This Halloween, in the grand tradition of horror duo team-ups such as “Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman,” “Billy The Kid vs Dracula,” and “Sharktopus X Whalewolf,” we bring you David Mulholland and Robert Billbrough performing Edgar Allan Poe’s OG dungeon crawl - “The Cask Of Amontillado.”Robert Billbrough as MontresorDavid Mulholland as FortunatoMusic by Man Tray: Kelvin Weston, John Gunther, and Paul BillbroughMusic Production by Paul BillbroughPost Production by Bob FamiliarSound Effects by Pond5

 In this episode a selfless Nightingale sings her heart out to create a Red Rose for a lovelorn Student, but is he truly worthy of such a precious gift? It's Oscar Wilde's poignant tale of blood thirsty horticulture - "The Nightingale and the Rose." All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar Narration by Joey Pesce   Nightingale recordings by Pro Sound Effects

 In this episode we present a twisted tale of twin brothers. The younger brother -a murderous, narcissistic hedonist who will stop at nothing to get what he wants; the older brother -a man who enjoys wearing silk kimonos, taking early morning walks in the garden, and neatly folding his towels after every use. Physically identical except for a small mole on the younger brother's thigh - a mole with a suspiciously sinister looking goatee!  "The Twins" by Edogawa Rampo. All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar Narration by Jim Billbrough        

It's Family Values Gone Wild in Ambrose Bierce's Dark Comedy "A Bottomless Grave." Narration by David Mulholland Music by Man Tray Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar.

Have you ever felt like a helpless pawn being manipulated by mysterious and hidden higher-dimensional beings? If so then this is the episode for you! It's Nebula Award Winning Author Bob Leman's  trans-dimensional, mind and body altering trip through an almost endless game of bizarre, sanity shattering, yet seemingly mundane tasks: "Instructions." All Music, Audio Production, and Narration by Bob Familiar

 This is a special episode of Ambient Arcana marking the 80th Anniversary of V.E. Day - Victory in Europe Day - May 8th, 1945 when Germany officially surrendered to the Allied Forces ending World War II in Europe. A reading from “Jeep Show” by Robert B. O’Connor.Jeep Show is the story of entertainment specialist Jim Tanzer who finds himself trapped in the front lines during the Battle Of The Bulge. The unexpected German assault catches the American forces off guard, yet determined not to give way, even at the cost of their own lives. "Jeep Show" by Robert B. O’Connor is out now and available at most booksellers. https://jeepshowbook.com/ All music and audio production by Bob Familiar.Narration by Rick Weidner Bob Familiar as Henry “Allie” Allison and Sergeant KowalskiJim Billbrough as Jim TanzerMatt Gruenberg as the 2nd Lieutenant and Captain Rose   Additional sound effects by Pro Sound Effects Ambient Arcana will be back to our usual schedule at the end of June.

 We finish our current coverage of the works of British author Robert Aickman with a story that explores what happens when the face looking back at you in the mirror is not your own. "Le Miroir" by Robert Aickman All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar Narration by Jim Billbrough

 In this episode two young British women, serving in the 'Woman's Land Army' during WWII,  decide to skip a dour farmer's Christmas party only to discover there are worse ways to spend the Holiday in Robert Aickman's "The Coffin House."  All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar  Narration by Jim Billbrough      

Mod dress? Thigh-boots? Impossibly long worm-infested hallways? It's Robert Aickman's  strange tale of a mysterious, ageless woman orbiting the life of a hapless man: "Laura." All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar Narrated by Alex Fitzsimmons

In this episode we explore the heavy price of turning back the hands of time with Philip K. Dick's "The Cookie Lady."   All Music and Audio Production by Bob Familiar. Narration by Jim Billbrough    

Once again we spend our Holiday Season at the Top Of The World with yet more stories from Albert Leroy Shelton's 1925 book "Tibetan Folk Tales" All music and audio production by Bob Familiar Narrated by Bob Familiar and Jim Billbrough      

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