Scottish Short Stories

Elizabeth Gaskell, famed author of Cranford, is cherished for her incise social observations and portrayals of the changing nature of English life through the Industrial Revolution of the Victorian era. In Cousin Phillis, Paul Manning has only recently left home to work on the railway line for the dashing Mr Holdsworth. Lodging with an Independent Minister on the outskirts of London, he becomes acquainted with his distant cousins, where he is delighted to meet his genial relations, and not least his cousin Phyllis

In the late 1590s, Scotland was on the verge of many changes that would shape its future, such as religious reformation and the union of the crowns with England. But in many ways the country, was still rooted in its medieval past, and fear of witches and demons was still a large part of everyday life. Seton confronts his demons, both internal and external, as he wanders on the fringes of history.

I en medio de una reunión se le acerca alguien y le dice que le va a leer la mano, ¿Que haría usted?,- le seguiría el juego, ahora que es el centro de atención de la reunión?- o por el contrario ni siquiera le tendería la mano, por si acaso. Mucho nos reimos de las llamadas pseudociencias, pero si nos hicieran una predicción del futuro en la que nos dijeran que nos esperaba algo terrible, ¿ que haríamos?

When Gustavus Pulvertoft finds himself saddled with a horse with the power of human speech, he little imagines how quickly he will come a cropper. His courtship of the horse-loving Diana Chetwynd goes swimmingly so long as his talking horse is on good terms with Miss Chetwynd's grey mare... but when their trusty mounts fall out, a series of terrible events ensues which Pulvertoft is powerless to prevent. His determination to get revenge on the horse leads to his ultimate downfall.

This is a story from the The Body Snatcher and Other Stories collection.

Alive with anecdote, this is a further wonderful companion for anyone who enjoys Scotland's heritage and tales of its gaunt and shadowy ruins.

This is a selection of works by three famous Irishmen: Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats and Bram Stoker. It includes: the short story by Bram Stoker, "Dracula's Guest"; Oscar Wilde's poem "Humanitad" and three versions of his "The Ballad of Reading Gaol"; and finally, an early collection of poetry called The Rose by W. B. Yeats. There is a general introduction by the writer and actor Tim Dalgleish and other additional material.

An odd, turn-of-the-century tale of disconnection follows a quiet little man who wanders about the day in the shadows of an overbearing wife. Willing to do anything to find the love they once shared, he trails her patiently, almost invisibly, to an unexpected ending. "The Peace of Pi" is written with a curious blend of rhythm and rhyme, as a long-form poetic short story.

This is a story from the "Great Ghost Stories" collection.

Inside, you will find tales of Scottish horror based on the legend of Sawney Bean, historic horror tales about the Picts, tales of rage when a man battling anger issues faces off against a Young Team, and a haggis themed creature feature.

While Robert Louis Stevenson is most famous for novels like Treasure Island and Kidnapped, he also wrote a number of excellent stories of the supernatural. "Markheim" is one of his best.

This is a story from the The Body Snatcher and Other Stories collection.

This is a story from the The Body Snatcher and Other Stories collection.

The Nun's Priest's Tale is one of The Canterbury Tales by the 14th century Middle English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Read in Middle English by Robert Ross.

A dramatized, abridged performance of Alice in Wonderland with Eva Le Gallienne, Bambi Linn, and Margaret Webster.

Herbert George Wells (1866 - 1946) was a prolific English writer of science fiction stories and novels, and is credited with being the father of science fiction. 'A Deal in Ostriches' is an amusing tale about a situation on a ship returning from the Indies with several passengers and five ostriches on board. One of the ostriches swallows a valuable diamond - but nobody knows which bird it was.

When Alice follows a white rabbit down a hole she discovers the extraordinary world of Wonderland, where a magical adventure begins. It’s not long before Alice finds herself attending a very unconventional tea party and taking part in a peculiar game of croquet, all in the company of such mysterious and unforgettable characters as the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and the Mock Turtle.

Mary Cholmondeley (1859-1925) was an English novelist and short story writer. 'Let Loose' is a supernatural ghost story where a young architect wishes to research a unique fresco in the crypt of a remote and ancient parish church in Yorkshire. The parish clergyman is remarkably reluctant to hand over the keys to the crypt and sets some odd conditions to their use. On the subsequent days after the young architect has opened the crypt, terrible and mysterious deaths begin to plague the village.

Herbert George Wells (1866-1946) was a prolific English writer of science fiction stories and novels and is frequently credited as being the father of science fiction. 'The Hammerpond Park Burglary' is a tongue in cheek story about a burglary which initially goes badly wrong...but then unexpectedly goes extraordinarily right.

During a visit to her dying friend, a woman discovers to her horror that his family and his home are one. SonicMovies are premium audios with strong vocal performances enhanced by music and sound effects to such an extent they sound like movies, hence, SonicMovies.