Horrorigins

This fun little story by H. G. Wells builds on fantastic language and haunted tropes to pull you into the moment.  If you’ve ever experienced an irrational fear of the dark than you will relate to this story. Link to text To connect or get more info on this series please visit matthewtansek.com

Take a listen to my reading of one of my favorite pieces of prose poetry by H. P. Lovecraft.  A lot of the conceptual pieces for Azathoth as well as many of the other popular mythos concepts owe their origins to this little piece. Apparently, the concept for this recurring mythos entity came to Lovecraft in a dream [1].  I hope he comes to you in yours Link to text matthewtansek.com [1] Joshi, S. T. (1996). A Subtler Magick: The Writings and Philosophy of H. P. Lovecraft. Rockville, Maryland: Wildside Press. p. 68. ISBN 1-880448-61-0.  

One of the first Clark Ashton Smith stories I ever read.  The Abominations of Yondo is more prose poetry than a well-developed story, but the sheer brilliance of the language and the visceral descriptions of the landscape capture me as few things can.  It really captures the essence of C. A. Smith’s cosmic horror.  I hope you enjoy! Link to text matthewtansek.com

This fantastic horror short story was first published in Weird Tales Magazine in 1926 by H. F. Arnold.  It was popular in its day, and I think stands out as a real gem of the pulps.  I hope you enjoy. Link to text To connect please visit matthewtansek.com

Are you really insisting on bringing that bushel of bananas with you, even though you know we are going to be exploring the origins of the killer ape?  It just seems like a bad idea, that’s all.  This time it’s Edgar Allan Poe’s tale The Murders in the Rue Morgue.   A full episode list and other creative works by me: http://www.matthewtansek.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tanz444 Sound effects in this episode by Erokia, and used under the Attribution 3.0 Unported CC license. Links referred to in this episode: The Sierra Rose Cider I was drinking – https://www.cascadecellars.com/sierra-rose-ciders  

Aim for the head, aim for the head!  Henry S. Whitehead’s tale Jumbee is the focus of this month’s episode as we explore the origins of the zombie.   A full episode list and other creative works by me: http://www.matthewtansek.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tanz444 Sound effects in this episode by Erokia, and used under the Attribution 3.0 Unported CC license. Links referred to in this episode: The Wildside Press version I read can be found here – http://bit.ly/pulp-jumbee WorldCat Record – http://bit.ly/library-jumbee  

Better grab your unlicensed particle accelerator because we’re about to go ghost busting with William Hodgeson’s Gateway of the Monster.   A full episode list and other creative works by me: http://www.matthewtansek.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tanz444 Sound effects in this episode by Erokia, and used under the Attribution 3.0 Unported CC license. Links referred to in this episode: Read this story online here – http://bit.ly/theghostfinder Read a physical copy – https://amzn.to/2RyAzJI  

A brief message concerning the future of the show.

Take cover from the nightly sandstorm as we take a look at H.P. Lovecraft’s The Nameless City, and the origins of the Cthulhu mythos.   A full episode list and other creative works by me: http://www.matthewtansek.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tanz444 Sound effects in this episode by Erokia, and used under the Attribution 3.0 Unported CC license. Links referred to in this episode: Read this story here – https://bit.ly/1qDsWsq The Colossi of Memnon – https://bit.ly/2roPFkW The discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb – https://bit.ly/2I8spP9

Boot up that positron brain and juice up your servos because in this episode of Horrorigins we are going to be taking a look at Rossum’s Universal Robots and the origin of the killer robot.   A full episode list and other creative works by me: http://www.matthewtansek.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tanz444 Sound effects in this episode by Erokia, and used under the Attribution 3.0 Unported CC license. Background music in this episode is “Pulsar” by Nicolai Heidlas Music, and used under the CC Attribution 4.0 International license. Links referred to in this episode: R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) – Full text – https://bit.ly/2JQO9Rd

Gear up friends, we are about to head into the dangerous fen that is Theodore Sturgeon’s “It!“, the first story to have evil animated vegetation in the form of man.  Can it be stopped?  Let’s find out.  A full episode list and other creative works by me: http://www.matthewtansek.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tanz444 Sound effects in today’s episode by Erokia, and used under the Attribution 3.0 Unported CC license. Links referred to in this episode: It! – Full text – http://bit.ly/2HOCu3j

Have you ever wondered just what sorts of horrors lie just beyond the little windows of the subway train?  Well you’re about to find out because in this episode we are going to be taking a look at Robert Barbour Johnson’s short story from Weird Tales entitled Far Below.  A full episode list and other creative works by me: http://www.matthewtansek.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tanz444 Sound effects in today’s episode by Erokia, and used under the Attribution 3.0 Unported CC license. Links referred to in this episode: Gouache Painting – http://bit.ly/2HOCu3j Fortian Society – http://bit.ly/2FMRYIz Super Sargasso Sea – http://bit.ly/2HMNCxw

Big mummy on campus!  In this episode we are going to be taking a look at the fist tale to depict a mummy in a horror context.  Its originating story:  Lot No. 249 by Arthur Conan Doyle.  A full episode list and other creative works by me: http://www.matthewtansek.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tanz444 Links referred to in this episode: Egyptomania – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptomania The Case of George Edalji – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Edalji The Case of Oscar Slater – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Slater

Did you know that vampires were not always the pale aristocrats we know today?  In this episode we are going to be taking a look at the fist story that depicted the modern vampire in English literature.  Its originating story:  The Vampyre by John William Polidori. A full episode list and other creative works by me: http://www.matthewtansek.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tanz444 Links referred to in this episode: The Vampyre by John William Polidori [Public domain text] (https://archive.org/details/thevampyretale00poliuoft) The Case of Arnold Paole (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Paole)

Have you ever wondered what the origins of the werewolf killing silver bullet were?  In this episode we are going to be taking a look at the fist story to ever fight back against wolf monsters with silver bullets and the folklore behind this occult weaponry.  Its originating story:  The Wolf Leader by Alexandre Dumas. Links referred to in this episode: The Wolf Leader by Alexandre Dumas [Public domain text] (https://archive.org/details/wolfleader00dumauoft) My website (http://www.matthewtansek.com)

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas?  How about a haunted one?  In this episode we are going to be taking a look at the first supernatural Christmas story to ever warn against the dangers of making a deal with your doppelganger.  Its originating story:  The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain by Charles Dickens. Links referred to in this episode: The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain by Charles Dickens [Public domain text] (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/644)

Grab your lab coats and goggles!  In this episode we are going to be taking a look at the first mad scientist character to ever take science too far.  Its originating story:  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Links referred to in this episode: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley [Public domain text] (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/84)

Did you see this one coming?  In this episode we are going to be taking a look at the first invisible monster to terrify pulp readers.  Its originating story:  What Was It?  A Mystery by Fitz James O’Brien. Links referred to in this episode: What Was It? A Mystery by Fitz-James O’Brien [Public domain text] (http://www.bartleby.com/195/13.html) What Was It? A Mystery by Fitz-James O’Brien [Worldcat scan of 1889 edition] (https://hdl.handle.net/2027/osu.32435007485261)

Welcome to Horrorigins!  A podcast that examines the firsts in horror literature.  In this episode we are going to be taking a look at the occult detective, its originating story:  The Pot of Tulips by Fitz James O’Brien. Links referred to in this episode: The Odic force (http://www.skepdic.com/reichenbach.html) Pot of Tulips by Fitz-James O’Brien (https://sites.google.com/site/droodiana/books/fitz-james-o-brien-the-pot-of-tulips)