Where Angels Fear by Manly Wade Wells

[@debra333]

Dear Tony, I can't wait to hear this. But I had to comment on the graphic of the house with the setting sun ... breathtaking!

[@ClassicGhost]

I messed around with the image a bit so i’m glad you like it

[@martiwilliams4592]

Agree!

[@rheinhartsilvento2576]

​@@ClassicGhost You did this? Very well done 💚🌺

[@GriethDay]

Extremely evocative, atmospheric, painfully beautiful. I gasped a wee bit when I saw it.

[@GriethDay]

@@ClassicGhostabsolutely amazing

[@aveg7899]

Your narration is flawless Tony. The listener cannot help, but be drawn in. Thanks for bringing these treasures back to life.

[@ClassicGhost]

very nice of you to say so

[@jamesvanderwire4667]

Manly Wade Wellman has many great stories. I definitely suggest looking into him deeper.

[@dongray9852]

Lifelong M.W.Wellman fan. Supernatural Appalachia.

[@michellebastiani6470]

Agreed.

[@anneinnes5691]

“Saw myself in a mirror and thought ‘that needs ironing’”.. me, every day, lol! Genius expression- made me laugh out loud! 😂😂

[@elizabethflynr7561]

Dear Mr. Walker, I have to do something incredibly difficult for me in the morning. I can’t sleep and your narration of Manley Wade Wellman’s story Where Angels... is a wonderful distraction from the 3 o’clock noise in my head. Thanks.

[@ClassicGhost]

Good luck 🤞

[@dwellerofthedark]

This should be epic, Tony, with your amazing narration. Living up in the remote Appalachians, I definitely enjoy the homemade moonshine and telling campfire Manly Wade Wellman’s stories a little too much sometimes. My epic ‘Hell’s Forge’ was inspired by ‘Where Angel’s Fear’ and of course Matheson’s ‘Hell House’.

[@GriethDay]

Thank you for the quality of your content, wish I could give more. Appreciate you.

[@ClassicGhost]

I am very grateful to you and the amount doesn't matter. The thought is the most important thing.

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Great story and narration! Thanks! As has been previously stated, I love the picture. Great job on it. The way it shfts at the end.... Loved your chat at the end, especially about the Karens complaining about the comments. Required order of completion of Tony's stories: 1. Listen to Tony's story 2. Listen to Tony's chat 3. Read the comments Note: Deviating from this order removes your ability to complain. We listeners use the comments to communicate about the stories. Read them prior to the story at your own peril. Thanks again, Tony, for all you do! Above all, happy Father's Day.

[@julierobinson3633]

What an absolute corker! Loved this one. I think my favourite so far.

[@pajamapants2605]

I always find myself guffawing at Tony’s expressions like “positive pants” alone in the dark with my phone after enjoying a bedtime story lol

[@vanillasuncherries]

The darker and the more chilling the better! I love it!

[@martiwilliams4592]

Creepy, disturbing, captivating also this time around. Leaves us, as usual, with plenty to think about. Love your storytelling, your enjoyable, thought provoking "ramblings". Much needed and appreciated. Thanks for all of your hard work, Tony.

[@jasonfx28]

Oh God. Utterly terrifying. The boding, impending disaster unfolding had me shaking. One of the scariest tales I've heard on here, or anywhere.

[@RolandWieffering1]

I love the stories of M.W. W. I hope you will read more for us..... But Thanks for this one. All the best from Holland.

[@karensmith2204]

I just love your after story chat

[@ringingthechanges]

This one is frankly terrifying, wow.

[@sheilasmith7991]

I really enjoy your channel. Last night I fell asleep listening to Dracula and woke up this morning with the story still playing. I love horror stories and this is perfect to listen to.

[@ClassicGhost]

+@sheilasmith7991 It’s a long one :)

[@ronaldashby935]

Thanks again for the great stories Wademan has a lot of great stories. I was first hooked by his Fantasy/Sword style. DND tybe tales. I am commenting from the heart of Appalachian mountains in beautiful Uppet East Tennessee just a 30 minute ot less from North Carolina. Thanks again really enjoy your channel.. Don't mind the spelling too much or my writing . You have a great 4th of July holiday. Yep every American thinks everyone in the world celebrates our holiday.

[@norayoder3189]

Tony So stoked really needed this and what a fantastic graphic❣️🙏🏻❣️

[@ClassicGhost]

Thank you 🙏

[@marciedewolff9357]

Whoop whoop! Can't wait to listen! I agree the graphic is beautiful. Many thanks Tony.

[@furrypurry]

Oh that was a super creepy story, loved it. Thank you Tony and Nancy.

[@TheBluestBlue1]

Chills over whole body at the ending. Listened to the whole story twice. Thanks.

[@elizabethflynr7561]

Hi Tony, I’m the American who was worried about your wallet. Thanks for letting me know it got returned. I suggested a Thomas Ligotti short story, Conversations in a Dead Language. You said that might be a bit difficult to pull off. What about Conrad Aiken’s story Silent Snow, Secret Snow? Tony, you’d nail it man!

[@guts_punch_balls_throw-up]

I'm all for a Thomas Ligotti reading!

[@terryIKE69]

Whiskey and sardines are not a diet to thrive on? Oh, posh. I knew a couple nonagenarians who swear by it. My first thought, (listening to the story) was that I hoped they had some breath mints handy. I love Manly Wade Wellman! Have 2 of his story collections: The Devil is Not Mocked and Worse Things Waiting. If you can find them, I highly recommend picking one up. (And if you have the money, they can be pretty spendy). Flawless narration, going to be putting this one in my Top 25 Classic Ghost Stories Podcast favorites. I would pay money for a print of the story thumbnail, to frame and put on my wall. (One without the bars... ) Thanks for the story and take care!

[@susanr1277]

Enjoyed this story but even when the story doesn't do it for me, I love your ramblings at the end.

[@appalachianamerican7171]

Great story, Mr. Tony. And by the way, you nailed it with your pronunciation of Appalachia. 👍

[@ClassicGhost]

I follow a girl on Instagram from Appalachia. I would’ve got it wrong without her.

[@psum6537]

Dear Tony, so happy to go “off the rocker” listening to your monologue!👍🏻

[@stalinlovsciafbifakemsmzio6674]

Absolutely LOVED LOVED this story, thanks T. And thank YOU, fine lady who recommended this wonderful tale!

[@ClassicGhost]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stardust949]

I relate to your busy weekend/s. Although mine haven't included adding more Buddhas (or Green Men) to household decorations. This was a new story to me, so thanks to the lady who mailed you her copy and sponsored this recording. I hope your Father's Day was lovely.

[@lyndabrennan4560]

Thank you dear Tony, I always look forward to a new story from you, I can't wait till bedtime and settle down with this story 💛🤗

[@Thomas-wn7cl]

"Where marines and angels fear to tread, there you'll find the corpsman dead"

[@edf777]

Thanks,kept this for bed tonight..again thank you sir 😊❤

[@ClassicGhost]

Thank you very much

[@TheLoneAnimator]

Look up the Silver John (John the Balladeer) tales "A Desrick On Yandro" and "O Ugly Bird." They're very atmospheric and have very cool and creepy folkloric monsters.

[@erichinkle7347]

If you're the fellow I think you are, I can only hope that one day you post art of the critters from either of those stories on DA.

[@katyvdb5993]

Good gracious, is 'The Desrick on Yandro' part of a series? And a pre-war series at that? I'm very interested and must look for more stories. I read it in a children's anthology decades ago and realised that the narrator was a wandering musician, but assumed that he was one of the hippie generation ... oh dear 😳.

[@TheLoneAnimator]

@@katyvdb5993 Silver John is actually a veteran of the Korean War, so the stories must be set somewhere in the mid-19th century. I think "Who Fears the Devil" is the best of the Silver John anthologies.

[@KristinChoruby]

I've heard of parents giving their children aspirational names, but "Manly" is a new one! Nice Pink Floyd reference, BTW 👌

[@DaleRibbons]

I believe Manly is short for Emmanuel. I'm going by my own grandfather, who was Manny.

[@ClassicGhost]

I didn’t know that, and I am very pleased that I found out. Thank you very much.

[@thurayya8905]

You might want to look up Manly P. Hall, who was one of the leading teachers of esoterica of the twentieth century.

[@KristinChoruby]

@@thurayya8905 "Manly P"? 👀 I would not have included that initial if I were him.

[@denaisaacthiswasgreat.thum7598]

This is my first experience with Your "Dialogue" and I'm delighted. Again Thanx.

[@lunarbloom3587]

Deliciously creepy story and wonderful narration Tony! Thank you 🦉

[@jenniferlevine5406]

Your humour is in fine form today and this story is wonderful - very scary! What a lovey treat to come home and find this! Well done. Thanks so much!

[@stevecausey545]

That was wonderful. Great suggestion Nancy I really enjoy Wellman's stories ive never heard this one before...thank you.

[@meganmcnelis7136]

Thank you for the Lake District inn recs!

[@GriethDay]

I first read this story forty years ago when a young woman. It was chilling then and has lost none of its charm.

[@d.deckert6634]

Amazing story narrative. Thank you, didn't expect that ending.... Just fantastic. By the way, I love dungeon and dragons 👍

[@annnovy4537]

This will stay with me for ages, so scary🧟‍♂️

[@thurayya8905]

Regarding teachers: When I was in college, I found that I had a two hour gap between classes and saw there was a Creative Writing III class that would nicely fit the gap and bring credits to my English major. I knew adding this class was extremely nervy of me, as I had not even taken the prerequisites, Creative Writing I and Creative Writing II. Still, there was that gap. The class turned out to have only 18 or 20 students (they had probably taken the prerequisites). On the occasion of our first class, the professor, a lovely and serious middle-aged man with a black suit and sagging socks, had us write a story. That's how old I am; everyone wrote their story on ruled paper with a pen or pencil. I was the last to start. I wasn't panicked, but I hadn't expected to dive in just like that. We handed them in, one by one, and left. On our next class, the professor singled out a few students and told them, in a warm but regretful tone, that he was sorry, but he didn't think they would be up to the coursework. He suggested they repeat the last class and try again. At this point, I was just happy I wasn't in this group and my shortcomings hadn't yet been spotted. He then went on to comment about some of the stories and even read a couple to us, handing them back to the authors afterward with compliments and criticism. He then went on to say that there was one story he was very impressed by and started to read it. At this point, I had my nearsighted head stuck to my notebook, but, when he began to read MY paper, my head went up and my jaw went down. He told me after class that I was greatly talented. He normally spent his time discouraging students from thinking they were going to make a living from writing, but felt I should really get out there and try. So, Tony, I guess you are right in a backward way here, because I never went anywhere with my writing.😂 The teacher was right, too, though; he just didn't know I was too lazy to stick to it.

[@ClassicGhost]

You should still try! Why not?

[@kjaaroe196]

That voice... absolutely wonderful. Thank you.

[@ClassicGhost]

Thanks for listening

[@BertieShaul-mn4qc]

Wow, Tony! That was quite frightening!

[@riikkapauliinaussa1910]

I've listened to many of your audios, this story was truly frightening. Thank you for these and also for your "monologues" 😊

[@lindadarveau1031]

AWESOME! Made my skin crawl

[@beckylynnegamble588]

in US one can utilize USPS Media Mail to ship books, albums, etc to avoid going broke but unsure if it can be used internationally

[@ClassicGhost]

certainly, I’ve never found out myself. I couldn’t believe how expensive it was. I don’t think anyone would mind if it just got put in the hold of a ship and took a month to get over.

[@dawnwaddell7324]

I don't know why, but I pitcher the too characters as Shaggy and Velma from Scooby-Doo. Love the picture as well.

[@Story-Voracious66]

Thanks Tony, thanks Nancy! I only wish that I had more time to say how very much I enjoyed all of this. But... Just thank you for now.

[@barbarawallace6890]

I highly recommend finding copies of MWW's John the Balladeer stories! Very good folkloric stories; John is a great character, helping people who are having supernatural or demonic problems in the hollers and woods of the south. He's a plain man, but strong spiritually, and the stories always feel like you are with a person you could listen to around a fire for hours. ❤

[@erichinkle7347]

I agree. Wellman's John stories are some of the best American fantasy tales ever written.

[@dodiekoehler]

Thanks Tony! Great story. I really enjoy listening to your ramble about your life. 😊 Thank you for sharing.

[@michaelcannon4835]

Holy crap, I love this guy’s channel. I love his reading voice. Love most of the selections. Love hearing the post notes on author/story. Find listening to be a joy and comfort. But the digressions are getting difficult. Maybe progressively so

[@ClassicGhost]

Tell me what you mean so I can address it.

[@travispickle7932]

Another winner! Your reading of these stories is superb. Great choice of material too. We can’t enough of this spooky story stuff! 👻

[@sarahmurphy778]

This one legitimately scared me! Great reading Tony! Very, very creepy...you really narrated well and built up the suspense. 5/5 ⭐️

[@marjie012000]

What a brilliant spooky story, Thank you Tony I enjoyed listening to this so much I listened twice! 😮

[@ClassicGhost]

Twice! It's a good one though.

[@marjie012000]

@@ClassicGhost yep twice! 🤩👍

[@christineheminger7762]

This story has stuck with me for years because it is Soo creepy

[@nancyrogalewski4017]

Another wonderful story and another lovely chat. Thank you!

[@Tom-vm2wh]

Edward Gorey is an awesome artist. Highly recommend this group looks him up if you don't know him.

[@stevenmiller2427]

I'm a teacher and I try to always be a positive force in my students' life's. Sometimes I am the only positive force in their lifes.

[@catherinecrawford2289]

I also had a Gram with an old tin of buttons and I played with them all the time as well as her collection of swizzle sticks collected over the years. She had no toys so I made do. I have it now and I just realized the tin must be 90 years old.

[@Kkthedj]

Your stream of consciousness really put a smile on my face today 😂

[@ClassicGhost]

I did one recently that even I thought was mad. but then the next one I did was calmer. I think the really crazy one was The eye of Apollo coming up on detectives.

[@Jynxxxycat]

My favourite author, of all time.

[@Jynxxxycat]

Did you ever read "The Witch's Cat"?

[@SusanMarie3]

Thank you! Curled up in the dark listening

[@meistergedanken4790]

Indeed, it's never too late - I self-published my debut fantasy novel ( A D&D-grounded deconstruction of fantasy genre tropes) in 2022 at the age of 50. And the sequel should be completed this year.

[@thurayya8905]

Pish, you're still young!

[@88lonerr23]

Your voice is soo pretty.

[@WhiteRabbitAnne]

Who needs woke broke Hollywood when we have Tony and the best stories ever written. Thanks Tony. My husband and I both love your reading. Though my husband has yet to make it through a whole story. Your voice is just too soothing. Right when I'm on the edge of my seat i hear light snoring beside me. ❤😸

[@ChaosandGlitter36]

Since when has Hollywood been "woke"? Just enjoy the channel and leave buzzwords in the bin.

[@caliwagg1898]

Can’t enjoy a ghost story without letting everyone know your political leaning 🙄

[@WhiteRabbitAnne]

@@caliwagg1898 read again. I wasn't talking politics I was talking talent. New Hollywood talks nothing but politics which means the story gets lost. Non politics was what I was praising. And I was complimenting Tony .I'm not sure how you fit into that. Do you walk up to random tables at cafes and comment on what people at that table are talking about? Seems a bit odd don't you think.

[@sheilasmith7991]

​@@ChaosandGlitter36 it's been WOKE for a few years now. Haven't you been to the cinema lately?

[@dorn0531]

A few decades…

[@SMichaelDeHart]

Tony, you're pronouncing Appalachia correctly. I live in southern West Virginia. My state is the only state completely in the Appalachian ramge. The rest only have sections of their state. My father worked as a Class A Transmission Lineman for Appalachian Power Company for 38 years. Dad was born in the Pocahontas Coual Fields of Appalachia. I hate when Yankees tries to tell me how to pronounce an area thats in my DNA. Off my soap box. This was a rather scarier story that youve done in a while.

[@Josephinejefferies]

Apparently I have heard this already. But I just enjoyed it a second time. Enjoyed this. 😊

[@ClassicGhost]

It's best if you forget them then you get to enjoy them for the first time the second time too.

[@BBB_bbb_BBB]

Jerk is well and alive here in Canada too. And it's particularly funny to hear someone with a real thick Canadian accent say it. Don't know about Mexico though (they're also North Americans). It's interesting to hear the cookie tin with buttons is common elsewhere as well. In Quebec and Ontario it's very common. My mom inherited the button tin from her mom and any time I have extra buttons I hang on to them to add to the tin. And I'm sure I'll be inheriting it someday myself.

[@thurayya8905]

You made me remember my mother's button tin. I thought I had taken it with me when I left home years ago, but I think now it was probably left behind and my stepmother either threw it out or gave it to Goodwill.

[@violetfemme411]

Beautifully haunting start 💜

[@Hunrakku3]

There's an RPG (similar to D&D) called Dungeon Crawl Classics... it has a setting/adventure based on Manly Wade Wellman, it's called The Chained Coffin.

[@ClassicGhost]

Oooo. That sounds good

[@amandine512]

Very well done. Perfectly spooky, perfectly read.

[@rosiemcnaughton9933]

Good job, Tony! Thanks.

[@BoneLonesome]

There was a movie made of John the Balladeer. I enjoyed it. The legend of Hillbilly John. It's very 70s, but it was made in 1972 so what does one expect?

[@kathygreenlay73]

Us Canadians definitely use the term "jerk" but we certainly don't have a shortage of alternative descriptors.

[@debbiekhune8645]

Love you're work and love the back ground picture. Keep up the awesome work. Have a great weekend 😀 ☺️ 😘

[@cronchyskull]

Tony, you need to make an online DnD campaign so we can all join 🤣 Been trying to get into it but I struggle with working out stats etc (luv dyscalcula)

[@ClassicGhost]

I use Roll20. You can find me there!

[@stevenshipman650]

Excellent! A very tense story.

[@ClassicGhost]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AncientelectronsO]

Amazing story and you do these so well! Liked and subscribed. P.S, You have the perfect voice for doing these.

[@denaisaacthiswasgreat.thum7598]

I just found you and this is Great? New way to spend my evenings. LOL. Thanx!

[@DPCurtisSydney]

Really strong….as you say, Tony this is scary…superb.

[@garybernstein3527]

Two Twilight Zone episodes were adapted from manly Wade Wellman stories. The Passerby. The Valley Was Still. The Night Gallery adapted one of his stories about a vampire dealing with Nazis. All pretty good adaptations. It was a low budget movie I have not seen based on the John the Ballader stories: THE LEGEND OF HILLBILLY JOHN.

[@fortunefavorsthebold3459]

Genuinely terrifying!

[@Mop-Tollsy]

Ooo exciting getting into ttrpgs!! Enjoy your games! D&D is great

[@greatestytcommentator]

@motherpenn_7087 I have still to find an enjoyable broadcast of a D&D game. Surely if some of the story writers and narrators played together, it would make for great live streams?

[@Mop-Tollsy]

@greatestytcommentator Ttrpg actual plays aren't my specialty, I mostly just play or runn games. That being said Supergeekmike's critical role demystified series has given me a lot of respect for Matt Mercer and his players. I think anything dimension20 looks really great and I've enjoyed the few things I've watched from that. Now and then I find a actual play with like 500 views from an obscure channel playing OSR versions of d&d and those are funn for how compact and chill they are. Banditskeep's second channel solo play of original chainmail is engaging for me. Idk if you're into angst and can put up with a lil cringe: there are parts of whitewolf's official LA by Night and New York by night vampire the masquerade chronicles. Hopefully there's something there you like, but my main advice is playing actual ttrpg's with friends! A cheap alternative is the free and "open source" basic fantasy rules set that is very Ad&d 2e but stripped down and cleaned up.

[@TheBluestBlue1]

Love this conversation from you. Thanks. My wifes name sheila too!

[@lunablue745]

Sufficiently spooky. As an aside, I was listening to a podcast by two American women. It was a paranormal kind of thing. One of the women said that whenever she hears the word "spooky" it makes her laugh because it sounds silly. Maybe that's just our American sense of humor? It does sound like a silly word now that I think about it. I am curious if anyone else was confused a little by the story. It seemed like there was a big assumption made as to the reader understanding how the protagonists became the hanging people. Like, did a spirit hang them? Did they hang themselves? I enjoyed the story, but didn't like the way the ending was written. Cheers!

[@violetfemme411]

And Happy Father's Day my friend 💜

[@sarahmcgrady6748]

Hi Tony! This was truly scary!! I listen to stories every night, but this was the first time I have had to wiggle in beside my husband.

[@blackfyre365]

I really enjoyed this one- thank you! 💕

[@ClassicGhost]

So glad!

[@psychedianic]

The house in the thumbnail looks like the only one I could afford to buy these days. Falling apart, haunted, out in the middle of nowhere. Expecting a price tag of 80k and a monthly payment of $560. Owner probably selling for half a million. Ah, America. 😂 Manly Wade Wellman was a well known writer here in NC. I grew up reading local ghost stories by him. Nancy Roberts also did some compilations of NC ghost stories. Great stuff!

[@edf777]

Thank you sir 😊❤

[@ClassicGhost]

Most welcome 😊

[@dongray9852]

Many of Wellman's "Silver John" tales would be most welcome here! The Old Gods Waken, for example.

[@sylviajones4907]

Sometimes when someone tells you, "you can't," it makes you mad enough to say, "I'll show them!" But often u r right, we give up.

[@thurayya8905]

I agree, persistence is key.

[@Josephinejefferies]

Good one

[@WhiteRabbitAnne]

Oh my Tony, your commentary had me in stitches. I had to laugh into my pillow not to wake my husband.😂

[@ClassicGhost]

Is that a picture of you and your husband in your profile picture? He’s very handsome.

[@WhiteRabbitAnne]

😂😂😂 No that goes with the idea that I'm down the rabbit hole. My husband and I joke that either the Mayan calendar DID end or CERN has done something to the time line. Either way we don't recognize the world anymore. I grew up with blazing saddles and a movie like that couldn't be made today because no one would understand it was anti racist humour. They would take offence at everything. You look at how women dressed in the 60s enjoying being looked at. Now if you say a woman looks good its an insult. It's a mad mad world . Philip k dick ideas seem much more plausible now. But is my husband my snuggle bunny yes indeed he is.

[@marlagrey3036]

Hey Tony, have you ever been to Wigtown in South West Scotland? It's only about a four hour drive from North Wales. Anyway, it is also called Booktown, because it is full of bookstores and libraries and they have a book festival every year. Lots of other book related things. You'd love it.

[@ClassicGhost]

i have but a few years ago. inwas suggesting to sheila we go to the rhinns of galloway for our hols next year

[@JamesRobertSmith]

I've read quite a lot of Wellman's weird fiction, and I've always thought that this one is the darkest of them. I met him a couple of times. He had great stories about writing for the pulps and comics during the 30s and 40s.

[@ClassicGhost]

I am really impressed and envious that you met him

[@danielwage5595]

Love your post story ramble. Too much Buddas. I feel you man, my fiance is the same.

[@ClassicGhost]

+@danielwage5595 It’s true

[@kimberleyoga]

Starting at 32:53 "...I don't know what that is, but it needs ironing." 🤣 🤣🤣 Thank you for making me laugh out loud, I needed that!