Wilhelm Presents: Frightening Tales

Wilhelm

Welcome brave listeners to my collection of frightening tales, scary stories and ghostly yarns. Each season runs from May till the finale on All Hallows Eve. I‘ll post a new story for my listeners each Friday till then. So, make yourself comfortable and settle in for a spooky time, there is currently more than 13 hours of paranormal stories for you to listen to... if you're brave enough. Have a frightening story of your own? Please submit it at FrighteningTales.com. "LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED" These stories are varied and may contain an assortment of triggers. read less

Our Editor's Take

Wilhelm Presents: Frightening Tales is a podcast for lovers of spooky tales. The creator and host of the show is Mark Wilhelm. An illustrator and designer by day, Wilhelm is also a fan of old radio programs and storytelling as an art form.

In every episode, Wilhelm reads a scary story to his listeners. The authors of the tales include Charles L. Grant, Washington Irving, and M.R. James. Mainstream listeners may not be familiar with them, but these names are well-known to lovers of the horror genre.

Frightening Tales also features submissions from Reedsy users. Zea MindWerl's "Fear" is a product of a Reedsy prompt. In her tale, something is chasing the protagonist through the dark woods. "Finish What You Started" is the story of what happens after a botched suicide attempt. Its author is Katharine Widdows.

Wilhelm tends to favor stories that belong to the quiet horror genre for the podcast. The stories have a thin veil between paranormal events and madness. The world appears as it should be, except for one or two details. These stories give listeners a sense of unease, as if a stranger is standing right behind them. In "The Friend in the Mirror," a reflection becomes alive. "The Limelight" tells the story of a magician whose assistant is more than she seems.

People who enjoy a hair-raising yarn may love Frightening Tales. Wilhelm's storytelling is masterful, with impeccable timing, timbre, and taste. He captures the aesthetic of old-time radio without sinking into cliché. As a bonus, each episode introduces listeners to talented authors who deserve exposure.

The podcast may appeal to people who enjoy listening to audiobooks. Horror story fans may discover new authors. Listeners who wish for Halloween year-round might also appreciate this show. New episodes of Wilhelm Presents: Frightening Tales arrive Fridays between May and October.

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FictionFiction

Play Trailer

Promo: New Episodes Weekly

Promo: New Episodes Weekly

Welcome brave listeners, I'm your host Wilhelm, Tune in weekly for a new creepy tale of the paranormal. If you're brave enough.

Episodes

The Tuck at the Foot of the Bed

The Tuck at the Foot of the Bed

Why is it that some of us can't shake the need to refrain from dangling a limb off the bed during the night... perhaps that need is there for a reason.

Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave

Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave

They say in the deep south that when the rains come down hard and God plays his drums, it may wake loved ones long since gone. And on one dark and stormy night there was a knock at the door.

Recollections of Annie

Recollections of Annie

There were two strong women in his life – and one of them were dead.

Billy had made concessions to give his wife her dream pool, but what would this really cost them?

A retrospective visit to the classic tales by renowned authors. In this tale author M.R. James shares arguably his best ghost story, written in 1894.

What lengths would you go through for success in your career? This weeks story examines the dark place one might be led to in an effort to get... a head.

Death of a Drop of Water

Death of a Drop of Water

How many of us are haunted by the life that might have been... But what happens when that haunting is no longer metaphor? A story from Sara Century's new book "A Small Light & Other Stories" available through publisher Weird Punk.

The Red-Eyed Thing

The Red-Eyed Thing

We all have our vices, our personal demons. But some demons are a little more tangible than others. *Listener Discretion is Advised horrific scenes depicted.

What happens with the unoticable is noticed? Starved for attention how far would a being go once it finally felt 'seen' This weeks story asks just such a question, in an exclusive story by Mark Wilhelm.

The Friend in the Mirror

The Friend in the Mirror

What happens when you peer into the mirror only to realize that something was off a little about your reflection. As though it just wasn't right.

A magician is only as good as their assistant. Sometimes the entire act hinging on the skills they possess. This dark tale was written by Katharine Widdows to a prompt from reedsy.com "Write a story about a magician who never reveals their secrets" https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/i1i78l/#comments

A seemingly normal date is interrupted by the demands of an unassuming side dish.

A recounting of the terror filled moments hunted by... something in the dark woods. A story created at the prompt provided by Reedsy.com "Start your story with an unusual sound being heard" https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/6g70s7/

Daniel Damned: Mr Nobody

Daniel Damned: Mr Nobody

Pilot Episode. An odd man with a very personal connection to the paranormal is on a hunt, shaking down hells minions for information that will help him aquire a powerful divine relic. Along the way he meets an even stranger man that seems to remain outside the perceptions of hell, a real life Nobody. Thrust together seemingly by fate the two start to try to unravel this mystery but will they do it before hells warden notices it's getting kind of empty and comes looking... for Daniel Damned!

Clarabelle and her Father are trying to make their new house a home. But Clara's unplanned roomate seems to have darker idea's for the new residents. It wouldn't be long before dark secrets would take these negotiations to a whole other level.

It was a sad and somber thing that set about one of the truly great moments for nearly any New Yorker. Henry Adams was dead, and that meant there would be a vacancy.

Special Presentation! Written in 1820 by American author Washington Irving as part of a collection of 34 essays and short stories in a volume called 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon'. This is the a reading of the original story of Sleepy Hollow. As this was written in 1820, what was considered proper in life back then deviates from what is considered by today's standards of proper. Keep in mind that this piece suffers from anachronism and as such is a historic look at the period. Episode Notes: There is reference to 'Chanticleer'. I myself had to look this up to figure out how to pronounce it or what it was. My research reveals it was a childrens character from a kids book of the time that was a very proud Rooster. It was as common to children then as the Cat in the Hat is today.

Trigger warning: descriptions of family violence. A Mother's love can span greater distances than the measurements of mankind, in time Darcy would learn how far a Mother would go for her little girl.

What would you give to change the things about yourself that you just don't like? What if you were approached with a miracle fix to get that perfect you? Would you leap before you look?

Even the Angels Don't Love Me

Even the Angels Don't Love Me

Lisa is having trouble getting a song out of her head... a song that only she can hear. Seemingly now the soundtrack to all the tragedy in her life. But where did it come from? And who made it?