"The Mask" by Robert W. Chambers / King in Yellow (2/10)

[@mariecarie1]

Man, what a delightful cast of characters in this one. You know you've got a friend when you can randomly yell, "Come see my bath full of death!" and your friend is totally cool with that statement.

[@HorrorBabble]

The King in Yellow Part II - "The Mask" "The King in Yellow" is a book of short stories by American writer Robert W. Chambers, first published in 1895. The book comprises ten individual tales, several of which are thematically linked by a controversial play with which the novel shares its title. Chapters: 00:35 - I 09:28 - II 16:14 - III 31:02 - IV Buy The King in Yellow on Audible: www.audible.com/pd/B076HZH573 Narrated by Ian Gordon & Jennifer Gill for HorrorBabble Produced by Ian Gordon Music "Relentless 2 (Berlin 1976)" by Glen Alexander: glenalexander2.bandcamp.com 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

[@kimkirby2615]

I know you are in the U.K. but dog whistles in the US are a massive problem. You can’t pat the backs of people using your feed to endorse a race war in America.

[@HorrorBabble]

@@kimkirby2615 Hi Kim. You'll have to forgive us - we hadn't heard that word before, and certainly hadn't associated it with anything nefarious. The comment has been removed. Thanks for drawing our attention to it.

[@levprotter1231]

This is by far my favorite thing ever.

[@MintyCow101]

“She fell into some cement” “ah shit” “my cement fish is awake” ...FUUUUU

[@timfreckman5227]

Amazing horror story with a beautiful ending. Loved ones back from the dead, and not even a hint of demonic consequences. Thanks for another great presentation.

[@thumperpaul155]

Eh yeah except for Boris he got kinda screwed.

[@joearnold6881]

I think you missed something.

[@m0tv1nd]

@@joearnold6881 Missed what?

[@joearnold6881]

@@m0tv1nd it’s not a happy ending at all. “demonic consequences”, or the lack of them, has nothing to do with it Read it again. Notice when things happen, and when he read the play that makes anyone who reads it go mad. Notice how urgent the letter was about not leaving the house and how it was in the same day the statues seemed to be coming back. It’s left unspecific, but the horror is there.

[@m0tv1nd]

@@joearnold6881 I have re-read it. I was curious to know why he was told not to leave the house. I could not figure it out. Telling him to leave the house would have made it seem like something bad was about to happen.

[@kittybaby4288]

Such a beautiful story ! With a beautiful twist ending

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Great story and narration! Thanks!

[@magisterapophis8714]

I always enjoy hearing stories with both of you working together. Can expect the very best from you two, always.

[@HorrorBabble]

We're thrilled you're enjoying the series so far Myles! Ian & Jen

[@glass4breakfast]

Alright, here I go about to start part 2 I'm so stoked!

[@glass4breakfast]

Wow... I can't believe how much that affected me... I've never heard anything quite like it. But I'm not sure if it was more due to the writing or your reading of it that stirred so much feeling in me... it's hard to even describe the emotion. Damn good job! ;)

[@deesneezy]

This is one of the gloomiest love story I have ever heard. Can't wait for part III of The King in Yellow!

[@isnanesavant]

Only thing I could say is you made Boris sound far older than hes written to be, but this was all still amazing beside that one odd quality

[@HorrorBabble]

I'm certainly guilty of that from time to time. Thanks very much for listening! Ian

[@LittleSeasonist]

Yeah I'd say he was an old 23 at the time though lol

[@lawrenceferguson1173]

fantastic book. an superbly read and acted out

[@HorrorBabble]

Much appreciated Lawrence! Ian

[@Benjamin-mj9pd]

Fun Fact: This got into the Cthulhu Mythos the same way Conan the barbarian did. Pulp fiction collaborations.

[@blastedcontroller]

Still what was jack goin to tell him that we won't ever Know I guess

[@brycecurtis8483]

Simply Masterful. Well done Sir.

[@terrybeal2252]

What a beautiful story and your narration is excellent. 😎

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks Terry!

[@joearnold6881]

The ending… It _seems_ like a sort of happy ending, But is it? Everything that happened after he read The King in Yellow is suspect, since that’s the effect of the book, but more than that, what of Jack and his growing disquiet for his friend the narrator? The last letter, the one imploring the narrator not to leave the house and promising to come straight away as though some dread emergency had come, that letter is received on the very day when the petrified beings are apparently coming back to life. It’s _not_ a happy ending. Something g terrible is happening, but I can’t quite put my finger on what! “No mask? No mask!?”

[@twindrill2852]

Reading TKIY, any part of it, is a death-or in this case madness-sentence.

[@alejandrotorves6483]

Hello, yes, the story main concern of the ending is on the future, the present seems too good to be true, but to the narrator at first we don't know what happens even a second after he sees the girl awakening. It's curious, I was reading other comments about the girl coming back as possessed, but the thing about the friend telling to not leave the house seems to clash with that theory, if she is a demon now he should leave asap... it's so mysterious

[@johnjones2nd667]

But wait, if he sat down to read the king in yellow, did he read his own story? Or we are not reading the true version?

[@saxogatley1166]

In the book, the King is Yellow is a play.

[@tammyvincent9417]

The King in Yellow is a play, and anyone seeing or reading it will go mad or die. Alec isn't dead, so.....

[@joearnold6881]

The first bit, ending with “no mask?!” Is part of the actual King in Yellow Snippets appear before ilea h story. Hopefully not enough that we are all mad now. Hopefully. Nothing that he tells us after he’s read it can be fully trusted.

[@flamingkitsune2792]

can you do madusas coil by hp lovecraft?

[@HorrorBabble]

Intriguing - that'll be the third Zealia Bishop collaboration on our request list. They're quite popular it would seem! We'll add it to the list, but we've got quite a few to get through first. We're probably going to cap the request list after the next one, otherwise we'll never get through them all! (So if anybody sees this, get your request in quick!) Thanks again. Ian

[@glass4breakfast]

HorrorBabble oh man I just saw this since as u know I'm listening through these KiY parts now recently, I hope it's not too late to put in a request. Cuz I have a good one. Can u read some of the original Twilight Zone short stories that they based episodes off of??? Like To Serve Man, It's a Good Life, Little Girl Lost, And When the Sky was Opened Up, Third From the Sun, Shadow Play, Perchance to Dream, Death Ship, Elegy, Still Valley, In His Image, Number Twelve looks just like You, & The Old Man in the Cave. Those are some of my favorite episodes based on stories, of which I've heard a couple narrated but not many n r hard to find. Here's a list with the authors n original titles in case your interested: www.imdb.com/list/ls059801508/ I think your voice Ian would sound great for some of these stories! Twilight Zone is one of the best shows ever, goddamn it was just so good!

[@rachweatherilll69]

What! A happy ending! Lol

[@johnjones2nd667]

I wanna read the play

[@anne-sophiegoyette7746]

same, let's all go insane

[@johnjones2nd667]

Amen

[@doppelbanger5797]

I was up all night reading act 2 of the king in yellow, I didn't go insane mwhaha haha Oh King! my mind will bear for ever the memory of the Pallid Mask !!

[@tammyvincent9417]

It is on the Dark Web, isn't it?

[@feralbluee]

way cool - good story - good characterizations. i could just see that scared young girl holding those fish :}

[@tonlito22]

King in Yeloow is coming along nicely. Is there any chance of you guys adding Dracula to your list in the future?

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks for listening Ton! We had considered it at one time, but our recent reading of a similar classic, Frankenstein, didn't really fare too well in terms of viewership, so Dracula is on the back burner for now.

[@tikkidaddy]

@@HorrorBabble Dad gone it!

[@gamingchinchilla7323]

You actually made Boris sound like Dumbledore from the first two Harry Potter movies. So forgive me if I pictured him in a wizarding robe, pointy hat, long thin beard, small spectacles and an elder wand as he gleefully loomed over the tub of marbling solution as if it were a pensieve filled with his greatest memories.

[@HorrorBabble]

[@johncreed-sy3jd]

I don't find this entire novella ( king in yellow at all scary ) I've listened and read and it just doesn't seem to match up to the hype. Very grateful for your time and effort though. Thank you

[@joearnold6881]

It’s not scary. It’s dreadful (literally full of dread) This tale in particular has a very ominous ending, if you’ve paid attention.

[@austencobine864]

The original stories are probably better than the ones currently available.

[@glass4breakfast]

Austen Cobine what the hell does that mean?

[@memezarthereviewer5048]

@@glass4breakfast He mean youtuber own OC stories is better than story he tell that other author maked.

[@caleshriver134]

What does any of this have to do with the Yellow King... So confused

[@punishedbarca761]

This is a short story from The Yellow King

[@sammatthews8779]

The king in yellow is a collection of short stories, this is the second short story in the collection.

[@caleshriver134]

Sam Matthews but none of them really have to do with the Yellow King... Hastur. I thought he was written about as being the main antagonist, by how popular he is

[@sammatthews8779]

@@caleshriver134 the only connection between the stories is they read the play at one point or another, the king isn't a big character strangely

[@feralbluee]

🔥******🔥Do NOT READ Tim Freckman below 3 years ago - complete SPOILER🔥 - fyi NICE to read AFTER though - sorry Tim - :}

[@turtleanton6539]

Hastuuuuuur

[@RandolphTheWhite1]

You fool, randel is dead