AMBIENT ARCANA

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

 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.

 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

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

 In this episode we tell a tragic story of forbidden love and dire consequences- “The Legend of U Raitong” as described by Mrs. K.U. Rafy in her 1920 collection “Folk-Tales Of The Khasis.”
All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar
Narration by Jim Billbrough
While researching this story we found two more recent translations of “U Manik Raitong” by contemporary Khasi authors, both of which are worth checking out:
“Khasi Myths, Legends & Folk Tales” by Bijoya Sawian
(No direct link to the story on Google Books, but open the Table of Contents and follow the link to “U Manik Raitong”)
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Khasi_Myths_Legends_Folk_Tales/Unr2BEAEezoC?hl=en
…and
“U Manik Raitong” by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih from his book “Around the Hearth: Khasi Legends”
U Manik Raitong - Monash Indigenous Studies Centre
  Apologies to the Khasi people for any mispronunciation of Khasi names or places in this episode. To balance things out we mispronounced some English words as well.

Two stories about the elusive dream of freedom- A secret dream suddenly dashed and a dream unlooked for fulfilled.
Kate Chopin’s “The Story Of An Hour” and “A Pair Of Silk Stockings.”
Narrated by Arline Billbrough
Music by Paul Billbrough
Produced by Bob Familiar
 

In 1950 Akira Kurosawa merged two of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa’s short stories together to make his classic film “Rashomon.”Last episode we covered the story that gave the film it’s name and in this episode we explore the story of the murder at the heart of that film, told by seven characters with seven different, often conflicting accounts:
“In A Grove” by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar
Narrated by Mandy Familiar, Bob Familiar, Joey Pesce, Shannon Wilson, Jace Wilson, Danielle Barry, Matt Gruenberg, and Jim Billbrough

 In this episode we contemplate whether it is better to accept death with your morals intact or to survive by any means necessary.
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa’s “Rashōmon”.
Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar
Narrated by Jim Billbrough
 
Some sound effects in this episode were licensed from
Pro Sound Effects
240 Kent Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11249
licensing@prosoundeffects.com

 A trio of strange and beautiful fever dreams by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges-“The Rejected Sorcerer,” “The Circular Ruins,” and “The Two Kings and The Two Labyrinths.”
All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar
Narrated by Jim Billbrough
We’d like to express our thanks to Jon Fredette of “The Oddcast” podcast for his advice and encouragement on this episode. If you like Ambient Arcana there’s a good chance you’ll like ”The Oddcast.”
Here’s a link to Jon’s homepage featuring his podcasts, music, and more: https://www.jonfredette.com/
 
Some other useful links:
 
https://bobfamiliar.bandcamp.com/
 
https://www.facebook.com/ambientarcana
 
ambientarcana@gmail.com
 
 

In this episode we chase away the winter blues with a bloody sword in Robert E. Howard’s coldest Conan story - “Gods of The North” (aka. “The Frost-Giant’s Daughter”).
All Music and Music & Audio Production by Bob Familiar
Narration by Rick Weidner, Danielle Barry, Matt Gruenberg, Mandy Familiar, Bob Familiar, and Jim Billbrough
 
Some useful links:
 
https://bobfamiliar.bandcamp.com/
 
https://www.facebook.com/ambientarcana
 
ambientarcana@gmail.com