The Great God Pan, Chapter 5 (Featuring David Milloway) - Summer Solstice, 2026

The Great God Pan, Chapter 5 (Featuring David Milloway) - Summer Solstice, 2026

David and I are happy to welcome you back, friends! This summer of Pan feels long, does it not? We're deep into Machen's story of the clash between civilization and wilderness now, aren't we? Still, we've rounded a corner now, and I can't wait to see what's on the other side! Pan is an odd deity. Gods of fear are rare, perhaps unheard of, outside of the goat god who embodies the fear of wilderness as much as anything else. Machen chose his subject well, though, since fear plays an outsized role in this tale. I suppose we could say that civilization is the veil here, and Pan's presence tears it away. It might seem inspirational if anyone survived the experience intact. I was a little vaguer in my retelling of the tale of Zeus and Typhon than I'd like. Delphyne was the serpent woman who guarded the captured Zeus for Typhon, until Pan frightened her to distraction. Some say he impersonated Delphyne's voice; other accounts say that he yelled at her. The latter is less impressive, but seems in character for the god of bleats and panic. As always, thanks to Vivek Abhishek for the use of his songs "The Door," (our theme) and "Obsession" (our transition music). His royalty-free music channel is available on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/VivEKhsihbA]. Next time you want a creepy or pulse-pounding song, check it out. We'll be back next week with Chapter 6! Thanks for tuning in, my friends. #horror #pan #machen #classic

The Great God Pan, Chapter 4 (Featuring David Milloway) - Summer Solstice, 2026

I'll confess, I didn't realize "The Great God Pan" was a summer-long commitment! When we started this journey, I thought we'd be done before the 4th of July. However, covering other summer holidays like Father's Day slowed our progress, and our reader, David Milloway's, recent illness has also slowed our progress. That said, the story is taking off, and I hope it has been worth the wait! Machen quietly conflates Pan with the devil throughout the story. I looked into it and, regardless of Machen's beliefs, this is St. Augustine's fault! Saint Augustine! The man who stole the pears! If you've read Augustine's "Confessions," it's funny. Trust me, he won' t shut up about those pears. As always, I'm grateful to Vivek Abhishek for our theme music! His YouTube page [https://www.youtube.com/user/VivEKhsihbA] is always adding new royalty-free music, so go have a listen! Pleasant dreams, everyone! Sleep well. #horror #pan #machens #summer #solstice

One Of The Missing (Rerun From 2025) - July 4, 2026

Happy 250, America! May the wings of liberty never lose a feather. Welcome back to Happy Horrordays, my friends. This is my first recycled episode, but I think it's one of the best stories ever on the pod. Ambrose Bierce, of course, was an irascible writer, journalist, and soldier in the service of his country. If this tale is anything to judge by, he paid a heavy price. I wanted an American story for the Fourth of July. Otherwise, you might have gotten "After Dark in the Playing Fields" by M.R. James. But let's not talk about what might have been! As always, we owe a debt to Vivek Abhishek. His song, "The Door," is our theme song. Check out his YouTube page [https://www.youtube.com/user/VivEKhsihbA], sample some of his fine royalty-free music, and boost his signal when you get the chance. And hey, write me a review, friends! As long as it's five stars, of course. Pleasant dreams. #independenceday #july4 #fourthofjuly #ambrosebierce #horror

The Great God Pan, Part 3 (Featuring David Milloway) - Summer Solstice, 2026

Welcome back to Arthur Machen's "The Great God Pan!" Chapter 3 is titled "The City of Resurrections," but I don't think anyone was bent on raising the dead in Helen's experiments. That said, there's certainly a kind of resurrection here. Details in the episode, but did you know that Pan is the only member of the Greek pantheon whose death was reported to men? As Plutarch records it, "...take care to proclaim that the great god Pan is dead." Once again, my dear friend David Milloway has joined us, and I think his voice work is exceptional here! He tells me he worries about consistency, but he established and retained several excellent, distinct voices here. Thanks for joining us in this long, hot summer. Happy horrordays, to you. #horror #machen #pan #stories #gods

When John Comes - Father's Day, 2026

I've been a dad for almost 13 years, and I'm not sure if I've gotten more than a day right. I've been a son a lot longer than that, though, so I'm paying tribute to my dad this Father's Day. "When John Comes" is a variation on a story Dad used to tell me when I was a boy. I hope I've nailed it, but I'll be honest. This episode is mainly for my dad, just so he knows I appreciate all the time he spent telling me stories when I was growing up. "The Great God Pan" will continue shortly, never fear! We've just got too many holidays clustered in one month to leave the story uninterrupted. Vivek Abhishek's music, as always, is very much appreciated. "Sumala" and "Mister Cheeze" are the pieces of music I've never featured previously. "The Door" remains our theme song. Check out his YouTube page [https://www.youtube.com/user/VivEKhsihbA] when you get the chance!