AMBIENT ARCANA

"Jeep Show" by Robert B. O'Connor

 This is a special episode of Ambient Arcana marking the 80th Anniversary of V.E. Day - Victory in Europe Day - May 8th, 1945 when Germany officially surrendered to the Allied Forces ending World War II in Europe.
A reading from “Jeep Show” by Robert B. O’Connor.Jeep Show is the story of entertainment specialist Jim Tanzer who finds himself trapped in the front lines during the Battle Of The Bulge. The unexpected German assault catches the American forces off guard, yet determined not to give way, even at the cost of their own lives.
"Jeep Show" by Robert B. O’Connor is out now and available at most booksellers.
https://jeepshowbook.com/
All music and audio production by Bob Familiar.Narration by Rick Weidner
Bob Familiar as Henry “Allie” Allison and Sergeant KowalskiJim Billbrough as Jim TanzerMatt Gruenberg as the 2nd Lieutenant and Captain Rose
 
Additional sound effects by Pro Sound Effects
Ambient Arcana will be back to our usual schedule at the end of June.

"Le Miroir" by Robert Aickman

 We finish our current coverage of the works of British author Robert Aickman with a story that explores what happens when the face looking back at you in the mirror is not your own.
"Le Miroir" by Robert Aickman
All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar
Narration by Jim Billbrough

"The Coffin House" by Robert Aickman

 In this episode two young British women, serving in the 'Woman's Land Army' during WWII,  decide to skip a dour farmer's Christmas party only to discover there are worse ways to spend the Holiday in Robert Aickman's
"The Coffin House."
 All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar
 Narration by Jim Billbrough
 
 
 

"Laura" by Robert Aickman

Mod dress? Thigh-boots? Impossibly long worm-infested hallways?
It's Robert Aickman's  strange tale of a mysterious, ageless woman orbiting the life of a hapless man:
"Laura."
All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar
Narrated by Alex Fitzsimmons

"The Cookie Lady" By Philip K. Dick

In this episode we explore the heavy price of turning back the hands of time with Philip K. Dick's "The Cookie Lady."
 
All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar.
Narration by Jim Billbrough
 
 

TIBETAN FOLK TALES BY A.L. SHELTON, VOL. 3

Once again we spend our Holiday Season at the Top Of The World with yet more stories from
Albert Leroy Shelton's 1925 book "Tibetan Folk Tales"
All music and audio production by Bob Familiar
Narrated by Bob Familiar and Jim Billbrough
 
 
 

“The Facts In The Case Of M. Valdemar” By Edgar Allan Poe

In this episode we take the ultimate trip as we follow Ernie Valdemar on his final journey.
Edgar Allan Poe’s story of Mesmeric Malpractice - 
“The Facts In The Case Of M. Valdemar”
All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar
Narration by Jim Billbrough
 
 We’ve based our narration on Basil Rathbone’s abridged version of this story from his 1960 recording of Poe’s stories for Caedmon Records.
That narration can be found on YouTube here:
https://youtu.be/QlgUNHJDWtk?feature=shared
 
That record was a childhood favorite and using the abridged narration we heard as kids let’s us scratch that nostalgia itch, but for anyone who prefers the unabridged version, here’s a link to an excellent full text narration read by Bill Wallis:
https://youtu.be/0E_9GwyoSzs?feature=shared

“The October Game” by Ray Bradbury

 Just when we thought we were done with Bradbury he pulls us back in! “The October Game” a disturbing Halloween horror story where the terrors are real…or are they?
All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar.
Narration by Jim Billbrough.
Additional Voices by Izzy Q. and The Artist Known As Φ.

“The Lake” by Ray Bradbury

 We say goodbye to Summer with a late season tale of first love, tragic loss, and grim reunion. It’s Ray Bradbury’s classic macabre tearjerker - “The Lake.”
All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar
Narration by Clark Goodpaster
Lake wave audio recording provided by Pro Sound Effects

“The One Who Waits” and “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury

In this episode we explore two stories of Retrofuturism by science fiction/fantasy icon Ray Bradbury:
“The One Who Waits” - A lonely old soul gets closer to the new neighbors in the worst possible way.
“The Pedestrian” -  A solitary man walks the empty streets of a TV dominated dystopia.
All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar
Narrated by Bob Familiar and Jim Billbrough