Season 2, Episode 9 - The Adventure of Prince Florizel and a Detective
Back of the Bookshelf
The city of Paris has captured the imagination of many writers over the years, so it was perhaps inevitable that we would end up journeying back there for another of our adaptations. This one is The Adventure of Prince Florizel and a Detective by Robert Louis Stevenson, originally published in London Magazine in October 1878. The story is part of The Rajah's Diamond cycle and is about a mysterious diamond which was stolen from an Indian ruler and is thought to bring misfortune to people who come in contact with it. The eponymous Prince Florizel of Bohemia was given the diamond in another...
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Season 2, Episode 8 - Circumstantial Evidence
Back of the Bookshelf
It's time to fire up the Back of the Bookshelf time machine for another trip back into the literary past. Our story this time is an Edgar Wallace mystery called Circumstantial Evidence, which was originally published in 1929 along with seven of his other works in a collection called Circumstantial Evidence and Other Stories. The story is set in England in the 1920s and is about a young woman who is accused of murder when her wealthy uncle dies in mysterious circumstances. The evidence against her is all circumstantial, but as the lawyer characters are quick to point out, that kind of evidence...
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Season 2, Episode 7 - Beyond Lies the Wub
Back of the Bookshelf
Over the years, we at Back of the Bookshelf have carried our listeners to countries far and wide, to dizzying heights in the sky and deep underground, but we have never taken them beyond the bounds of the planet… until now. That’s right, in this seventh episode of our second season, we’ll be journeying to the stars courtesy of illustrious science fiction writer Philip K. Dick and his story, Beyond Lies the Wub. It’s an engaging tale about a spaceship crew who purchase a strange creature on a trading trip to Mars. The creature looks like a pig, but looks can be deceiving. On the...
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Season 2, Episode 6 - The Torture by Hope
Back of the Bookshelf
It’s becoming a Back of the Bookshelf tradition that we release a horror themed episode on Halloween and 2022 is no exception. This time we’ve gone with a little known French story called La Torture Par L’Espérance (The Torture by Hope) by Villiers de L’Isle Adam. The story was originally published in issue 3191 of the newspaper Gil Blas on 13th August 1888 and was printed again later in the year in the author’s short fiction collection, Nouveaux Contes Cruels (New Cruel Tales). An English language version followed in June 1891 in Issue 6 of The Strand. From its first appearance, it...
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Season 2, Episode 5 - A Drama in the Air
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It's taken a lot longer than we intended - for which we humbly apologise - but episode 5 of our second season is finally ready. It's another aeronautical adventure, this time from the pen of the great Jules Verne. It was first published in August 1851 under the title La Science En Famille. Un Voyage En Balloon, but is better known as A Drama in the Air. The author needs no introduction, of course. A prolific novelist, poet and playwright, he is one the true pioneers of the science fiction genre. He is the second most translated author in the world, beaten only by Agatha Christie,...
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Season 2, Episode 4 -The Fir Tree
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Festive Greetings, You are cordially invited to join us for a sleigh ride back into the past courtesy of the Christmas episode of our second season. It’s our version of Hans Christian Andersen’s THE FIR TREE, originally published in 1844 in NEW FAIRY TALES, VOL. 1, COLLECTION 2. It isn’t as well-known as some of Andersen's tales, but has a bittersweet quality which makes it hard to forget, telling of a tree who yearns to leave his forest home, only to find life outside doesn't meet his expectations.
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Season 2, Episode 3 - In the Court of the Dragon
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Halloween is here, when trick-or-treaters roam the streets… along with other less wholesome things. To honour the occasion, this episode is a horror story by Robert W. Chambers called IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON, first published in his THE KING IN YELLOW collection.
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Season 2, Episode 2 - Gods of the North
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Fantasy fans should enjoy our latest episode, 'Gods of the North'. It’s a tale of savage warriors and mystical beings by Robert E. Howard, in whose imagination the iconic character of Conan was famously forged. Interestingly, Conan was the story's main protagonist at first, but Howard replaced him with the character of Amra after it was rejected for publication. Following a later reinsertion, the Amra version was largely forgotten, so it this we have chosen to present. Now it’s time we began, by Crom...
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Season 2, Episode 1 - When the World Screamed
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Greetings. After a long hiatus, 'Back of the Bookshelf' has returned for its second season. Kicking things off is another Professor Challenger story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle called 'When the World Screamed'. It was originally published in 'Liberty', a U.S. magazine, before making its appearance in the U.K. courtesy of 'The Strand'. Join us as we journey deep underground to find out if the Earth is truly a living organism as Challenger believes. C.J. Carter-Stephenson narrates, music is by Kevin MacLeod.
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Season 2 Announcement...
Back of the Bookshelf
On 1st July 2021, Back of the Bookshelf will return for its second season. To mark the occasion, we'll be releasing a special feature length episode in both audio and video format. It's another Professor Challenger story from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle called When the World Screamed, so takes us full circle back to where we began. After that, our monthly exploration of lesser known gems of yesteryear will resume. If you thrill at the clatter of carriage wheels on the road, if you yearn for astounding adventures in space, then you won't be disappointed. As always, it's all free and all are welcome,...
info_outlineIn honour of Halloween, our seventh episode is a ghost story by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Braddon is remembered chiefly for her sensation novel, Lady Audley's Secret, a true classic of the genre, but left behind a considerable body of other work which is equally worthy of attention, as this story demonstrates. It's called The Higher Life and was originally published in 1907 in an anthology called Tales for the Homes. In it, we look back on the life of an old man as he approaches death and join his spirit as it crosses over to the other side. The writing is atmospheric and thought-provoking, and the characterisation is excellent. This is one of Braddon's least known stories, but it is highly enjoyable, so it seemed ideal for our podcast. Narration is by C.J. Carter-Stephenson and music is by Kevin MacLeod as per usual. Now without further ado, turn down the lights and prepare to be scared as we journey back to London of yesteryear... and remember if you enjoy what you hear, please do subscribe.