"The Moonstone Mass" by Harriet Prescott Spofford / Horror at the Poles

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  • čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
  • HORROR AT THE POLES
    Episode 4: "The Moonstone Mass" by Harriet Prescott Spofford
    First appearing in Harper’s magazine in October 1868, the story describes an unnamed narrator’s attempt to cross the Northwest Passage, which, unsurprisingly, results in a series of unusual events.
    00:00 - Introduction
    00:58 - The Moonstone Mass
    42:51 - Further Listening
    How about some Lovecraftian artifacts?
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    Narrated by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble
    Music and production by Ian & Jennifer Gordon
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Komentáře • 105

  • @VonPetters
    @VonPetters Před 7 měsíci +37

    As a Pole facing occasional horrors of everyday life, I am delighted with this

    • @sub-jec-tiv
      @sub-jec-tiv Před 7 měsíci +4

      😂 Haha! Poles are cool. I’m most concerned with the horror of the next elections all over the world… 😬 the "polls"

    • @fingmoron
      @fingmoron Před 7 měsíci

      Piwopiwopiwopiwopiwopiwo

    • @seanmurphy6480
      @seanmurphy6480 Před 7 měsíci

      I'M A FENCE POST 👍

    • @HorrorBabble
      @HorrorBabble  Před 7 měsíci +4

    • @MrRolloTomasi
      @MrRolloTomasi Před 6 měsíci

      @@sub-jec-tiv As for the democratically elected dictators, the election outcomes are already written. Then there are the aspiring dictators/ national mob capos.... Horror fiction is more comforting.

  • @willmistretta
    @willmistretta Před 7 měsíci +64

    Written some 58 years before the first successful north polar expedition. True terra incognita. It may as well be another planet the way it's imagined here.

    • @sub-jec-tiv
      @sub-jec-tiv Před 7 měsíci +2

      I’d love to see "Who Goes There" (The Thing) written in gothic style. Ugh maybe that’s an assignment for me. 😂

  • @dwellerofthedark
    @dwellerofthedark Před 7 měsíci +19

    You went digging deep for ‘The Moonstone Mass’ Bard of Horror! Great tale from 1868!

  • @VictorReynolds
    @VictorReynolds Před 7 měsíci +15

    Love the theme of the unattainable treasure. Great tale for a cold night!

  • @moirajamiechuma5149
    @moirajamiechuma5149 Před 7 měsíci +11

    Yeeees! Let's get into it!!! Thank you, you uploaded right on time... i was about to look for a story to repeat 😅

  • @blacklisted4885
    @blacklisted4885 Před 7 měsíci +9

    Writing was so much better back then. Very poetic

  • @soulreaver1983
    @soulreaver1983 Před 7 měsíci +11

    Thanks for another fantastic video Ian 🙂👍

  • @2001Tavis
    @2001Tavis Před 7 měsíci +10

    YASSSSSS!!!!😫 I'm going to the Poles !!!! 😆❄❄🌬

    • @mariovillarreal8647
      @mariovillarreal8647 Před 7 měsíci +3

      I'm pole shifting now!❤

    • @johnjones2nd667
      @johnjones2nd667 Před 7 měsíci +2

      ​@@mariovillarreal8647is that a homosexual innuendo?

    • @mariovillarreal8647
      @mariovillarreal8647 Před 7 měsíci +1

      @johnjones2nd667 No, why are you Jonesing!? Sorry bro...lol. Weird!? I just had a JDJones ask me did I kill his father!? Thank God I've never killed or wanted to kill Any person! ❤️💜 It's a reference to when the Earth shifts its magnetic North a few degrees I think. Maybe a complete pole reversal!?

    • @2001Tavis
      @2001Tavis Před 7 měsíci +2

      @@johnjones2nd667 The Arctic people !!!! the poles are at the Arctic 😆😆😆

    • @sub-jec-tiv
      @sub-jec-tiv Před 7 měsíci +1

      My grandparents were Poles, but they certainly weren’t at the arctic!

  • @robbabcock_
    @robbabcock_ Před 7 měsíci +4

    What a wonderful story, and amazing that it's so old.

  • @TheGruntski
    @TheGruntski Před 3 měsíci +1

    I love listening to these stories

  • @jeffashley5512
    @jeffashley5512 Před 7 měsíci +8

    I'm late but finally here on this Yuletide eve. It's cold out here in Tennessee so stay inside with warm drink and Horrorbabble. 💀
    Yuletide Blessings to All.

    • @michaelgreaves2375
      @michaelgreaves2375 Před 7 měsíci +2

      You certainly could do a lot worse. I know I could. (Now, where's my hot beverage? ... oh, there it is.)

    • @rneustel388
      @rneustel388 Před 7 měsíci +1

      It’s nice here in Kingman, Arizona - 55 degrees and no wind, which I’ll always take.

    • @Rynewulf
      @Rynewulf Před 7 měsíci +1

      Blessed be on this Yuletide!

    • @jeffashley5512
      @jeffashley5512 Před 7 měsíci

      @@Rynewulf )O(

  • @Bbergster
    @Bbergster Před 7 měsíci +5

    There is an owl in the yard…. Who is it looking for? Two cannibals are eating a clown, and one asks the other, “does this taste funny to you?” Many thanks. 👋🐝🐝

  • @blurryface9597
    @blurryface9597 Před 7 měsíci +5

    Fantastic story! Thanks for the great narration as always.

  • @paulross225
    @paulross225 Před 7 měsíci +3

    I have nothing more to add to the plaudits and superlatives already written in the comment section - just a thank you for a job well done. 🎯🙏🏆

  • @TheHappyhorus
    @TheHappyhorus Před 7 měsíci +1

    As always we are in your debt HorrorBabble. Thank you 🙏

  • @ScullyPopASMR
    @ScullyPopASMR Před 7 měsíci +7

    Upper Echelon Narration.

  • @tellket
    @tellket Před 7 měsíci +5

    Thank you for the post.

  • @seanmurphy6480
    @seanmurphy6480 Před 7 měsíci +4

    BRILLIANT ANOTHER 🏆 PRIZE
    EVERYONES A LOLIPOP THANKS IAN .I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED ARTIC HORROR SINCE WHO GOES THERE / THE THING ❤

  • @williestreiff9314
    @williestreiff9314 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Excellent read Sir Horror Babble as usual of course

  • @iexplore9870
    @iexplore9870 Před 6 měsíci +1

    Amazing narration, best wishes from India

  • @Aroundthesquarebowl
    @Aroundthesquarebowl Před 7 měsíci +2

    Thank you ❤

  • @Nanosuit37
    @Nanosuit37 Před 7 měsíci

    Excellent! Very good as always. Thank you Mr.Gordon and Horror Babble. Until next time.

  • @RazZiikiel
    @RazZiikiel Před 7 měsíci

    The imagery and language used in this story are exquisite. Amazing listen.

  • @howardhavardramberg7160
    @howardhavardramberg7160 Před 7 měsíci +2

    Such a great story!

  • @donaldmccleary9015
    @donaldmccleary9015 Před 7 měsíci

    Awesome story and narration!
    I'm listening to this again because it is so good. I really like the sense of adventure and mystery. Just as good is the unbelieving nature of others despite evidence proving otherwise. This story portrays quite an adventure!
    This is a great tale of knowing the truth and what you saw despite only a few believing you.
    Great story and narration!

  • @kristinacable
    @kristinacable Před 12 dny

    Perfection!❤❤

  • @beitodesstrafe
    @beitodesstrafe Před 7 měsíci +4

    Arctic/Antarctic and nautical tales are my favorite themes for horror.

  • @ukcats82
    @ukcats82 Před 7 měsíci +6

    It's crazy when I see the dates on these, "1860's?,"
    I always think I'm definitely not gonna be into this, but I'm always shocked at how relatable or sometimes they even sound like something written now.
    I really think it's Ian's way of reading then, it's perfect (and I listen to a lot of powerhouses (Frank Muller, Roy Dotrice RIP, and Robert Inglis) Ian is right up there. His single character narrations are top notch, his separate characters are getting amazing, he's really got the American accent perfect. In ready to hear him read a big novel. I vote for a SK story

    • @sub-jec-tiv
      @sub-jec-tiv Před 7 měsíci +4

      Yep! Besides Ian’s fantastic readings, humanity is what it is. Look at how well Shakespeare still connects with people (once they get past the changes in verbiage). Shakespeare’s comedy still makes people giggle with delight. His tragedy still makes people cry out of recognition. We might have a $£900 computer in our pocket now, but we’re still the same hairless ape as always.

    • @fingmoron
      @fingmoron Před 7 měsíci +2

      ​@@sub-jec-tivI enjoy a fart joke as much as a Roman did.

    • @Jason-ng2vf
      @Jason-ng2vf Před 7 měsíci +2

      Ian truly is one of the best narrators, hands down.

    • @HorrorBabble
      @HorrorBabble  Před 7 měsíci +1

      Thanks! King is out of the question, but I'm currently negotiating license terms with more accessible, living authors.

  • @AcornElectron
    @AcornElectron Před 7 měsíci +1

    My pole is well and truly horrified.
    Keep up the good work and, as always, Merry Christmas Jen and Ian?

  • @seanmurphy6480
    @seanmurphy6480 Před 7 měsíci +2

    HAVE A TOP CHRISTMAS AND MAY NEXT YEAR BE KIND TO YOU AND YOURS ❤

  • @bholdr----0
    @bholdr----0 Před 7 měsíci +3

    The far north and south have so much potential for horror... the atmosphere of unexplored mystety, the climate inimical to life, the vast expanse... (and the northern lights!) They all scream 'You do not belong here!). Authors from Lovecraft to Blackwood and Jack London... and modern writers have all tapped the poles for stories...
    Franklin's expedition has been done to death: I wonder if Scott's will ever get the same treatment? (Or, maybe Shakelton's Endurance oddesy?)
    This has been an excellent set of stories, yet, I know it has to end, (I feel like a man alone, falling in the endless night and the cold, drifting off to sleep, wanting just... one... more... story ...Lol!) Great series!
    Cheers!
    (Could you do: 'To Build a Fire' by Jack London, a story about the relentless, uncaring cold... Or, 'Love of Life', about starvation in Alaska in the 1910s. Both can be exceptionally frightening, despite a total lack of the supernatural.)

    • @sub-jec-tiv
      @sub-jec-tiv Před 7 měsíci +1

      "…modern writers have all tapped the poles for stories…"
      Don’t take this the wrong way, but I would tap that pole for stories.

    • @bholdr----0
      @bholdr----0 Před 7 měsíci

      @@sub-jec-tiv
      How the hell am I SUPPOSED to take that? (J/K- the more poles the better)
      I like to think of myself as an open minded guy (kinda)... Which can make Lovecraft's total and ubiquitous crazy xenophobia kind of problematic, eh?
      Lol. Cheers!

    • @sub-jec-tiv
      @sub-jec-tiv Před 7 měsíci

      @@bholdr----0Haha laughed out loud

    • @HorrorBabble
      @HorrorBabble  Před 7 měsíci +4

      We tackled To Build a Fire a few years ago: czcams.com/video/Igq08s3kEp0/video.html

    • @williestreiff9314
      @williestreiff9314 Před 7 měsíci

      Yes and it's so cold it's terrifying

  • @oldskooldave
    @oldskooldave Před 7 měsíci

    What a great yarn.. nice find and great narration 👍

  • @bertbaker7067
    @bertbaker7067 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Great story, i wonder if the author was inspired by the disappearance of the 1845 Franklin Expedition. She would've been in her early teens when people started worrying about the overdue expedition.

  • @0therun1t21
    @0therun1t21 Před 6 měsíci

    This males me want to go there!

  • @H0RR0R_HANG0VERZ
    @H0RR0R_HANG0VERZ Před 7 měsíci +2

    abSEAlutely *BRRRR* -illiant!!!
    💙❄️🌊🥶⛴️🩵

  • @Eris123451
    @Eris123451 Před 7 měsíci +3

    A series of unusual events then ?

  • @bigsarge2085
    @bigsarge2085 Před 7 měsíci +3

    ❤️‍🔥

  • @harryblack540
    @harryblack540 Před 7 měsíci +3

    By no means could you be considered a WHAT
    Oh false alarm

    • @MikuHidesBodies
      @MikuHidesBodies Před 7 měsíci +1

      The way I got jump scared bc I thought the same thing 😭😭

  • @7F0X7
    @7F0X7 Před 4 měsíci

    Uncle Paul was just ahead of his time.

  • @jamesharrington8353
    @jamesharrington8353 Před 7 měsíci

    So... he found the North Pole? I haven't heard it described so poetically since reading The Book of Lost Tales.

  • @awarningtothecuriouswerewolves
    @awarningtothecuriouswerewolves Před 7 měsíci +1

    Isn't Joel Manton from Moonstone, Mass? Warren!

  • @angelaverbowski995
    @angelaverbowski995 Před 7 měsíci +2

    #204-✅👍

  • @seanjustinkvalsvig1581
    @seanjustinkvalsvig1581 Před 5 měsíci

    Woe

  • @sentryogmixmaster
    @sentryogmixmaster Před 7 měsíci +2

    "cool" winter descriptive work here. good enough story but still doesn't hold a match to my favorite cold wintery tale...To Build A Fire.

  • @edwardnimerowski7577
    @edwardnimerowski7577 Před 7 měsíci +2

    I’m not going to the poles I’m not Polish😊

  • @linnmatthews8615
    @linnmatthews8615 Před 7 měsíci +3

    Absolutely love your voice, your narration - voice acting is fabulous. I'm sure no one could read this matterial better. But sadly to me this story's prose are far to floridly purple. I lose the story beneath all the discriptive verbage. This writer makes Lovecraft's writing seem sparce.

    • @HorrorBabble
      @HorrorBabble  Před 7 měsíci

      Thanks for listening, either way.

    • @victoriahadley7138
      @victoriahadley7138 Před 6 měsíci +1

      Ian could read the back of a shampoo bottle & it would be great

  • @dirkbruere
    @dirkbruere Před 7 měsíci +1

    "Spofford"? Is that a real name?

  • @victoriahadley7138
    @victoriahadley7138 Před 6 měsíci

    Love us worth more than money, silly man

  • @sub-jec-tiv
    @sub-jec-tiv Před 7 měsíci

    Don’t go chasing moonstones

  • @MC-zr6gc
    @MC-zr6gc Před 7 měsíci

    Good story. Question though. Is the main character supposed to be likeable? Because, within the first 5 minutes, I experienced a mild, but growing.... dislike, of him.

  • @leebennett1821
    @leebennett1821 Před 7 měsíci +3

    I like writing from the past is so much better most modern horror mostly unimaginative gore

    • @williestreiff9314
      @williestreiff9314 Před 7 měsíci

      I like them both, I think much of depends on the narrator to I think, obviously of course, and then some stories are poorly written and just be off putting, even for horror

    • @sub-jec-tiv
      @sub-jec-tiv Před 7 měsíci +1

      There are great things about both. The big plus of old stuff is, they actually care about the history of storytelling

    • @williestreiff9314
      @williestreiff9314 Před 7 měsíci

      @@sub-jec-tiv it reads to me by the feel of it that the style reflects maybe a little more classical technique and more suggestive than just in your face, and I'm not trying to criticize modern horror, it may be a generational thing also