cover image Dreadtime Stories: Volume 1: From Fangoria, America's #1 Source for Horror!%E2%80%A8

Dreadtime Stories: Volume 1: From Fangoria, America's #1 Source for Horror!%E2%80%A8

Various authors, read by Malcolm McDowell and a full cast. AudioGO, unabridged, four CDs, 4.25 hrs., $19.95 ISBN 978-1-62064-014-2

Twilight Zone and Night Gallery fans yearning for more dark, twisty dramas will enjoy this anthology of six terrifying stories from the likes of Max Allan Collins and M.J. Elliott. The performance of the cast of actors portraying human predators, cops, scientists, and young lovers is impressive enough, but the production's quality also benefits from the work of narrator Malcolm McDowell. Whether introducing and commenting on a fungus primed to take over the world in "A Fungus Among Us" or on the fate of a yuppie couple who find a cheap rental that's too good to be true in "Living Space," the veteran actor's sardonic delivery adds just the right touch of creepiness. McDowell speaks slowly and quietly, in contrast to the dizzying drama and violence of the plots; his razor-sharp, deliberate enunciation demands attention and enables the listener to better imagine the ghastly situations. (June)