As a bonus for Soothing Stories listeners, we would like to share a preview of our brand-new show, "Uncanny Robot Podcast." Yes, more Uncanny goodness! Wonderfully wild AI-created stories read by humans (that would be Thersa and Richard) with a little commentary thrown in, too. Thank you so much for subscribing and listening to Soothing Stories. We really hope you like the new podcast as well. https://www.uncannyrobotpodcast.com ..read more

Did you know "The Iron Shroud" by William Mudford was the impetus for Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum"? Well, it was. I decided to read it (and next, Poe's iconic tale), so we can compare the two for similarities and differences. I wonder which one you like best ..read more

I've seen and heard dozens of narrations of Lewis Carroll's Alice and Wonderland, but at present none of the sequel, Through the Looking Glass. So I decided to remedy this and read the tale one chapter at a time. In this story, Alice doesn't fall down a rabbit hole, but instead steps through a mirror into a Looking Glass World. Here many things are reversed, we hear The Jabberwocky for the first time, and we get to meet Humpty Dumpty. Support us on Patron: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan ..read more

In Jack London's short story Moon Face, our narrator has a deep-seated dislike for his neighbor, Jack Claverhouse, a man with a face like a moon and a constant cheerful demeanor. His hatred grows until he takes it upon himself to fix the problem of the moon-faced man. Support us on Patron: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan ..read more

A pretty young girl named Rosamond discovers a mesmerizing violet flame dancing around her forehead. But every time she looks in a mirror it flickers and dims. Support us on Patron: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan ..read more

Published in 1892 it's both a horror story and a feminist piece. Gilman herself suffered years of depression, her prescription at the time was to rest and live as domestic a life as possible. Remember this was in the late 1800s and she was a woman. She wasn't allowed to do what she loved most, write. The doctor went as far as to forbid her to even touch a pen, pencil or brush. Also, she could only have two hours of mental stimulation a day. Charlotte Perkins Gilman endured three months of this "cure" and after almost having a complete mental breakdown she decided to go against doctor's orders ..read more

The short story "Sand Walls, Paper Doors" is from my first collection of short stories called, "A Robe of Feathers and Other Stories". Set in Japan, it's a somewhat autobiographical tale about an exchange student trying to find her way in the world. Also, there are quite a few youkai, these curious Japanese creatures. Support us on Patron: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan ..read more

Today's story is "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe, a particularly relevant tale for the world's current state of affairs. Support us on Patron: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan ..read more

Helping you escape this addled world through high quality sound, immersive audio, and smooth narration, one great story at a time. Support us on Patron: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan ..read more