"The House of the Worm" / A Cthulhu Mythos Story by Mearle Prout

[@HorrorBabble]

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[@tuomasronnberg5244]

The most shocking detail is the main character engaging in any kind of physical activities in a lovecraftian story 😄

[@TheGrowdan311]

After all these years Ian and Jen are still second to none. They are the standard setters for everyone else

[@FallinFromTheSkyy]

I agree

[@gp-js2ss]

Who else do you listen to. They are all i got. Haha.

[@rheinhartsilvento2576]

@@gp-js2ss They're great, I love 'em! But they're not the only ones that are great. Check out Nature's Temper, or Bitesized Audio. They're great as well🌺

[@TheGrowdan311]

I listen to a few different narrators. Like mentioned Natures Temper is great as is Creeps McPasta, Mr. Creeps, Clancy, Dr. Creepen, Dark Somnium, CGS, CTFDN's Jason Hill, the list is long but HB has their own very unique style. U have to use your imagination more at HB. Like movies a lot of stories nowadays leave little to the imagination spelling out every gory detail every step of the way. Sometimes I like to fill n the blanks myself and a lot of HB stories allow me to do just that. Classic horror done with loads of class.

[@catlover788]

I love this stuff!!!! There are many great narrators as well as great stories!!!!

[@robertfoster4897]

If I didn't live way below the poverty line I would support a lot you guys consitantly produce good material

[@sabastjunberthiaume8391]

Just keep working brother we're with you

[@earthcat]

Same. Too broke to do anything

[@suek9456]

It will get better...you are not alone in your poverty these days.

[@ForgotteMemories101]

things will always improve. Hopefully two years later, you're much more comfortable and safe in finances.

[@geronimo8159]

Poverty Squad!

[@BlaqueCzar]

I always say: "You fool! Warren is dead." In sync with Ian.

[@colinsmith458]

Hah! Glad I know I am not alone in that little idiosyncrasy!

[@colemarie9262]

Oh, I like this one. Thanks as always!! Edit: " nightmare fungus"!! That's like a dog whistle to lovecraft fans, along with "rotting gambrel roofs", "cyclopean masonry", "ancient" something or other.... The list goes on obviously, but you get my point lol

[@Enkrod]

Eons, Putrid, Mouldy, Iä!

[@paulandreotti1639]

Don't forget "antediluvian".

[@bobbymarcum772]

I never fail to enjoy the loveliness of a gibbous, fungoid moon--especially when I'm trying to re-bury a jade diadem with a blasphemous abnormality carved upon it. And I am doing that right now.

[@leosharman8630]

Non Euclidean

[@Eris123451]

@@bobbymarcum772 My word, what could possibly go wrong ?

[@frogisis]

three- hun- dred six- ty- five dead trees WORMING DOWN THE HOUSE

[@prophetOfsnake]

How am I just finding this channel??? Tf??? I love this

[@Flood520]

Enjoy plumbing the depths of their content, there's a lot of good stuff here.

[@andrewrobertson3894]

It's a gold mine

[@leebennett1821]

Thanks

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks once again, Lee!

[@tanyasalazar8251]

Your voice is made for stories like this. I'm glad I found this!! Thanks

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks for listening!

[@MaliciousMollusc]

I thought the Colour out of Space w/ Nic Cage was a good homage, but this definitely surpassed it.

[@janetcw9808]

I'm late in, but I'm here! Good wishes to you, all you love and followers Worldwide Xxx

[@callumleask9186]

Amazing person you welcome from new Zealand

[@blixten2928]

These productions are life-savers of quality (pictures, music, choice of literature,and above all reading) in a sea of poor quality half-ass stuff. THANK GOD they exist!!!

[@tomcurran1538]

This stuff should be in the English Literature Canon. There's enough "I'm a victim," PC in there to make room for these works. No fun being an English prof anymore.

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Another amazing narration of an awesome story. As always, excellent job, Ian!

[@stygiansagas]

This'll make excellent listening while it's storming tonight! Thanks for another awesome reading.

[@jonathanwpressman]

I think this might be the most suspenseful horror story that I've ever heard. Thanks a lot Ian.

[@Pisces273]

Characters: *Come up with a plan to burn the worms* Me: *Sees that there’s 19 minutes left * This is will definitely end badly

[@scleroctenophore]

Spoiled By the Format™

[@nanphx2038]

Hee Hee I do that too! aren't short stories great like that?!

[@gregoryturner9530]

Been waiting a grip for this one. Thanks Ian and Jen and the whole horrorbabble team

[@loganlogon3720]

Thank you Ian!

[@minnthetko3695]

Not gonna lie. This is the best story I've ever listened.

[@BlaqueCzar]

I love these kind of stories. Nature itself can be terrifying in the hands of the right author

[@robertwalker-smith2739]

This suggests the idea of gods as tulpas, created by the belief of the faithful.

[@jonshepherd2550]

Sounds about right to me. This idea is explored really well in Neil Gaiman's book American Gods.. also made into a TV show

[@earthcat]

The idea of the tulpa scares me...opening a door to mental illness.

[@teddydog6229]

And are obliterated by disbelief. Just imagine how poorly Zeus looks these days.

[@teddydog6229]

@@earthcat Isn't it called 'groupthink' these days or am I confusing two different concepts ?

[@teddydog6229]

That shadow never would have fallen over Innsmouth' without the Esoteric Order of Dagon as a hub. These are good thoughts for simulating a vice on the head.

[@CrowSkeleton]

Thank you for reading this to me whilst I'm finishing off some gloves - a high-octane story about a scary compost heap and great inspiration for the particulars of what'll happen if my Call of Cthulhu players mess up badly enough to turn the entirety of southwest England over to Shub-Niggurath. Both appreciated!

[@nobodyyouknow1065]

Enjoyed this one very much, Ian.

[@tobypack6328]

🎶the worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, The worms play pinochle On your snout 🎶

[@j.stonehouse5004]

Thank you for this! I really appreciate your audios❤

[@soulreaver1983]

Excellent video as always thanks Ian!🙂

[@audrey3688]

That was a fantastic story. Very skin-crawly.

[@thebakerofbananabread3237]

Phenomenal!

[@donaldmccleary9015]

This is an awesome story. Great job!

[@jamiecameron7615]

I'm so pumped for this one! I read this once ages ago but forgot the name of it and where I read it. Thank you so very much!!

[@jamiesehdev2663]

This was a good one!!

[@Austrian_blood]

Ive always hated worms 😊 Thank you.

[@Flood520]

A very neat story I hadn't heard before. Thanks, Ian.

[@Slayheim]

I am liking this one a lot! I love Cthulhu mythos stories

[@gotcha4688]

I don't know why the title of this book entices me so much. Excellent reading, as always!

[@nanphx2038]

wow...incredible story. What a really good author. thanks as always

[@randystone4903]

I love the mature language of the stories who aren't trying to accommodate the lower vocabulary skills of our present day writers. I've never heard the word putrescent used so often outside a scientific paper on decay.

[@foofy3406]

listened to it five times in a row! amazing!

[@robynmarler1951]

Nutter😂😂😂x

[@SixTough]

What a chilling story, some brilliant writing as well

[@nemesisofeden]

You can’t kill the worms, for they are eternal and linked to the oldest fear of mankind. Death. Love your narrations! Looking forward to more of them!

[@sigmasix3719]

You can kill worms and maggots, I have accidentally killed the first and intentionally with great delight the second. 🫥🫥🫥🫥🫥

[@GunterThePenguinHatesHugs]

Is this what the Worm King in the Elder Scrolls is referencing? I feel like there's a couple 'Cults of the Worm' referenced in various games/ universes.

[@GodOfPlague]

Ah Mannimarco

[@Kropothead]

It’s a common trope, but I can only trace it to Poe’s Conqueror Worm.

[@GunterThePenguinHatesHugs]

@@Kropothead Ahh I've heard of that but have not read that! Thanks for the info I will have a read! 🙂👍

[@Kropothead]

@@GunterThePenguinHatesHugs Sure thing, hope you enjoy it!

[@harlowisla]

Thank you

[@thornalas4385]

The question arises: when will men stop behaving like earthworms? Even the active heroes just wanted to forget and fit in after the fight ... and after trying to understand. And so "the" worm keeps gnawing at the roots of human society. A very interesting story. Thank you.

[@shgnamaste7730]

7:47 .. lol. There are a couple of squirrels that I would be happy to recommend for the task. (They have been chewing my trash lid to pieces. )

[@Heka41]

love the narrator

[@geargrinder7714]

I think this is my favorite one

[@seanjustinkvalsvig1581]

One of the best

[@KingdomKillaz117]

"Hello, I'm Doctor Worm! Good morning, how are you? I'm Doctor Worm. I'm interested in things..."

[@orihoola]

Average Parrot Are you a real doctor?

[@bunyipz2040]

i remember my friend loved that song

[@chrisu7022]

I completely agree Dan i cant listen to any other narrator without wishing it were them!

[@patrickowens4294]

First off, thoroughly enjoyed this story and the reading. Having said that, I'm not sure this is a Cthulhu mythos story. Definitely weird fiction with a cosmic horror vibe, but I didn't really notice anything that connected it to the mythos. Maybe I'm missing something...

[@davidwhite7294]

This is reminiscent of one of my own and Lovecraft,s favourites.......The Colour out of Earth ?

[@slidvonjunzt7608]

Great story and once again great work guys! I will need to give it a second listen before long, I tend to get distracted during "longer" stories. That might explain this next question, but anyways here goes: Was I the only one failing to see the Mythos element in this one? Except perhaps the whole worm thing which might allude to Ludvig Prinn?

[@sigmasix3719]

Mythos element? the Cthulhu mythos isn't a series of elements, when did it get reduced to that?

[@slidvonjunzt7608]

I know and it didn't. Maybe as I said I need to give it a second listen.. but in my folly I simply failed to see how it fit in. My humblest apologies.. @@sigmasix3719

[@slidvonjunzt7608]

also its been 3 years since i made that comment so I WILL definitely have to relisten if I want to be capable of explaining myself.. 😅

[@dingo1666]

Ah the thirties. First you go shooting squirrels for fun, and then burn the forest down.

[@janetcw9808]

That was great, thank you.

[@dominicesquivel3901]

Isn’t this also the tittle of a an SCP

[@j.stonehouse5004]

Yes. It was a really good story, as well.

[@colemarie9262]

@@j.stonehouse5004 I was just going to comment the same thing. A long story, and one of my favorites.

[@reager90]

I think if Lovecraft was alive today he would approve of the SCP universe.

[@schwarzesonne6529]

@@reager90 I think he'd appreciate rpc more

[@nvfury13]

Its the name of about a half dozen horror stories by various authors, mostly very Lovecraftian.

[@andrewrobertson3894]

Title lead me to believe this was a story about my sister's ex husband.

[@mossandquill3077]

Lol the title reminds me of my ex husband as well.

[@callumleask9186]

Ah a reason to stop what I'm doing for an hour.

[@olalustig5397]

OMG OMG OMG OMG IM SO FUCKING HYPED de vermis mysteriis THANKS IAN THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

[@ralf7568]

Love that intro

[@moonchildsfaeryrealm.3971]

That was awesome

[@satanswife2546]

🖤🖤🖤

[@dondawson2174]

This story fits all to well with today's world.......

[@genevievebertolet2909]

Come on, Fred n' Art - Grandpa Nurgle just wanted a hug.

[@margaretwhitmer2715]

Well, this tale was timely

[@Shacthulhu]

Sold!

[@thefisherking78]

Creeeeeeeptastic

[@cpthurme]

reminds me of the shunned house

[@70schild420]

Poor warren,he’s been dead longer than he was alive

[@Dracologist]

Very Nurgle

[@PlayNiceFolks]

🤢😄🤮🤪

[@GodOfPlague]

Nurgle and I are buds

[@Dracologist]

@@GodOfPlague Brother... Get the flamer... THE HEAVY FLAMER!

[@hopefulwarrior4953]

Who was Mearle Prout? I can find no record of this person.

[@fisk0]

Yeah, there's extremely little about them out there, there was one born in 1911 who died in 1964. But really surprising how little there is to find considering just how great this story is, it's really not far behind Lovecraft's The Colour Out Of Space in quality.

[@TheLordUrban]

I wonder if this story influenced early Warhammer.

[@jehovasabettor9080]

Pretty sure of it. They appear to have scoured each and every sci-fi, pulp and horror fiction pieces they managed to get their hands on

[@stevepalpatine2828]

Definitely reminiscent of Nurgle, especially where the protagonist begins to be seduced by the decaying presence's will.

[@Xbalanque84]

Not gonna lie, I am rather fond of the metaphysical musings in this story. Who knows how many of the lesser gods worshipped throughout human history were/are thus given substance/reality? Could that itself be the result of man being made in the image of God?

[@sigmasix3719]

The anthropomorphic nature of our made up gods is an overt aspect of our collective conceit and vanity. A self obsessed race of pathological narcissists. 🫥🫥🫥🫥🫥

[@jehovasabettor9080]

Ah, yes, a minor Nurgle cult purged by the vigilant servants of the Emperor. They have a bright future in the Inquisition!

[@DrewperttheGnome]

oh, worm?

[@distarr2783]

A word of advice: don't listen to this while you're eating noodles.

[@robynmarler1951]

They're only noodles, Michael😜

[@Ragsta]

WHY did I continue to eat my pizza? :S Great reading though, thank you!

[@GuukanKitsune]

Technically, any Cthulhu mythos stories not written by HP himself are just ascended fanfics. Doesn't make many of them any less good tho.

[@blakmajk3512]

🐐

[@Pekuu132]

I'm curious if the game Darkwood was inspired by this story. There seems to be a lot of similarities store.steampowered.com/app/274520/Darkwood/

[@richardwilliams5387]

At some point people would grow so desperate they'd try anything...even two crazy men's idea.

[@richardstrachmesserschmiti4979]

SCP-a.5k sacrament wood

[@gothicdragonwarriorqueen5819]

Scary-as-shit cool!!🙂🖤💀☠🧛‍♀️🧛‍♂️⚰🦇👻🕷🕸

[@ZerryBerrytheSpaceRaccoon]

Oh no. It's the ALASKAN BULL WORM! EVERYBODY RUN!

[@sarge4455]

And the worms 🪱 ate into his brain 🧠

[@Thomas-wn7cl]

👍👍👍

[@EricDaMAJ]

Evo Shandor would later get up to no good in New York City.

[@Chris-wf2lr]

Who is Warren? Have you see on those old pop songs on KZbin when they say before or after (I forget) the video plays and in a cool man's voice "Killed by a poison!" - nice. "Warren is dead" is fine. One foot in, one foot out though compared to (in my most manly voice) : "KILLED BY A POISON!". Before (or after) every song "KILLED BY A POISON!"... epic. I have been trying to figure out why "Warren is dead" isn't quite the same... for me. I think it's because it makes sense, because Warren is the character in one or more of your great stories? I guess, it isn't as unhinged & it could be as a result of it kind of making sense. The guy saying "KILLED BY A POISON!" on every pop song makes absolutely no sense. edit. You know what. I'm just thinking out loud btw. I think Warren is dead suits this channel well and you don't come off as being particularly unhinged and it's good, my bad. edit. I always forget about context.

[@malsiddas9960]

Listen to The Statement of Randolph Carter on this channel for context

[@LTPottenger]

warren was a very foolish man

[@mahniskel]

I wonder how far down those steps he got?

[@shamefulbrainbot4742]

The house of the dangly noodle

[@madderhat5852]

Dammit, I KNOW Warren is dead. I would think the cremation would have settled that point.

[@earthcat]

Hello Ian...Little Dorrit here. I accidentally signed out of Little Dorrit and I can't remember the password 😔

[@andrewgoodman5526]

Excuse me while I go set some things on fire...

[@Self-replicating_whatnot]

Ignis sanat!

[@theratking013]

Mannimarcos favourite Story...

[@GodOfPlague]

Yes indeed. I set that fool free for some reason.

[@jennyteaganballejo733]

Has anyone seen Warren? I heard he wasn't feeling well and I made him some soup.

[@maxpower1363]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Gippsland_earthworm reminds me of this

[@williamfawkes8379]

Muahahahaha!

[@mikereilly7629]

Just a useless but interesting factoid.....the word Worm comes from old anglo Saxon.the word virrum,which means serpent,or sometimes dragon.

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks, Mike!

[@AceOfHeartz4]

There is an SCP with the same title. Curious to see if they are similar any.

[@sigmasix3719]

An SCP, sad crap pile ? Singing cow pond? Pale coconut samples? Scones,cake and pies ? The egocentric belief that everyone else has abbreviated words in order to attained the very hight of laziness? The conceited assumption that everyone lives inside a bubble full of nerds?

[@hyacinthdathenes9405]

​​@@sigmasix3719so instead of just googling what an SCP is you just chose to insult someone on a comment they made a year ago for referring to something you don't understand in the appropriate manner? For what little it's worth SCP stands for Secure, Contain, Protect, which is an accurate description of how the SCP foundation operates within it's own lore. The items (and i use that term loosely as many are people or even stranger things) that are "anomalous" within this setting are designated with the letters SCP a dash and then a number like SCP-027 The vermin god or SCP-1461 The House of the Worm. If you want to know more, since many are often terrifying (often drawing on Lovecraftian works) and as you're someone here listening to horrorbabble you might find some of them to your liking. That is, if you can overcome your juvenile preference for insults long enough to look up one of the channels on YT that feature them.

[@draconbacon6395]

Scp 1461