Thank you for listening to Spec Fic Radio Theatre, anthology of full-cast original audio dramas in the genres of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Season Two continues with folk horror set in Cornwall. The Angry House is an award-winning script by novelist Thomas Wrightson. In 'The Angry House' by Thomas Wrightson you can hear: Charlie Richards as Harry Marie-Claire Wood as Agnes David Monteith as Gerald and Sarah Golding as Samantha Gregory Whispers and other voices by the cast and Thomas Wrightson The Angry House was produced and directed by Chris Gregory Casting was by Chris Gregory and Thomas Wrightson The original score for The Angry House was arranged and performed by Chris GregorySound design, mixing and editing are by Chris Gregory for Alternative Stories Thomas Wrightson is a novelist based in Anglesey in North Wales. You can find out more about Thomas and his work by visiting his website here: https://thomaswrightson.co.uk/ The Angry House was the winning script in the 2025 Pen to Print Audio Play Competition. The competition which is open to audio drama writers who have not previously had an audio drama produced runs annually and a number of the winning scripts can be heard on this podcast. To find out more about the competition and to enter the 2026 version please visit the Pen to Print website here https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/competitions/ Alternative Stories would like to thank Pen to Print for running the competition and Lucy Kaufman and Emily Inkpen for judging entries alongside Chris Gregory. If you have enjoyed this episode of Spec Fic Radio Theatre please subscribe and leave us a like, rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts. You may like to know that Alternative Stories now has a Patreon page where you can listen to all of our shows ad free and ahead of general release. You can find out more and join here https://www.patreon.com/AltStories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories In the forests of Scandinavia a family is besieged by a malicious raven which watches and follows them everywhere they go. How will they escape from this curse and at what cost? The Seeing Trees is a dark Nordic mystery with elements of violence, peril, horror, language and elements that some listeners may find disturbing. Please do not listen if you object to any of the above. In the Seeing Trees By Kaitlin Felix… Charlie Richards played Trygve Lewie Watson was Harleif Tiffany Clare was Mother Amy Forrest played Freja Chris Gregory was Magnus and Townsman Annika Kordes played Townswoman 1 Karen Cooper played Townswoman 2 The incantation was performed by Charlie Richards, Tiffany Clare, Kaitlin Felix and Chris Gregory with coaching, support and counselling by Kaitlin! Original music and soundscapes were by Chris Gregory The Seeing Trees was adapted from her original short story by Kaitlin Felix and Chris Gregory Find out more about the writer of The Seeing Trees, Kaitlin Felix, by visiting her website here https://katifelix.com/ And follow Kaitlin on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/kfelix_writes/ Kaitlin will be appearing on our new podcast about world building "Writing Worlds" very soon. Subscribe here to have new episodes delivered to your feed as they are released https://pod.link/1812994751 You can find all our other podcasts and link to Alternative Stories on social media by following this link https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories Flood survival operations are underway aboard the Ark and Captain Noah has delegated command to his sons and their partners. But as the voyage begins a spate of mysterious deaths prompt Parphia to turn detective and embark upon the world's first ever murder mystery. She is determined to record every last clue and discovery as she tries to solve the crimes, but has she bitten off more than she can chew and can she survive the mysterious Ark killer? In Ark by Stephanie Weston you heard Tiffany Clare as Parphia Charlie Richards as Japhet Emily Inkpen as Olla Stephanie Weston as Leah And Chris Gregory as Ham Ark was directed by Chris Gregory and Emily Inkpen Sound design, music and editing were by Chris Gregory Ark was recorded at Orpheus Studio in London and by Richard Campbell Ark by Stephanie Weston was the winner of the 2023 Pen to Print Audio Play competition. You can find out more about Stephanie Weston by visiting her website https://tabb.cc/stephanie-weston And you can follow Stephanie on instagram here https://www.instagram.com/stephanie__weston/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories As a historian in the bleak, climate-ravaged twenty-third century, it's Zoe's job to record and archive the past, not to recreate it. But when she comes across the diaries of Harry and Michelle, who lived two hundred years ago, she becomes fascinated by the minutiae of their lives and decides to write a novel about them, filling in the gaps with her own imaginings. Listeners are warned that this episode contains explicit language. In Two Tribes by Chris Beckett you heard Verity Blyth as Zoe Rosa Samuels as Cally Charlie Richards as Harry Sadie Pepperrell as Michelle And Marie Claire Wood as Letty The main theme for Two Tribes is by Scott Ander Sound design, soundscapes and direction are by Chris Gregory Casting was by Chris Gregory and Chris Beckett The script was adapted from Chris Beckett’s original novel by Chris Gregory and Chris Beckett Sound effects are from freesound.org This audio drama is an adaptation of part of the novel Two Tribes. If you would like to read the full novel it is out in paperback in the UK now and details on how to buy it are posted below We would also like to thank Kate Straker of Corvus / Atlantic Books for her help and cooperation in the making of this audio drama. You can find out more about Chris Beckett by visiting his website here http://www.chris-beckett.com/ Follow Chris on twitter here https://twitter.com/chriszbeckett And purchase Two Tribes here On Hive https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Chris-Author-Becket… And on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Two-Tribes-Chris-Beckett/… You can visit Corvus via their website here https://atlantic-books.co.uk/corvus/ Follow Corvus on twitter here https://twitter.com/CorvusBooks The theme tune for this edition is is called “The Hunt” by Scott Ander, from his EP “The Holocene” which you can listen to here https://soundcloud.com/user-498615231/sets/the-hol… You can follow Scott on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/scottandermusic/ To find out more about Alternative Stories and listen to our other audio drama podcasts please visit the link below https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStories Our podcasts are free to listen to but not free to make. If you would like to support the show please visit the link below https://ko-fi.com/alternativestories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories In Backdrop by Anna Orridge you heard Marie-Claire Wood as Laura Harri Rees-Jones as Marvin Kelley Costigan as The Administrator Kelli Winkler as the voice of Backdrop and Chris Gregory as Laura's father Backdrop is based on a short story by Anna Orridge and adapted by Anna Orridge and Chris Gregory You can find out more about Anna at: https://annaorridge.com And read more about her anthology - The Utopia of Us - at: https://www.lunapresspublishing.com/post/anna-orridge-the-utopia-of-us-anthology-pre-order-available-now Music, sound design and editing were by Chris Gregory Sound effects are from freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories In “Real Boy” by Cailean Steed you heard Alex White as FoxKelley Costigan as CatKirsty Woolven as CarloCarl Wharton as FatherHadiya Morris as Motherand Verity Blyth as AzureMusic, sound design, direction and editing were by Chris GregroyCasting and character direction were by Chris Gregory and Cailean Steed Sound effects were from freesound.org Real Boy was the winner of the 2021 Pen to Print Audio Play Competition. To find out more about Cailean Steed and their other work please visit their website here https://www.caileansteed.com/ Writing Worlds is created and presented by Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory of the audio production company Alternative Stories. Listen to our other audio drama productions by following this link https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStories Follow Alternative Stories on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/ And Bluesky here https://bsky.app/profile/storiesalt.bsky.social Find out more about Emily Inkpen and her work by visiting her website here https://www.emilyinkpen.com/ Listen to The Dex Legacy and Wasteland, Emily’s award-winning audio drama series here https://www.emilyinkpen.com/thedexlegacy-home/ And follow Emily on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/emilyinkpen/ And Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/emilyinkpen.bsky.social If you would like to get in touch with Alternative Stories please contact us via office@alternativestories.com All of our audio drama productions are free to listen to but not free to make. If you would like to support the show and receive our eternal gratitude you can do so via this link https://ko-fi.com/alternativestories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories Marc Hughes, the larger-than-life presenter of the supernatural investigation TV show Paranormal Takedown, is in Shropshire visiting his friend Jack who claims that the Devil is active in the county. Alongside co-host Emilie Daniels, Marc has decided to make a special edition about the weird goings-on but upon arrival in the county he starts to realise that the stories he is hearing are stranger and darker than he imagined. In “The Best of Men: Part 2” by Amy Boucher you can hear Tiffany Clare as Emilie Alex White as Marc Carl Wharton as Jack Amy Boucher as "Woman in the pub" Chris Gregory as 'Owd Scratch Music, sound design, production and editing are by Chris Gregory for Alternative Stories. The author of today’s episode, Amy Boucher, is a writer and folklorist whose narratives centre on her native Shropshire. Her emphasis tends to focus on the interplay between folklore, history and the paranormal. To find out more about Amy Boucher and her work you can visit her blog at https://nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com/ Follow Amy on Bluesky here https://bsky.app/profile/g0blinegg.bsky.social and on X here https://x.com/g0blinegg Join us next week for more from the world of Alternative Stories audio drama Spec Fic Radio Theatre is brought to you by Alternative Stories and presented by Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory. Our shows are free to listen to but not free to make. If you would like to support the show you can do so by making a small donation here https://ko-fi.com/alternativestories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories When the presenter of a popular TV show investigating instances of paranormal activity receives a series of phone messages from an old friend claiming that he knows of supernatural goings-on in the county of Shropshire he is initially sceptical. Intrigued by the possibility of debunking the reports however, he makes plans to visit Shropshire and find out more about the phenomena. In “The Best of Men - Part 1” by Amy Boucher you can hear Tiffany Clare as Emilie Alex White as Marc and Carl Wharton as Jack Music, sound design, production and editing are by Chris Gregory for Alternative Stories. The author of today’s episode, Amy Boucher, is a writer and folklorist whose narratives centre on her native Shropshire. Her emphasis tends to focus on the interplay between folklore, history and the paranormal. To find out more about Amy Boucher and her work you can visit her blog at https://nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com/ Follow Amy on Bluesky here https://bsky.app/profile/g0blinegg.bsky.social and on X here https://x.com/g0blinegg Join us next week for the second and final part of The Best of Men Spec Fic Radio Theatre is brought to you by Alternative Stories and presented by Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory. Our shows are free to listen to but not free to make. If you would like to support the show you can do so by making a small donation here https://ko-fi.com/alternativestories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories Two sisters receive an unexpected ultimatum. In order to inherit their share of the family wealth from their dead mother they must agree to spend a night together in the abandoned family home. In “The Gathering” by Lewis Carter you heard Miztli Rose as Sasha Phoebe Batteson Brown as Gemma Alex White as Tom Chris Gregory as Clark Sarah Golding as Mrs Harrington Marie-Claire Wood as Rosie And Emily Inkpen as the nurse Other voices were played by members of the cast. Production,sound design, music and editing were by Chris Gregory “TheGathering” represented the UK at the International Audio Drama Festival 2022. Since then, Lewis has written a full series for us called Burnout. Burnout is a cyberpunk-thriller about ex-zero gravity racer, Theo Bazerov, a rogue AI nano-bot swarm called IRIS, and a whole cast of delicious, morally grey characters. It’s a lot of fun and you can listen to all of it right now on all platforms or via this link https://pod.link/1798982875 Find out more about Burnout and writer Lewis Carter here https://www.burnoutpod.com/ You can follow Lewis Carter on social media here https://www.instagram.com/fictionist4hire/ https://x.com/fictionist4hire Find out more about Emily Inkpen and her many projects here https://linktr.ee/emilyinkpen Find out more about Chris and Alternative Stories here https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStories Subscribe to Spec Fic Radio Theatre wherever you listen to podcasts to receive a new speculative fiction drama each week. Support Spec Fic Radio Theatre here https://ko-fi.com/alternativestories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories Sage and Elara's friendship grows to something more as they work together on a deep space mission. Even a near-deadly asteroid impact cannot separate them, but as they dream of a life together on land something begins to change. In "A Ring Around" by Lyndsey Croal, Tiffany Clare plays Elara and Dina and Emily Inkpen plays Sage. "A Ring Around" is adapted from a short story of the same name which appears in Lyndsey. Croal's collection "Limelight and Other Stories" (Shortwave Publishing 2024). Order a copy and find out more here https://shop.shortwavepublishing.com/products/limelight-and-other-stories-paperback Find out more about Lyndsey Croal and her work by visiting her website here https://lyndseycroal.co.uk/ You can follow Lyndsey on social media here https://www.instagram.com/lyndseycroal https://bsky.app/profile/lyndseycroal.bsky.social Find out more about Emily Inkpen and her many projects here https://linktr.ee/emilyinkpen Find out more about Chris and Alternative Stories here https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStories Subscribe to Spec Fic Radio Theatre to receive a new speculative fiction drama each week. Our dramas are free to listen to but not free to make. If you would like to support our work by sponsoring an episode or actor or simply buying us a coffee you can do so here https://ko-fi.com/alternativestories Get in touch with Alternative Stories at office@alternativestories.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories Making a life on a new world following a family tragedy, Lyra and Neeva reflect on their past lines as farmers on Epsilon while coming to terms with the realities of existence on their new home, Lunasetti. Postcards From Another World by Frasier Armitage was the winner of the 2022 Pen To Print Audio Play Competition. In Postcards from Another World by Frasier Armitage you heard Sarah Golding as LyraMarie-Claire Wood as NeevaWarren Graham as ZaboEmily Inkpen as the computerRhiannon Armitage as the Lunasetti spaceport announcer Chris Gregory as Privik. Production, sound design and editing were by Chris Gregory for Alternative Stories The original score was composed and performed by Chris GregorySound effects were from Freesound.orgCasting advice, actor coaching and beta listening were by Frasier Armitage. You can find out more about Frasier Armitage and his work by visiting his website here https://frasierarmitage.com/ You can follow Frasier on Bluesky here https://bsky.app/profile/frasierarmitage.bsky.social And Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/frasierarmitage/ Find out more about Emily Inkpen and her many projects here https://linktr.ee/emilyinkpen Find out more about Chris and Alternative Stories here https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStories Subscribe to Spec Fic Radio Theatre wherever you listen to podcasts to receive a new speculative fiction drama each week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join our Patreon for ad-free podcasts and bonus content https://patreon.com/AltStories Welcome to Spec Fic Radio Theatre, and anthology podcast of standalone or short-run audio drama and audio fiction stories aimed at fans of sci-fi, fantasy and horror. In this preview episode we hear from producers Chris Gregory and Emily Inkpen about what to expect in our first season and listen to trailers from some of the productions we'll be sharing in our first few weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to Season Two of Speculative Fiction Radio Theatre and a wonderful fantasy audio drama based on the Selkie stories of Scottish folklore by writer and folklorist Signe Maene. In Selkie by Signe Maene you can hear:Sophie Macnair as The SelkieLewie Watson as AndrewSimone Low as Andrew's MotherKelsey Griffin as a Selkie and singer of Ae Fond KissStevie Skinner as a Selkie Selkie was directed by Chris Gregory Casting was by Signe Maene and Chrs Gregory The music was arranged and performed by John Spiers based on the traditional folk tune "The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry" "Ae Fond Kiss" (trad. with lyrics by Robert Burns) is performed by Kelsey GriffinAdditional music and soundscapes are by Chris GregorySound design, mixing and editing are by Chris Gregory Signe Maene is a Belgian writer of stories mainly inspired by Flemish folklore, and she shares her passion for this frightening yet wonderful world on Substack. She is the author of Flemish Folktales Retold and The Witches of Flemish Folklore. Another short story collection, The Witch's Child, is coming soon. Signe has worked on several folkloric projects for the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast. Her work has been published in The Copperfield Review, The Seelie Crow and Atrium Poetry, among others. When Signe is not writing, she is sewing, reading, or walking around in dark churches, haunted forests and the melancholic streets of Belgium's medieval cities. You can follow Signe on Substack here: https://signe.substack.com and visit her website here https://signemaene.com John Spiers is a folk musician and player of many squeezebox style instruments. He’s a member of a number of bands including Bellowhead, Spiers and Boden and the Gigspanner Big Band. You can find out more about John and his work by visiting his website here https://www.johnspiers.co.uk/ If you have enjoyed the show please subscribe and leave us a like, rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts. You may like to know that Alternative Stories now has a Patreon page where you can listen to all of our shows ad free and ahead of general release. You can find out more and join here https://www.patreon.com/AltStories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the final episode of season one of Spec Fic Radio Theatre we are bringing you fantasy inspired by Scottish Folklore. Daughter of Fire and Water is written by Lyndsey Croal In Daughter of Fire and water by Lyndsey Croal you heard Kelsey Griffin as Brida Lewie Watson as Angus Peter Forbes as Cernun and Simone Low as Callie Music was by Cameron Mackay Sound design, direction and soundscapes were by Chris Gregory If you would like to find out more about the writer of Daughter of Fire and Water, Lyndsey Croal you can follow the link below to visit her website. https://lyndseycroal.co.uk/ Follow Lyndsey on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/lyndseycroal You can hear Lyndsey Croal chatting with Spec Fic Radio Theatre producers Chris Gregory and Emily Inkpen in this special live recording of our new Writing Worlds Podcast. This episode was recorded at the Cymera Festival in Edinburgh. https://pod.link/1812994751/episode/95227555f90d04bb39e681e6d01040d2 This is the last episode in season one of Spec Fic Radio Theatre. On behalf of all of our writers and our producers, Emily Inkpen and me Chris Gregory, we'd like to thank you for listening. If you have enjoyed the show please leave us a like, rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts. You may like to know that Alternative Stories now has a Patreon page where you can listen to all of our shows ad free and ahead of general release. You can find out more and join here https://www.patreon.com/c/AltStories One of the things you'll be able to enjoy is the third series of our award-winning science fiction drama The Dex legacy which will be launching on Friday 25th July. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices