"Catnip" is a short story by American author, Robert Bloch, first published by Weird Tales Magazine in March 1948. The story tells of a young boy, who accidentally burns down the house of an evil old woman. Chapters: 00:16 - Introduction 00:54 - Part 1 08:04 - Part 2 13:01 - Part 3 17:23 - Part 4 27:38 - Further Listening Bandcamp link: horrorbabble.bandcamp.com/album/catnip Narrated by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble Music and production by Ian Gordon Support us on Bandcamp or Patreon: horrorbabble.bandcamp.com www.patreon.com/horrorbabble HorrorBabble MERCH: teespring.com/stores/horrorbabble-merch Search HORRORBABBLE to find us on: AUDIBLE / ITUNES / SPOTIFY Home: www.horrorbabble.com Rue Morgue: www.rue-morgue.com Social Media: facebook.com/HorrorBabble instagram.com/horrorbabble twitter.com/HorrorBabble
An excellant story. Bloch liked to spend a long time developing the story, and then leave the reader to shudder as they saw things and imagined things beyond what had been written. I'm happy that I got to meet him once. He was special quest at a local scifi convention. The Sunday brunch was wonderful; a speaker did an absolutely wonderful speech about how the golden age of scifi was now and got loud applause from the audiance. Then it was Mr. Bloch's turn at the podium. He climbed to the stage and walked to the podium. He looked around and started to speak but then went quit. He tried to speak again and still had no idea how to follow the wonderful speech earlier. He walked quietely from the podium, unfastened his belt and dropped his pants. Revealing his polkadot boxer shorts. :) He was a character... And we would all have been the poorer without him.
Man....I love your readings - almost listen to them every other day, to fall asleep, slowly drifting away while listening to these mysterious and often shiver-inducing stories 😅😁 Netted me many an interesting dream :)
I like how cats are portrayed by the weird fiction authors, especially H. P. Lovecraft. With him especially, the reader can hear the adoration he had for the furry little wonders. 🐱👍
Yea! Thank u Ian, finally I have been sleeping for more than 20 min at a time again, without listening to u I hardly sleep at all. Always love a new one! Please keep at it, you are really the best out there. Love, gigi
Thanks. I enjoyed this. I remember reading this. I believe this was written after Bloch moved away from Lovecraft's influence, and yet fleshed out his own voice.
IAN, I APPRECIATE YOUR READINGS GREATLY! Just a heads up on a couple of words I thought were mispronounced. The first are at 18:50 & same word at 18:52. You read it as “PUSS” like the the nasty discharge from an infected wound, but should be read as in the following ‘Pussycat.’ The second word is at 19:20 I believe you meant to say “Lath - short A - which is a piece of wood that was used in the early 20th Century used in home building. Although you pronounced as “Lathe” which is woodworhing machine. KEEP THOSE READINGS & YOUR GOOD WORKING COMING
Hi there! I think this is an accent thing. The puss/pus comparison has been mentioned before. As for lathe - it was printed as ‘lathe’ in Weird Tales. Evidently a typo it would seem. Thanks for listening!
Great story and narration! Ronnie is an ass. He is the type of guy who makes nothing of himself when he graduates or fails out of school. I dealt with a few guys like him....but it only took one time each. Bloch knocked this one out of the park. I love the ending. Thanks!
That was it?! That was the end?! That's not suspense it's only half a story. I still enjoyed it I just wish that a couple more questions were answered is all. Goodnight all
My sensitivities are ruffled at the mere suggestion I am enabling my Cat in an addiction as I purchase the drug from the cashiers at the Dollar Store. In fact, I demand an impressive cut from the profits he gains by dealing the substance to other Cats and am a rank above his, which is a distributor.
I love you horrible and I also love cats my cat is sitting right next to me he's a manx his name is Clovis he was born in the isle of Man. He's a natural-born Manx. He's 15 years old he used to be a hunter he would hunt with a guy named Jack from Ireland he jumped up caught birds in mid-flight go in water catch fish very stealthy no sounds but his human died when he was 1 year old so the wife got sick with cancer she was a friend of mine we were pen pals and I went to Ireland and picked up manx who I named Clovis and he's been living me living with me now for 15 years he uses the toilet no sound too bad he can't read a newspaper when he goes. He's my favorite pet and he loves catnip and he protects me no one can harm me a man came in my apartment to fix the light he hissed at him I can't deal with men my cat would kill them one-time Clovis jumped up and bit a man in his neck close to the jugular vein it's a good thing the man did not sue me. But he was Irish and he understood that manx protect their owners with their lives. Clovis has nine lives he's used seven of them already I love you horrible I'm going to enjoy your story thank you thank you and by the way I read your vampire few stories they were great do you think you can do some more I'm a natural-born vampire when I turned into a woman my fangs group all by themselves I crave blood and I don't like to take you and blood because of diseases and I don't want it. It's so weird I take blood from deer and mountain lions I can run faster than they can I catch them and drink enough to satisfy my thirst and they go on their way I say satiate my thirst I never kill any living thing and I'm ready to listen to your story then tell me more about vampires since I am one naturally I want to know about my species? Do I have a soul? Am I inately evil? I feel I'm very empathic uncompassionate. I also read minds and protect the weak from the harmful I won't let anyone harm children so what am I I can't eat anything but blood what am I horrible I'm afraid to find out can you find out for me and read me some stories about it you're ever faithful listener 😉 soon-to-be full grown vampire with a soul my name is Morticia I called myself black widow spider because I have them as pets they love me I love them they never bite me they crawl all over me on my bed they don't stay in cages my cat hates them but they leave the him alone 2
