Chris Halliday

Brilliant modern ghost stories

Reviewed: 10-02-19

Being an M.R. James fan, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy these reimagined classic tales. When I saw they were a Bafflegab production, any concerns evaporated. These are masterful modern ghost stories, told as full-cast audio dramas. Everything from the performances to the sound design is spot on. I’m very glad I didn’t listen to these in the dark.

Roll on Volume 2!

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Dalek nostalgia from the 70s

Reviewed: 07-12-18

This took me back to the late 1970s, when Christmas meant hoping that Mum had bought me the latest Dalek annual (she did. Thanks Mum!), then diving into the colourful pages to devour these dark tales of the deadliest enemies of humanity. Without the presence of the Doctor, these stories often ended very badly for mankind, which somehow made them even more enjoyable.

This selection of stories and features from the annuals is a delight. Narrated by Nicholas Briggs, Louise Jameson and Matthew Waterhouse, there’s a lot to love here.

Highly recommended for Dalek fans of a certain age!

Uniquely enchanting

Reviewed: 01-10-18

There’s nothing quite like PILGRIM; the tale of a cursed immortal forced to walk between the worlds of magic and men. That summary makes it sound like a dozen other urban fantasy stories, but the reality is very different. PILGRIM draws from the deep well of British folklore and mythology, filling its tale with characters simultaneously fantastical and believable. PILGRIM is beautifully written, cast, performed and produced, one of the masterpieces of BBC radio drama.

Very highly recommended.

Superbly creepy stuff!

Reviewed: 30-09-18

I’m a big fan of the HP Lovecraft Historical Society productions, and I’m thrilled to see them available on Audible. This one’s a bit of a departure, adapting three stories (two from Lovecraft, one from Poe), but it’s a great introduction to the HPLHS. Give it a try, then pick up the rest. You won’t be sorry!

Great story, rushed performance

Reviewed: 18-06-18

I really enjoyed Nancy A. Collins’ prequel to Richard Matheson’s classic HELL HOUSE, but I really hope this eventually gets a proper audiobook production with a real voice actor one day. The reading of the tale was paced entirely wrongly, maintaining a mile-a-minute speed that robbed the story of much of its suspense. It deserves a more measured, nuanced reading to really capture the atmosphere and horror of Emeric Belasco’s hateful home.

Collins does great work with this tale, filling in the narrative spaces that Matheson chose to leave to be filled by our own imaginations, only Collins does the remarkable job of making it worse than we could have imagined. In this tale, Hell House really earns its name.

A truly chilling haunted house novella.

Simple but compelling

Reviewed: 25-05-18

The Great Martian War novels, inspired by the war game All Quiet On The Martian Front, are written by Scott Washburn with a simple elegance that belies their origin. Ingeniously told from both the human and Martian viewpoints, these stories are full of heroism, tragedy and action. There are stirring battles, reversals of fate, and some fantastic technology - not all of it Martian. Ray Greenley does a fine job of bringing a huge cast of characters to life, giving each a unique voice

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Bloody good!

Reviewed: 05-02-18

Despite being a fan of Big Finish I’ve been reluctant to pick this up. I should have my head examined. It’s an excellent adaptation, remarkably faithful to the book, with a great script and cast, and Big Finish’s usual high-quality sound design. Recommended.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Genuinely chilling supernatural drama

Reviewed: 17-01-18

Going in to this, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew that with the involvement of Mark Gatiss and Reece Shearsmith that I’d enjoy it. What I wasn’t expecting was a full-on period horror audio-movie. Everything about this production is pure gold, from the script and the performances to the amazing sound-design. Truly a delight for fans of British horror, and anyone who enjoys a really well-told scary story.

Very highly recommended!

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Thank you, Audible!

Reviewed: 18-12-17

A great collection of classic ghost stories, beautifully read by Simon Callow, wrapped in a very clever framing story. I loved listening to this, and can’t wait to do so again.

26 of 29 people found this review helpful

Lovecraftian Noir Thriller

Reviewed: 12-10-17

The second of the Harry Stubbs audiobooks, and what an improvement in narration! Gethyn Edwards really brings Stubbs to life in this thrilling homage to The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward.

The story is tautly written and rich in suspense, action and atmosphere. Harry Stubbs is a brilliant addition to the world of pulp horror, and I can’t wait to start his next adventure.

Very highly recommended for fans of Lovecraft and noir detective fiction.