A Solstice Carol - Dark Adventure Radio Theatre

Posted by Thomas Kelley on November 6, 2015 at 2:27pm

This very special holiday episode anthologizes three of Lovecraft’s favorite shorter tales, joining them with a Dickensian frame narrative. At almost 90 minutes in length, it comes on TWO CDs, and features FIVE bonus props documents. It also includes almost 45 minutes of fun bonus material, including Lovecraftian holiday poems, music, and the opening chapters of an original story!

As he struggles with a terrible case of writer’s block, a young Providence writer gets assistance from the ghost of a popular but hackneyed pulp author, along with three spooky spirits who visit him in the dead of night. One takes him to ancient Kingsport, where he witnesses the events of "The Festival". Another takes him to present-day Boston, where he gets a look at the works of the ghoulish painter of the macabre, Richard Upton Pickman. The last spirit takes him to an all-but-deserted castle, occupied only by the lonely narrator of "The Outsider". As the writer encounters each of these figures, he learns something about himself, and begins to grow into the artist and mentor he will become.

Lovecraft was very fond of Christmas but, notwithstanding that, was not at all fond of the works of Charles Dickens. “I certainly loathe sentimental hypocrites like Dickens,” he wrote. “Dickens never drew a real human being in all his career—just a pageant of abstractions, exaggerations & general characters.” That’s a rather ironic indictment coming from a man whose writing seldom wins praise for the richness of its human characters. But we hope our telling of “A Solstice Carol” might shine an imaginative light on an author and the evolution of his own character. In commingling his works “The Festival”, “Pickman’s Model” and “The Outsider” with Dickens’ iconic tale of spirits past, present, and future, we hope our audience may glean a fresh appreciation for the accomplishments of both authors and the intrinsic power of the solstice season.

You need to be a member of Times Past to add comments!

Join Times Past

Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • Chimp November 8, 2015 at 5:37pm
    Wow! Many thanks!
  • Magersfontein November 6, 2015 at 8:28pm

    Thank you!

    Roger

    • semoshorts > Magersfontein November 7, 2015 at 4:37am

      Thanks for sharing

  • Bill Hollweg November 6, 2015 at 7:00pm

    Thank you!!

    ;-)

  • Bruce Fisher November 6, 2015 at 6:42pm

    Thomas you are such a buddy.

    Thanks so much for this Pre-Christmas gift and the extra goodie.

    And thanks again for that update.

    Have a merry, you certainly have given us one.

    • Thomas Kelley > Bruce Fisher November 6, 2015 at 7:14pm

      Your welcome. Enjoy everyone.

      Thomas

  • Couch Potato November 6, 2015 at 5:22pm

    Thanks!

  • Luke Danes November 6, 2015 at 4:42pm

    Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you... fallalala lalalaaaa! Great One!!! :)

  • Thomas Kelley November 6, 2015 at 4:36pm

    There you go Bruce,both are up.

    Thomas

This reply was deleted.