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Doug Bradley's Spinechillers #1
Doug Bradley's Spinechillers, Vol. 1
The Signalman (1866) - Charles Dickens 31:58
August Heat (1910) - William Harvey 12:59
The Tell Tale Heart (1843) - Edgar Allan Poe 16:29
The Outsider (1926) - H.P. Lovecraft 29:41
The Open Window (1914) - Saki 9:13
The Beast With Five Fingers (1919) - William Harvey 59:30
August Heat (1910) - William Harvey 12:59
The Tell Tale Heart (1843) - Edgar Allan Poe 16:29
The Outsider (1926) - H.P. Lovecraft 29:41
The Open Window (1914) - Saki 9:13
The Beast With Five Fingers (1919) - William Harvey 59:30
80 pages, Audiobook
First published March 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 29, 2011
6 Classic tales of ghosties and night bumpers read by Doug “may I RAISE…R some HELL for you” Bradley himself:
…uh….NUFF SAID...now go buy and enjoy!!
Just in case a few of you “tough sells” out there require a little more info before you scoot and scoop up this collection, I will go ahead and provide some specs on the stories and the production value. Right off let me say that you should not take the 3 stars as anything less than my hearty endorsement. This would be a 4 or 5 star collection but for a single patch of suckness at the end of the collection that dragged the rest down.
Pinhead (sorry Doug but Pinhead you shall always be) does a terrific job with the readings. He brings his smooth British accent with the right touch of fervor to the words and enhances the experience of each story in my opinion. Of the 6 bullets included in the first installment, there was but a single misfire (the aforementioned suckness patch) that just didn’t work for me. However, that was more than offset by the discovery of 3 gems I had never even heard of, one of which left me abovejoyed to have found it.
Here’s a rundown:
The Signalman by Charles Dickens: Charlie Dickens writes SCARY? You bet he does. I had never heard of this tasty piece of dread before coming across this selection and I was very surprised by it. Atmospherically, this tale reminded me much more of Poe than of Dickens and I was pleased to have found it. In the story, the narrator is recalling his experience with a railway signalman who is being given warnings of disaster by a ghost but with no proof with which to persuade the powers that be to avert them. It’s well written (DUH) with a nice restrained creepiness and mounting terror that leads to a very satisfying ending. Way to go CD, you continue to impress me every time I come across your work. You sir, have a future in writing. 4.0 stars
August Heat by William Fryer Harvey: Can someone in the know please explain to me how this story is MUCH more famous? WOWZERS did I love this piece. I had never even heard of William Harvey before this story and I think this is the best story in the collection (running neck and deformed neck with HPL’s The Outsider). An artist draws a picture of a criminal in the gallows about to be hanged. The artist takes a walk in the stifling heat and meets a stonemason who looks exactly like the criminal in his sketch. The stonemason has just completed an “exhibition” tombstone that has the artists name on it as well as the date of his death…today. I’ll leave the rest to you but this is an absolutely SUPERBITASTIC story and the ending was downright juicy. LOVED IT. 5.0 stars
The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe: Most people are familiar with this story, so let me just say that Dougie does his fellow Cenobites proud with his reading of Poe’s famous story of paranoia and guilt brought on by the unceasing pangs of conscience. 4.0 stars
The Outsider by HP Lovecraft: Another favorite story of mine by HPL and the narration on this one is perfect. I want to avoid spoilers and so all I will say plot wise is that it’s an amazing tale of a lonely, solitary person escaping the only home he’s ever known and encountering other people for the first time. This story will….sorry Doug but I have to do it….this story will “rip your soul apart.” 5.0 stars
The Open Window by Saki: Another story I had never heard of before coming to this collection, this is a very funny story (in a twisted way) about a “fragile nerved” visitor getting a little more than he bargained for from a chat with the sweet little girl of the house. The ending is wonderful and deserves major props. 3.5 to 4.0 stars
The Beast With Five Fingers by William Fryer Harvey:
UGH…I can’t believe this is by the same person who wrote August Heat, but alas it was. The story was so obvious, beginning with the title, and I just didn’t find anything to enjoy about it. I was interested to discover that this is the basis for the cult classic film, The Hand starring Michael Caine but that is about the only positive takeaway. Worst of all, this is easily the LONGEST story in the collection and takes up almost 50% of the pages (or minutes since this is an audio). Thus, it brings the entire collection down with its SUCKNESS. 1.0 stars.
Overall, this is a collection I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. But for the last story, this would be an easy 4 star collection and possibly even a five star. However, the DUD with Five Fingers decided to flip the rest of the stories the dirty bird and knocked the whole thing down to 3.5 stars. But a very STRONG 3.5 stars.
My advice, pick up the collection and skip the last story. As for me, I am definitely going to be checking out the subsequent installments in Pinhead’s collection of fire side spook tales.
…uh….NUFF SAID...now go buy and enjoy!!
Just in case a few of you “tough sells” out there require a little more info before you scoot and scoop up this collection, I will go ahead and provide some specs on the stories and the production value. Right off let me say that you should not take the 3 stars as anything less than my hearty endorsement. This would be a 4 or 5 star collection but for a single patch of suckness at the end of the collection that dragged the rest down.
Pinhead (sorry Doug but Pinhead you shall always be) does a terrific job with the readings. He brings his smooth British accent with the right touch of fervor to the words and enhances the experience of each story in my opinion. Of the 6 bullets included in the first installment, there was but a single misfire (the aforementioned suckness patch) that just didn’t work for me. However, that was more than offset by the discovery of 3 gems I had never even heard of, one of which left me abovejoyed to have found it.
Here’s a rundown:
The Signalman by Charles Dickens: Charlie Dickens writes SCARY? You bet he does. I had never heard of this tasty piece of dread before coming across this selection and I was very surprised by it. Atmospherically, this tale reminded me much more of Poe than of Dickens and I was pleased to have found it. In the story, the narrator is recalling his experience with a railway signalman who is being given warnings of disaster by a ghost but with no proof with which to persuade the powers that be to avert them. It’s well written (DUH) with a nice restrained creepiness and mounting terror that leads to a very satisfying ending. Way to go CD, you continue to impress me every time I come across your work. You sir, have a future in writing. 4.0 stars
August Heat by William Fryer Harvey: Can someone in the know please explain to me how this story is MUCH more famous? WOWZERS did I love this piece. I had never even heard of William Harvey before this story and I think this is the best story in the collection (running neck and deformed neck with HPL’s The Outsider). An artist draws a picture of a criminal in the gallows about to be hanged. The artist takes a walk in the stifling heat and meets a stonemason who looks exactly like the criminal in his sketch. The stonemason has just completed an “exhibition” tombstone that has the artists name on it as well as the date of his death…today. I’ll leave the rest to you but this is an absolutely SUPERBITASTIC story and the ending was downright juicy. LOVED IT. 5.0 stars
The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe: Most people are familiar with this story, so let me just say that Dougie does his fellow Cenobites proud with his reading of Poe’s famous story of paranoia and guilt brought on by the unceasing pangs of conscience. 4.0 stars
The Outsider by HP Lovecraft: Another favorite story of mine by HPL and the narration on this one is perfect. I want to avoid spoilers and so all I will say plot wise is that it’s an amazing tale of a lonely, solitary person escaping the only home he’s ever known and encountering other people for the first time. This story will….sorry Doug but I have to do it….this story will “rip your soul apart.” 5.0 stars
The Open Window by Saki: Another story I had never heard of before coming to this collection, this is a very funny story (in a twisted way) about a “fragile nerved” visitor getting a little more than he bargained for from a chat with the sweet little girl of the house. The ending is wonderful and deserves major props. 3.5 to 4.0 stars
The Beast With Five Fingers by William Fryer Harvey:
UGH…I can’t believe this is by the same person who wrote August Heat, but alas it was. The story was so obvious, beginning with the title, and I just didn’t find anything to enjoy about it. I was interested to discover that this is the basis for the cult classic film, The Hand starring Michael Caine but that is about the only positive takeaway. Worst of all, this is easily the LONGEST story in the collection and takes up almost 50% of the pages (or minutes since this is an audio). Thus, it brings the entire collection down with its SUCKNESS. 1.0 stars.
Overall, this is a collection I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. But for the last story, this would be an easy 4 star collection and possibly even a five star. However, the DUD with Five Fingers decided to flip the rest of the stories the dirty bird and knocked the whole thing down to 3.5 stars. But a very STRONG 3.5 stars.
My advice, pick up the collection and skip the last story. As for me, I am definitely going to be checking out the subsequent installments in Pinhead’s collection of fire side spook tales.
December 14, 2012
This series is fantastic! Doug brings these classics to life with his wonderful voice. I've read many of them but the performances add a whole new level of enjoyment. Great sound design and music too, but Doug shines throughout. I have the first 9 volumes and look forward to more in the series. Perfect gift for the horror fan in your life. Don't hesitate!
September 22, 2020
A joy to listen to, because of the narration and the sound design. Some stories are familiar, but nevertheless good (Dickens, Poe), others were new to me and also very good (William F. Harvey, Saki), some were not so good (I'm looking at you H.P. Lovecraft, it seems like we never become friends). Will definitely continue with the series. Nothing better than a good night horror story.
August 15, 2020
The Signalman / Charles Dickens ****
- Good phantom story with a twist at the end.
August Heat / William Harvey ***
- It held my attention, but the ending felt abrupt.
The Tell Tale Heart / Edgar Allan Poe ****
- An old favorite of mine. The truth will come out eventually.
The Outsider / H.P. Lovecraft ****
- This is one of my favorite Lovecrafts. Self discovery can be devastating.
The Open Window / Saki **
- The ending was a bit too vague for me. Plus it's really more mean than spooky.
The Beast With Five Fingers / William Harvey ****
- By far the most creepy entry in the collection.
- Good phantom story with a twist at the end.
August Heat / William Harvey ***
- It held my attention, but the ending felt abrupt.
The Tell Tale Heart / Edgar Allan Poe ****
- An old favorite of mine. The truth will come out eventually.
The Outsider / H.P. Lovecraft ****
- This is one of my favorite Lovecrafts. Self discovery can be devastating.
The Open Window / Saki **
- The ending was a bit too vague for me. Plus it's really more mean than spooky.
The Beast With Five Fingers / William Harvey ****
- By far the most creepy entry in the collection.
May 3, 2013
This CD collection was, admittedly, an impulse buy. I had the opportunity to get Doug Bradley's autograph at a local horror convention, and while I waited for him to finish a little paperwork, I saw the Audio CDs for sale. What the heck, I thought, I haven't used the CD player in my new car yet, let's give it a go.
I'm so glad I did.
Every story is more than narrated, it's brought to life with sounds and atmosphere. Combine the stories, the production, and the accent, and the collection is more kin to radio plays, than a simple narration. It's cerebral cinema at its best.
Tracklist:
The Signal-man (1866) - Charles Dickens 31:58 - If Doug Bradley had been reading Dickens to me in high school, I might have finished Great Expectations.
August Heat (1910) - William Harvey 12:59 - A chance meeting between two men, one illustrator and the other a stone cutter on a hot August day, proves prophetic as each has created something that foretells the other's fate. While this one may seem to have an open ending, it really doesn't.
The Tell Tale Heart (1843) - Edgar Allan Poe 16:29: As often as I've read this story of caretaking gone mad, the production adds a little something extra to the frenetic pace.
The Outsider (1926) - H.P. Lovecraft 29:41 - All Lovecraft should be read by Doug Bradley. Fact. It won't make any more sense, it's just more enjoyable to digest.
The Open Window (1914) - Saki 9:13 - I think I connect most with this tale when I think of my own writing, and you can almost hear the dusky chuckle of the author as this one wraps.
The Beast With Five Fingers (1919) - William Harvey 59:30 - this one had me laughing. The tale itself is chilling but the characters are delightfully eccentric.
For me, anthologies like these make me not only want to pick up the rest of the series, but also seek out the macabre short stories by the individual authors.
And then make Doug Bradley read them to me.
I'm so glad I did.
Every story is more than narrated, it's brought to life with sounds and atmosphere. Combine the stories, the production, and the accent, and the collection is more kin to radio plays, than a simple narration. It's cerebral cinema at its best.
Tracklist:
The Signal-man (1866) - Charles Dickens 31:58 - If Doug Bradley had been reading Dickens to me in high school, I might have finished Great Expectations.
August Heat (1910) - William Harvey 12:59 - A chance meeting between two men, one illustrator and the other a stone cutter on a hot August day, proves prophetic as each has created something that foretells the other's fate. While this one may seem to have an open ending, it really doesn't.
The Tell Tale Heart (1843) - Edgar Allan Poe 16:29: As often as I've read this story of caretaking gone mad, the production adds a little something extra to the frenetic pace.
The Outsider (1926) - H.P. Lovecraft 29:41 - All Lovecraft should be read by Doug Bradley. Fact. It won't make any more sense, it's just more enjoyable to digest.
The Open Window (1914) - Saki 9:13 - I think I connect most with this tale when I think of my own writing, and you can almost hear the dusky chuckle of the author as this one wraps.
The Beast With Five Fingers (1919) - William Harvey 59:30 - this one had me laughing. The tale itself is chilling but the characters are delightfully eccentric.
For me, anthologies like these make me not only want to pick up the rest of the series, but also seek out the macabre short stories by the individual authors.
And then make Doug Bradley read them to me.
January 14, 2013
I have not listened to an audiobook since I was in 6th Grade. When I had found out that Pinhead himself Doug Bradley was reading classic works of horror and they were available on iTunes as well as Audible.com I snatched it up faster than those chains inside that little puzzle box.
I listened to the first volume last night and let me just say that these maybe some of the finest recordings I have ever heard. Creepy sound effects, ethereal music and Doug's delivery makes each story come to life.
My personal favorites in this volume were The Tell-Tale Heart and The Beast with Five Fingers. They were a perfect mixture of creep and shock all capped off with a brilliant reading by Mr. Bradley.
If you like scary stories and are looking for a creepy audiobook check this out. It will tear your ears apart.!
I listened to the first volume last night and let me just say that these maybe some of the finest recordings I have ever heard. Creepy sound effects, ethereal music and Doug's delivery makes each story come to life.
My personal favorites in this volume were The Tell-Tale Heart and The Beast with Five Fingers. They were a perfect mixture of creep and shock all capped off with a brilliant reading by Mr. Bradley.
If you like scary stories and are looking for a creepy audiobook check this out. It will tear your ears apart.!
October 8, 2013
The perfect kick-off to Halloween season. Five of the six stories were new to me, and the sixth was Poe's TTH, which never gets tired. Unlike most audiobooks of classic short story collections, the production was wonderful. The narrator is lively and clearly having fun with the material, the sound is crisp and clear, and the music and sound effects add atmosphere rather than intrude on the consciousness. I will keep an eye out for the other volumes in this series.
September 30, 2022
I like the stories that Doug Bradley narrated, the stories are interesting & written by various authors/poets.
I'm a big fan of Doug Bradley, he is especially well known for his portrayal of Pinhead in the Horror film Hellraiser (1987)
I wish more horror related actors narrated short horror stories, it's fun & entertaining to listen to.
My favourites short horror stories for Volume 1 of the Doug Bradley's Spinechillers are the following short stories:
The Tell Tale Heart-Edgar Allan
The Signalman-Charles Dickens
I like Doug Bradley's narration, the sound effects that are used throughout the narration.
If you like classic, gothic horror stories, or you are a fan of Doug Bradley & audiobooks with sound effects then you'll love Doug Bradley's Spinechillers Audiobooks.
I'm a big fan of Doug Bradley, he is especially well known for his portrayal of Pinhead in the Horror film Hellraiser (1987)
I wish more horror related actors narrated short horror stories, it's fun & entertaining to listen to.
My favourites short horror stories for Volume 1 of the Doug Bradley's Spinechillers are the following short stories:
The Tell Tale Heart-Edgar Allan
The Signalman-Charles Dickens
I like Doug Bradley's narration, the sound effects that are used throughout the narration.
If you like classic, gothic horror stories, or you are a fan of Doug Bradley & audiobooks with sound effects then you'll love Doug Bradley's Spinechillers Audiobooks.
November 21, 2019
Loved this compilation. My favorite to least favorite listed below:
The Tell Tale Heart (1843) Edgar Allan Poe - (not surprised)
The Signalman (1866) - Charles Dickens (also not surprised)
The Beast With Five Fingers (1919) - William Harvey
The Open Window (1914) - Saki
August Heat (1910) - William Harvey
The Outsider (1926) - H.P. Lovecraft
Doug Bradley is a fantastic narrator!
The Tell Tale Heart (1843) Edgar Allan Poe - (not surprised)
The Signalman (1866) - Charles Dickens (also not surprised)
The Beast With Five Fingers (1919) - William Harvey
The Open Window (1914) - Saki
August Heat (1910) - William Harvey
The Outsider (1926) - H.P. Lovecraft
Doug Bradley is a fantastic narrator!
April 23, 2023
4.3
Nice to get acquainted with some classics I had missed as well as reread some greats. The Outsider really holds up. The Telltale Heart is far more important than it is actually good. The Signalman otoh I thought was quite good.
Nice to get acquainted with some classics I had missed as well as reread some greats. The Outsider really holds up. The Telltale Heart is far more important than it is actually good. The Signalman otoh I thought was quite good.
February 14, 2022
Audio
Will listen again as I was a bit distracted and think some of the stories ended too quickly to catch. The introduction made me laugh out loud.
Will listen again as I was a bit distracted and think some of the stories ended too quickly to catch. The introduction made me laugh out loud.
January 19, 2023
I got this as an audio book!! I love Doug Bradley, and this book didn’t disappoint. Creepy and everything I wanted it to be :)
October 24, 2016
I wanted something to listen to on a journey recently and also something to get me in the seasonal mood for halloween. My favorites were the signalman by dickens and August Heat by W F Harvey. they really were spinechillers for me. if you want something to give you goosebumps then this might be the listen for you. The others on this audiobook are all good but the two i mentioned really stuck in my mind. Enjoy if you dare!
October 8, 2015
Great listen
August 16, 2016
Loved it. Can't beat the old Gothic classics....and Doug Bradley reads brilliantly.
Not a fan of audiobooks - except this series!
Not a fan of audiobooks - except this series!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews