Bedtime Stories for Insomniacs - Presented by Rich Hosek
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Fresh, new, original stories every week. Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Suspense and more!
Sign up for the Insomniacs Snoozeletter at https://bedtimestories.studio/snoozeletter
Sign up for the Insomniacs Snoozeletter at https://bedtimestories.studio/snoozeletter
160 Episodes
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Max Fathom is a self-described Simulation Hacker. He has come to the conclusion that our world—in fact, our entire universe—is nothing more than an massively elaborate computer program, and we are all just bits of code in some cosmic video game.Most of his friends pass off his world view as a harmless eccentricity. That is until they find themselves at its mercy.humor sim
What is it about the full moon that inspires so many different things. A romantic evening illuminated by its silvery light can be the setting for a heartwarming love story. But hospital emergency rooms claim it's a time that marks an increase in their business.The full moon can also be a harbinger of things of a more malevolent nature. Creatures you wouldn't want to come upon…
By the Light of the Moonhorror monster sf
Leap day comes but once every 1461 days. It is a quirk of our calendar based on the discrepancy between the time it takes the Earth to revolve around the sun versus the number of times it spins on its axis.Most people think it's just one extra ordinary day, but what if instead, it is an extraordinary day. One on which those who have it as a birthday can do something magical.fantasy
Dreams are a great mystery of the human mind. Many people believe that they give us a glimpse into our true selves. Some even believe they can foretell the future.
Every once in a while you find yourself in one that seems so real you can't tell it's a dream. Which begs the question, what if what you think of as real life is really the dream?fantasy
Have you ever seen a man on a busy street corner, or perhaps on the side of a highway, maybe in the crowd at a stadium, holding up a sign saying, "The end is nigh"? You might assume he's crazy.But what if he's not? What if the end of days is just around the corner, waiting for that final sign, something innocuous, the last piece of a hidden puzzle dropping into place. Perhaps it's as simple as an unlikely baseball team winning the World Series…
Visit https://JodyJSperling.com to learn more about the Luke In Time Mysteries and Jody's other books.spec fantasy
There are places on Earth where no human has ever set foot. Some of them are probably not too far from where you live. A steep mountain slope, an island surrounded by a muddy swamp, or a dark corner of a thick forest.
What mysteries might these places hold? New species are discovered every day. Some of them are harmless. But others are deadly in ways you can't even imagine.horror monster
If you’re a veterinarian long enough, you’ve seen it all. The odd assortment of things dogs swallow. Giant overweight cats. Owners who disregard your professional advice and feed their pets things they shouldn’t.But Dr. At is faced with something he’s never encountered before. An owner who claims her cat is possessed. The question is, is checking it out worth skipping lunch?
mystery humorshort story, mystery, humor
Technology has inarguably made life better for billions of people. The industrial age started it all, then the information age kicked it into high gear and now the age of Artificial Intelligence is promising even more.But maybe we should take a step back, and make sure that the algorithms we're so eager to entrust our very lives to are up to the job. After all, despite all they know, there's so much that they don't.horror spec
Insurance is something we all need, but hate having to pay for. We have insurance for our cars, our homes, our health and our lives. Most of the time, you look at the big numbers, what the premium is and what the payouts would be.No one ever reads the fine print.
But maybe you should. Because there just might be something tucked away in those pages of legalese that could be the difference between life and death.
"Total Loss" first appeared in the pages of Analog: Science Fiction and Fact in July of 2006 and was voted by the readers as one of the favorite short stories of the year. You can discover more by James Hosek at https://JamesHosek.com.sf humor spec
It seems like everything these days is getting bigger and bigger. Big box stores, huge amusement parks, enormous shopping malls. Everyone wants to be the world's largest something.
But at some point, the novelty of it all can become more of a problem than a convenience. Especially if you happen to forget your wallet while visiting the world's largest rest stop.humor sf spec
There's a jar in Rodney's cupboard. One that's been there for as long as he can remember. No one will tell him what's inside, only that it must never be opened. A warning passed on through the generations in his family.
Perhaps there's a good reason not to. It could just be an old jar filled with jam that turned bad decades ago. But maybe it's something more sinister. Something best left undisturbed.
horror
Simulation theory holds that it is likely—even certain—that our universe is not real. That we only exist only as code running on some alien supercomputer, and everything we do or think is just a product of algorithms and subroutines.
Max Fathom believes this to be true. And furthermore, he has devised various hacks to exploit flaws and bugs in that code to benefit himself and his friends. One of those hacks is … The Polymorphic Puppy Paradigm.
humor sim
The line between truth and fiction can sometimes be a very fine one. Imagine reading a story in a book you picked up off the rack in an out of the way gas station and discover that many of the details echo events in your own life.Such a thing is not only possible, but likely, at the Owl Eyes Motel. A mysterious little establishment with a quirky proprietor, where there’s always room for the dead.
horror
Everyone knows what a Joker is in a deck of cards. Originally, there was only one used in the game, Euchre. Later, the second Joker was added and employed as a wild card in poker. But did you know there’s a third joker found in French decks and used in the game German Rummy? Like in poker, it can stand in for any other card. Imagine if you had that power. To be a human wild card. Whose place would you take?
horror
Have you ever noticed how you appear different in a picture than you do in your mirror? Photographs, they say, show how other people see us. Mirrors reflect how we see ourselves.There’s a whole other world behind the silvered glass of a mirror. One populated with copies of ourselves. What do you suppose all those people are doing when we’re not looking at them?horror sf
There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has a cost. The Universe, as big as it is, is a closed system. Nothing can be created without something else being destroyed.Image a box, from which you can pull anything you want, like a magician’s top hat. An enchanted cornucopia that provides whatever you need for free. But, as Mildred Landon is about to find out, nothing is ever truly free.
fantasy sf spec
Truth, they say, is stranger than fiction. You might tell a friend, “Hey, you should watch that movie or read this book, it’s really good.” But haven’t we all at one time or another experienced something in real life, that, when we share it with someone, we tell them, “You’ll never believe what happened to me…”
para true
A good Samaritan is something we all should strive to be. Helping others can be a satisfying reward in itself—but it’s not always the easiest thing to do.
Dr. At is a veterinarian, just trying to get a well-deserved cheeseburger in the middle of a busy day when he crosses paths with a little lost dog whose situation turns out to be a little bit of a mystery...
mystery humor
A wedding night is supposed to be a happy occasion, a time to celebrate the joining of two lives. A beginning of something special. But if your honeymoon starts out in a strange little motel managed by an obsequious little man who is a little too attentive, make sure the name illuminated in neon on the outside is NOT the Owl Eyes Motel.This week, Barbara Avon takes you once more into the world between life and death, a place where behind each door, lies and truth collide, and where there’s always room for the dead.
Find out more about this multi-genre author at https://www.barbaraavon.com/Get her latest book, Owl Eyes Motel - Lover's Retreat at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLV8KW5V Pick up a copy of Owl Eyes Motel at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Owl-Eyes-Motel-Barbara-Avon-ebook/dp/B0977LTKMTCheck out all her amazing books at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Barbara-Avon/author/B076MCBGVCAnd join the conversation, let us know what you think at https://SubStack.com/@RichHosek
horror
We’ve all been frustrated by a takeout dinner that was missing the egg rolls. A mistake on your order at the coffee shop. The pizza delivery that was late and cold.
But we do we ever stop to consider what’s going on in the lives of the service people from whom we demand so much? Maybe they deserve a break. Maybe they’re having a day you wouldn’t believe.
sf humor
We all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood. A young girl, recklessly traverses the dangerous woods, enticing a wolf by telling him there’s a tasty old lady living alone, ripe for the picking.And when he does what wolves do, she teams up with a huntsman to not just rescue Grandma, but fill him with rocks and toss him into a well.Honestly, who’s the animal in the story? And more to the point, how would that story be told today?
fantasy humor fairy
Welcome to Barabara Avon’s Owl Eyes Motel, where the proprietor is a funny little man named Milton, who will see to your every need—whether you know what it is or not.
Meet Walter Bennington, who is about to discover if he deserves a second chance in Room 503.
At the Owl Eyes Motel, there’s always room for the dead.
Find out more about this multi-genre author at https://www.barbaraavon.com/ Pick up a copy of Owl Eyes Motel at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Owl-Eyes-Motel-Barbara-Avon-ebook/dp/B0977LTKMT Check out all her amazing books at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Barbara-Avon/author/B076MCBGVC And join the conversation, let us know what you think at https://SubStack.com/@RichHosek
horror
If you had the chance to travel among the stars, would you do so? What if you could live for thousands of years and visit and help shape new worlds? What if you were immortal?
sf
AI seems to be everywhere these days. But do we really know what kind of effect they're having on our society? On our relationships? Or our minds?
sf ai spec
What would you do if the barrier between the living and the dead no longer existed? If you suddenly found yourself haunted everywhere you went, living in a Ghost City?ghost horror
Vote for BSFI at PodcastAwards.com under the Fiction Category!
Have you ever experienced déjà vu? That feeling that you’ve lived a particular moment before? What if you’re actually traveling back in time a fraction of a second? And what if you found a way to go back further?sf
You find a mole on your skin, one you hadn’t noticed before. But what if it’s not just a mole? What if it’s something else? Something that is more than skin deep.
"Nevus" was written by Dick Silver. You can follow him on Twitter at @DickSilverBooks, and visit his website, IWriteScaryShit.com.horror
Vote for BSFI at PodcastAwards.com under the Fiction Category!
Age, they say, is just a number. But what if you lived your entire life in the same span as a dog, growing up and old in 10 or 15 years rather than 80 or 90.
fantasy spec
The big worry these days is that AI is going to be able to do all the things we humans do, and take our jobs. But what if they learn to do things we can't? Like magic?sf fantasy ai spec
Everyone is looking for shortcuts these days, to lose weight, increase energy and just be healthier. Some people say there’s no substitute for a healthy diet and exercise. But who has time for that?If there was something you could eat or drink that would allow you to lose weight and feel great, would you try it? Or would you wonder if it was…sf horror
There are people among us who believe in curses, that someone can actually bring misfortune on others through various means, regardless, you don’t be the one on the receiving end of a look from an evil eye…
fantasy horror
Bill Anker just wanted a robot vacuum to save himself a little time with his household chores. What he didn’t bargain for, was a home that was too smart for his own good.
humor sf ai
Love, as Johnny Cash reminds us, is a burning thing. And some people believe it can be felt the first time you gaze upon someone. That you can develop deep, real feelings for someone just by looking at them. Is such a thing possible?And if you did fall suddenly and intensely in love with someone you just met, and later those deep, real feelings were tested by the revelation of a deep, dark secret that threatened to unravel your love, would you hang on to it no matter what that secret was? Or what it cost?horror love
Throughout the ages, stories of magic genies and cursed monkey paws have spurred the imagination. The closest we can get in real life is winning the lottery and fantasizing about what you might buy if gaining such a windfall.But what if you had the chance to make an actual magical wish. Anything your heart desired. There are plenty of stories about how such an opportunity can go wrong. You get untold riches, but the IRS takes it all away. A long life is spent in prison. Which makes one wonder, is there truly such a thing as fantasy humor
We all remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. How a selfish young girl invaded a private home, stole food, disturbed their belongings and slept in their beds as if was no big deal. In that story, she got away, never to be seen again.But fairy tales don’t always have happy endings. Sometimes thing don’t go we hope they will. Sometimes, the girl doesn’t get away.fantasy horror fairy
Never has the promise "Till death do us part" meant so much...
fantasy spec
Escape rooms are meant to be fun, a way to challenge ourselves, working with others to solve puzzles, pooling our collective talents to crack the riddles that lead to success.But what if you found yourself in one from which there was no escape. A prison, meant just for you. Your own personal hell. What would you do if there was no way out?horror spec
Look before you leap is an expression we sometimes take for granted. It’s easy to overlook the distant consequences of our actions for that immediate gratification of solving a problem right in front of you.Sean Walker learns the hard way, that trying to do the right thing can take you down a road that leads you to an unexpected destination.horror
We live in our homes and try to seal out the rest of the world. The heat, the cold, the rain. We also strive to keep out out other aspects of nature we deem undesirable. The pests, bugs and other vermin… like mice.On their own, they’re actually kind of cute, but that doesn’t mean you want to share your house with them. We trap and exterminate them without a second thought. But maybe, we should take a moment and consider the consequences…horror mon humor
We all look for shortcuts in our lives. Voice assistants and countless other gadgets seem to make our day to day tasks easier, maybe even make it so we don’t have to do them all.But how far should we take this road to automation. Where do we draw the line? Are we willing to trust so much of our lives to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning? Or is that a step too far. horror spec sf ai
Do you ever wonder if we’re truly alone in the universe? If we are the only life to have evolved, gained consciousness, advanced and developed technology across the entire galaxy?What if we’re not? What would aliens from another planet be like? Would they be hideous creatures bent on invading us, friendly little furballs exploring neighboring star systems… or would they be something like us.sf humor
We’ve all experienced it to some degree or another, haven’t we? Hearing voices in our heads, talking to ourselves—or maybe even someone else. For a few, it can be a debilitating condition.Some people think it is a latent psychic ability, and we’re actually receiving thoughts from other people.And others think these voices are something else entirely. Something much more sinister, and something we should be very afraid of.sf horror
Have you ever wished you just had a little more time? Or perhaps the ability to go back in time—just a bit—to fix something you did wrong, make a different decision about which line to get in at the grocery store, or whether or not to eat that leftover bagel at work.Meet Edward, the perfect example of the absent-minded professor, whose brilliance as a theoretical physicist can unlock the secrets of time and space, but the simple act of getting ready for his nephew’s birthday party becomes a challenge of epic proportions.sf humor
Some people love Halloween. The costumes, the candy, children parading to your front door begging for treats.Harrison Hardigan is not one of those people.However, he is about to be given a rare gift, a chance to examine the choices and experiences that have made him the man he is, and hopefully learn from them. But will it be enough to make him change?humor fantasy
Monsters are everywhere. Under our beds, hiding in our closets, lurking in the woods and haunting our imaginations.Hank Newsom, according to our legal system, is a bit of a monster himself, flaunting our laws and on the run after escaping punishment. Sometimes, it takes a monster to catch a monster.horror mon
Everybody loves a mystery. But what about the mystery behind the mystery? Not so much the whodunnit, but the how did they know he diddit? That’s what private detective Isaac Black and his assistant, Jeremy White are being asked to help the police with. It’s a small matter, but for some reason, it takes the perceptions of a blind man to see what everyone else is missing.mystery det
Many people like taking a walk in the woods, enjoying the shade of the trees, admiring their stately beauty and the abundance of life that thrives beneath their boughs.Trees are the oldest and largest living things on the planet, they’ve stood by as the history of man has unfolded around them, watching nations rise and fall. What has that tree in your backyard beheld? What atrocities has it witnessed? And what will it do when it’s finally seen enough?fantasy horror
A good writer puts a little bit of themselves in every story they write. A great writer will pour their whole soul into their work. But what if there was a way to unlock that essence, to bring it to life outside the pages of a book?And what if that resurrected consciousness had unfinished business?Come with me on a journey through the life of one woman who comes face to face with the answer to that question.fantasy horror ghost ai
The meta-verse, a 3-D computer generated world that you can visit by wearing a special headset, seems to be all the rage these days. Everyone is excited about being able to travel to exotic places, meet new people from around the world, or even go to work without ever leaving your living room sofa.But do we fully know what’s in store for us in that virtual reality? What happens to it when we turn it off?And what was there before we showed up?sf humor
If you could see the future, would you change it? Would you have the confidence to know for sure that the choices you made wouldn’t make things worse?It’s a situation not far off from the time traveler’s dilemma—if you could go back in time and stop a grievous wrong from happening, even if that wrong led to a multitude of good, would you?One man is about to face such a decision. He finds himself with the ability to see into the future, just far enough to make a difference, to keep bad things from happening.But should he? Isn’t that playing god?sf spec
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