What a disturbingly strange and oddly enjoyable collection of shorts. I am rarely at a loss for words when reviewing a work. This was good. Maybe even better than that.
The narration for this one was excellent. Seemed to fit the stories perfectly and I think really added to the dark and brooding atmosphere. Well done.
*I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mark P.
- 01-14-18
Harrowing medical horror and more
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I have already recommended this to friends of mine with similar taste. It's quite a diverse collection ranging from jaw dropping body horror to heart warming (and heart breaking) dark fantasy.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The narrator of the final story, "Bestseller", a writer who struggles to earn a living and feed his family (including a sick child), until he discovers a way to generate income that most people would find utterly unthinkable and horrifying. You can't help but sympathize with his plight, even if you're disgusted by the way he ends up.
Which scene was your favorite?
"Tissue Ablation" is one of the very best horror short stories I've read, and I've read many of them. A tale of a truly heinous surgical procedure, told in a detached, emotionless academic medical style. It's the most stomach turning story here, and also one that will draw you into the reality it creates and leave you completely dumbfounded when you realize what is happening."Keeping House" was another one I enjoyed, a Shirley Jackson-esque tale about a woman being driven to madness by a house. Great stuff.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
No idea. I just know that I would want it to be directed by David Cronenberg.
Any additional comments?
A fantastic collection. I didn't love every story as much as the ones I mentioned above, but everything here is well written. Blumlein has a knack for temporarily rearranging your reality and drawing you into the worlds he creates with his stories.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jason Begly
- 10-19-17
The Brains of Rats
I wasn't able to get into this book. Each story was really well written and performed, but it wasn't for me. Maybe I was distracted by the fact that it was an audio book and I could not get into the rhythm of each story. I don't know for sure. My favorite tales were The Promise of Warmth and Bestseller. My least liked were The Brains of Rats and The Wet Suit.
This book was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.