Fictional
by Jason Weiser, Carissa Weiser | Nextpod
Classic lit with a modern tone, every other week.From the creators of Myths and Legends, comes an altogether same-but-different podcast set in the world of classic lit. These are the stories of Dracula, The Time Machine, The Three Musketeers. They're stories written by Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and H.P. Lovecraft, but with a casual, modern tone. Listen as Jason and Carissa Weiser breathe new life into the classics and tell the stories of some of the greatest books ever written.
Episodes
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Wizard of Oz: The Great and Terrible (Part 3 of 3)
On the season six finale of Fictional, the Wicked Witch of the West is dead, but it came at a terrible cost. Still, Dorothy needs only to travel back to the Emerald City to finally make her way home. If only things were so simple. Adapted from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum:...
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Wizard of Oz: Witchhunters (Part 2 of 3)
Dorothy and the party make their way via crumbling yellow brick to the Emerald City, but all is not what it seems, and Oz, the Great and Terrible, has a gruesome request for them. Adapted from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum: https://myths.link/oz
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Wizard of Oz: Defying Gravity (part 1 of 3)
A girl from Kansas takes a ride on a cyclone to a bizarre, ridiculous, and dangerous land. Adapted from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum: https://myths.link/oz
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Arsene Lupin: Unseen
Two stories of Arsene Lupin. In the first, the Queen's necklace has gone missing from a locked and guarded room. On the second, a man just wants to relax on the train where he won't be crowded by loud, smoking people...or getting tied up and repeatedly punched in the face. Sources: Arsene Lupin:...
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O. Henry: Desperate Men
Two stories of crime and punishment and why kidnapping is wrong and dangerous but not for the reasons that you think. By American author O. Henry. Stories: The Ransom of Red Chief: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Whirligigs/The_Ransom_of_Red_Chief After Twenty Years:...
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Sherlock Holmes: Burn
A man discovers something reading the paper on his train ride into London: he's wanted for murder. What does he do next? Lead police on a low-speed chase to 221B Baker Street. Say hi on discord: https://myths.link/discord
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Edgar Allan Poe: The Forgotten
Two stories from Edgar Allan Poe about the masks we wear and the work we do and the profound consequences of both. Today's stories were adapted from: "Hop-frog" by Edgar Allan Poe: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Poe%27s_Tales_of_Mystery_and_Imagination/Hop-Frog "The Oval Portrait" by Edgar Allan...
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Philip K. Dick: Veg
Dr. Henry Harris has been called to the outpost for asteroid Y-3, humanity's first line of defense against a vast, strange galaxy, because there's a strange infection growing among the soldiers of the outpost: they think they're turning into plants. Adapted from "Piper in the Woods" by Philip K....
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The Island of Doctor Moreau: The Mark of the Beast (part 2 of 2)
The secret of the island is out, and Doctor Moreau is close to his greatest achievement. Will Edward Pendrick make it home, and, if he manages to get away from the island of horrors, what sort of man will he be when he returns? Adapted from "The Island of Doctor Moreau" by H.G. Wells. Connect…
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The Island of Doctor Moreau: An Almost Religious Awe (part 1 of 2)
When Edward Pendrick makes it into the lifeboat as the Lady Vain sinks, he thinks he's one of the lucky ones. Upon finding his way to the Island, populated with curious people, a reclusive genius, and his shamed assistant, he might question just how lucky he truly is. Adapted from "The Island of...
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Special - Christmas Ghost Stories: Phantoms
Hi! It's been awhile. Thanks for your patience. Today is a special episode and not the start of the next season, but a new season is coming in 2025. In Victorian England, they told ghost stories on Christmas. Today, we have three ghost stories from that era. The stories today were adapted by the...
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Jack London: The You You Are
Dr. Freddie Drummond is in a great position: a fulfilling job, a wonderful fiancée, and the respect of titans of industry. So...why is he going out at night, living a double life? Today's story was based on "South of the Slot" by Jack London.
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Time Enough at Last: One for the Books
Someday Henry Bemis is going to do it. Sometime he is going to go to that wonderful, glorious place and live the life of his dreams. The place? Well, the public library, of course. But...today is not that day. -- Today's episode was inspired by "Time Enough at Last" by Lynn Venable.
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Nikolai Gogol: Nose Goes
What happens when your nose leaves your face...and starts living a better life than you? Today's episode was adapted from the story "The Nose" by Nikolai Gogol. You can find the full text here. -- Looking for something else to listen to? Check out Best of the Worst! It used to be a segment on…
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Edgar Allan Poe: Comorbid
You receive a letter from an old friend. He isn't doing well. He invites you to visit him at his house. His house...that's eating him whole. Today's episode was inspired by "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe.
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Tolstoy: The Long Way Home
Two men, a servant and his master, take a drive on a snowy evening. The experience will forever alter both of their lives. Adapted from "Master and Man" by Leo Tolstoy. -- If it sounds like it would be your thing, check out Mitos y Leyendas, Myths and Legends in Spanish! https://myths.link/mitos
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Philip K. Dick: Fallout
It's the 2010s and nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union has forced humanity into bunkers, scorching the planet and leaving only the Leadys, the semi-sentient robot fighters, to continue to wage the war above against other Leadys. The humans below, however, think that their Leadys might...
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Sherlock Holmes: Dealbreaker
We learn which crime Sherlock Holmes thinks is the absolute worst...and it's not what you think it is. Also, the great detective tries his hand at crime himself. Once he crosses that line, will he be able to come back from it? -- Check out Best of the Worst! https://www.nextpod.com/botw
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Alexander Pushkin: A Sure Thing
A young woman working as a servant for a cruel countess falls in love with the man across the street. It seems like a fairy tale, but are there more sinister motivations at play? Adapted from " The Queen of Spades" by Alexander Pushkin
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The Most Dangerous Game: The Hunted
Sanger Rainsford, a big-game hunter, just wants to go home, but he finds himself on an island belonging to General Zaroff, a fellow hunter with twisted, unorthodox tastes. Sanger refuses to go along with Zaroff, but what will last longer, Sanger's adherence to his principles...or his life?…
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E.M. Forster: Bit Rot
Humanity is isolated for their own safety in their homes, but they settle in to communicate through world-wide messaging and video calls, and face-to-face, person-to-person interaction becomes rarer and rarer, to the point that it's uncomfortable and awkward. And no, the writer had no knowledge…
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Arsène Lupin: The Gentleman
The story of Arsène Lupin, gentleman thief, begins with him sending a letter to a baron with the exact date and time he will rob the man. The baron immediately contacts the best detective in France. ...oh and Arsène Lupin is actually in prison so the armed guards, locked gates, and flooded…
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Edgar Allan Poe: The Masquerade
A Halloween episode with two stories from the master of Gothic horror, Edgar Allan Poe. Adapted by the Weisers from "The Masque of the Red Death" and "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
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The Pale Man: Room 201
A professor checks in to a rundown hotel for a long vacation and becomes obsessed with another resident - a pale man who moves from room to room. Adapted by the Weisers from "The Pale Man" by Julius Long -- The shop: https://shop.bardic.fm -- Music: "Andelo" by Blue Dot Sessions "Velda Tallow" by...
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Philip K. Dick: Inhuman
Lester's work has killed trillions, making way for humanity's march across the galaxy. But, after a trip off-world and witnessing a dead planet firsthand, he's now changed. Lester wants out. Will the government release their best scientist and, more importantly, did Lester even return from the...
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Sherlock Holmes: The League
A man comes to Sherlock Holmes with a development: he's making a lot of extra money each week solely because he has fiery red hair. For the famed detective, this is terrible news. -- Check out the new site: https://fictional.fm -- Music: "Vienna Beat" by Blue Dot Sessions "Evidence" by Raphael...
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Monte Cristo: Wait and Hope (part 6 of 6)
Four men took part in the ruining of one life. Their reckoning is at hand. It all ends here. -- Sponsors: Bombas: Not only is it fun to say, but they are the most comfortable socks ever seriously if your feet could thank you they would. KiwiCo: KiwiCo creates super cool, hands-on projects for…
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Monte Cristo: A Million Secrets (part 5 of 6)
The Count of Monte Cristo moves his pieces into place. His revenge is at hand. -- Sponsors: Hello Fresh: For a super-easy, super-delicious weeknight meal, check out Hello Fresh. KiwiCo: KiwiCo creates super cool, hands-on projects for kids that make learning about science, technology…
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Monte Cristo: No Ordinary Man (part 4 of 6)
When we last left Edmond Dantes, he was sailing off into the sunset after rescuing one of the only friends he has left. Today's story begins 13 years later, after he's been transforming himself into the count of Monte Cristo, an enigmatic and ruthless nobleman who is heading to Paris to bring...
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The Tempest: Brave New World (Part 2 of 2)
All the pieces are in place. Everyone responsible for Prospero's exile is on the island. His island. It's time to take back what's his. -- Sponsors: Wolverine: The Long Night. Check this fantastic scripted podcast at https://www.wolverinepodcast.com/ Bombas: Not only is it fun to say, but they…
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The Tempest: All the Devils are Here (part 1 of 2)
Prospero can't remember the last time he slept. He can't remember the last time he saw his daughter or even how old she is. He has been working on one singular task for decades, and now he's nearly there. He's on the precipice of the greatest discovery of all time... ...and then someone kicks in...
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Dracula: The Night King (part 3 of 3)
Dracula has already claimed his first victim, and she is working on many more. Soon, the British Isles and then the rest of civilization will be one of two things: hunter or hunted. The few that Dracula chooses to turn will feed on the rest, and no one within 1000 miles of him knows it's coming.…
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Dracula: Holiday (part 2 of 3)
Mina is distraught. Her friend is sick, hit by a strange and sudden anemia the day a ship came into port from the other side of the world - some province in Romania known as Transylvania. Worse, Jonathan, her fiancee, hasn't returned yet. He had gone to visit a nobleman on the continent, and he…
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Dracula: Work Trip (part 1 of 3)
Jonathan Harker is on a work trip, which means new and bizzare foods, people with interesting stories, and a meeting with a count that people seriously will not stop warning him about. He doesn't see what the fuss is about. It's just an old guy with a handlebar mustache who lives in the woods in…
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Sherlock Holmes: A Thousand Words
Irene Adler. She's in one story, but she left such a permanent, indellible mark on Sherlock Holmes that he will now and forever refer to her as THE woman. Sherlock receives two visits in one night. One is expected: royalty with a problem that could alter the history of Europe. The other is a...
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Philip K. Dick: New Features
In an alternate future, it's 1981 and the UN allies have been at war with the Soviet Union for six years. In that short amount of time, the world has been reduced to an irradiated husk of itself. Standing victorious over a fallen world, the Soviets unexpectedly find themselves overwhelmed by a…
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Frankenstein: Enough (Part 2 of 2)
On the season 2 finale, Victor Frankenstein's creation is responsible for two deaths, but Victor fears that the body count isn't close to being finished. The battle between creator and creation will stretch over multiple continents, destroying lives and bringing up questions of our responsibility...
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Frankenstein: Prometheus (Part 1 of 2)
A lurching green monster that's afraid of fire with bolts in his neck. A hunchback assistant named Igor. A menacing, mustache twirling doctor. None of those things are in this episode. Instead, we have an eight-foot-tall introspective giant, a thoughtful, if dangerously ambitious child who…
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Kate Chopin: Promises
A couple in early 1800s Louisiana is headed home when they spot something unusual by a pillar, something that will change their lives, and the lives of the most powerful family in town, forever. -- Sponsor: You have to check out Masterclass. You can learn from professionally produced videos of...
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O. Henry: Winter is Coming
Two stories by the U.S. writer O. Henry. In the first, a young woman is dying, pinning her hopes to a leaf dangling on a branch. In the second, ol' Soapy, a homeless man in New York City, is gearing up for a trip to his summer home: prison. A warm bed, three meals a day, and safety from…
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Edgar Allen Poe: Madhouse
Our humble hero just wanted to swing by a remote mental institution in the south of France on his way back home to America. He was just going to spend one night in the self-described madhouse to sate his curiosity/gawk at the mentally ill. What could be wrong with spending one night in a rural...
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Count of Monte Cristo: Fourteen Years Gone (Part 3 of 3)
When we last left Edmond, he was about to hit the rock and start his escape from Chateau d'If when he heard a scream from his friend's cell. This week, we'll see how he finally manages to get out of the inescapable prison...and what happened to his world after a decade and a half of his absence....
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Count of Monte Cristo: Prisoner 34 (Part 2 of 3)
Edmond is in prison and his enemies are celebrating, but something else is coming from Elba that will change their world yet again and make them fear the man they sent to Chateau d'If. Sponsors: Our Casper is so comfortable that I can't wait to go to bed. It's so comfortable that we bought our…
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Count of Monte Cristo: Among Friends (Part 1 of 3)
Edmond Dantes returns to France as a captain. He has just received a promotion, and soon he will be marrying the love of his life: the beautiful Mercedes. The only issue? He doesn't realize that he has enemies, and that the last request of his dying captain - simply delivering a letter - could...
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Sherlock Holmes: Undercover
Watson is happily married and hasn't spoken to Sherlock in months and hasn't been on a mystery in nearly a year. The craziest his life gets now is an abnormal patient or some sensational news story. That's all about to change when the distraught wife of a friend comes to his house late one…
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Philip K. Dick: Look Alive
In this story by acclaimed science fiction author Philip K. Dick, the author behind last season's "Therein Lies the Wub", a man in 1950s middle America emerges from working in his basement all day to find something horrifying in the center of town, but the strangest thing? No one seems to have a...
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Macbeth: Sound and Fury (Part 2 of 2)
Last week, Macbeth killed his king, his friend, and more. If only he could stop there. Just a note, this is the season finale of Fictional. Stay subscribed, though, because we'll be back in six weeks with season two! Sponsor: Check out http://www.zola.com/fictional for an awesome way to do your...
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Macbeth: Toil and Trouble (Part 1 of 2)
Macbeth is a story about ambition and violence. Given a prophecy that he will become king, Macbeth finds himself both drawn to and repulsed by the desire that grows within him. On one hand, he could do so much as king: his name would live on forever. On the other, he is a loyal, kind, and just...
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Philip K. Dick: Therein Lies the Wub
A routine trip to Mars turns out to be anything but when a ship headed back to earth allows one last passenger aboard. That's...really all I can say about the story "Beyond lies the Wub" by Philip K. Dick. Few authors can boast the sci-fi pedigree of Philip K. Dick. Even if you've never read one…
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Call of Cthulhu: Nightmares (Part 2 of 2)
Professor Angell is dead, but the story of Cthulhu is just beginning. As it turns out, Angell had an heir, and as the young man is sifting through his late uncle's possessions, he's about to find something that will change his world forever. Meanwhile, Captain Johansen returned to Sydney. The…
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About this show
Classic lit with a modern tone, every other week.From the creators of Myths and Legends, comes an altogether same-but-different podcast set in the world of classic lit. These are the stories of Dracula, The Time Machine, The Three Musketeers. They're stories written by Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and H.P. Lovecraft, but with a casual, modern tone. Listen as Jason and Carissa Weiser breathe new life into the classics and tell the stories of some of the greatest books ever written.
Hosted by
Jason Weiser, Carissa Weiser | Nextpod