"The Urbanite" by Ewen Whyte / Baffling Beasts

"The Urbanite" is a short story by the little-known author, Ewen Whyte. First published in the January 1950 edition of Weird Tales, it was described as follows: “The great City is never still, for even when it sleeps under darkness it stirs unceasingly with nightmare thoughts.”
Ewen Whyte playlist: • Ewen Whyte
00:00 - Introduction
00:56 - The Urbanite
27:54 - Further Listening
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Narrated by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble
Music and production by Ian & Jennifer Gordon
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[@EricDaMAJ]

Warren isn’t dead. But he did finally make landfall in India on the coffin after his shipwreck. Something tried to break out of it and eat him. But thanks to a crucifix, the hot Indian sun, and some fast talking he made a deal instead. The creature inside busted four holes in the bottom to extend its limbs so it could walk from inside the coffin. Warren sits atop it navigating with his cell phone. The two are making good time to Delhi.

[@rajramnarine123]

Poor Warren! I miss him so! 😢

[@CharlieMartini222]

RIP Warren

[@rajramnarine123]

@@CharlieMartini222 Yes! 😬

[@sub-jec-tiv]

You fool Stimpy! Warren is dead!

[@Sameer-ox7wu]

Who is Warren? (Serious)

[@davidbudge8359]

​@@Sameer-ox7wutry listening to the Statement of Randolph Carter and you will get the in joke.

[@cynthiahawkins2389]

Cheers from New Orleans French Quarter...I am resting in bed, recovering from an illness..and this story was just the thing....

[@SueCooke]

Get Well Soon xx

[@joannewatts9892]

J.R. Tolkien hated the industrial age , as do I . Thank you , Ian 🐺🎄

[@adrianobastardi]

Yet here you are using the industrial age of KZbin. You seem to hate the very thing you use.

[@samsonsoturian6013]

He didn't hate industrialization as much as he loved old woodland and small communities

[@joannewatts9892]

@@adrianobastardi big wow , so I suppose that makes me a total urbanite ?.... WRONG! I didn't make the rules . & I said I hate the industrial age & I do. Grew up on a farm & owned the most beautiful horse 6. 5 hands high , Arabian ( dark brown with a crooked white blaze ) . What's wrong are you jelouse ?

[@joannewatts9892]

..* 16.5 hands high 🐎🐴

[@GothicBarbarian]

⁠@@adrianobastardi”We should improve society somewhat.” “Yet you participate in society. Curious! I am very intelligent.”

[@shaddonon]

Woof, this story’s got a mean urban edge! If you enjoyed it, I highly recommend Leiber’s "Smoke Ghost"!

[@scottbubb2946]

It reminds me a bit of Clive Barker's "Son of Celluloid".

[@stevecausey545]

I forgot about smoke ghost! Excellent story

[@Khomatone]

“A human could not believe it.” I feel the same way about being possessed in a haunted house. I was house sitting for a friend’s parents. Couldn’t of happened. Even if the neighbors saw me gardening at dawn. Couldn’t of happened…

[@7colored]

Lovecraftian horror meets Transformers… I was pleasantly surprised!

[@Nanosuit37]

Thank you Mr.Gordon and Horror Babble. Excellent, as always. Until next time.

[@laurelsilberman5705]

Wow, this story is incredible! An absolute banger. Halfway through the thing’s evolution, shall we say- just how happy Charlie was thinking about how his ancestors came from the same right conditions of shallow pools as any other man, a brilliant parallel set up for the final lines of the book-I said out loud, “is it an urban golem?” Kind of wondering what was happening. I was so worried at first that the men were going to go beat Happy Charlie to death (because way to punch down instead of up in times of crisis😠), and then I wasn’t sure if I was happy or sad that Happy Charlie, off-screen, was actually killed and consumed as some part of this brand-new, urban detritus humonculous thing, because on the one hand-I would have been so sad to hear him be afraid and being eaten, that’s a cheap scary ending anyways-it’s so much more grim to realize that he was in fact, either this new life form’s first victim, or perhaps the final crucial ingredient to bring this heaving, evolving heap of machine-scraps, basically framing machines in this story as the sort of slaves of man, in terms of the parallel language it uses. A far more terrifying payoff to have the thing burst through the doors and strike first. And the art for the thumbnail?! 😍🤩✨👌🏽❤️amazing illustration, cool as fuck and it kept me wondering how might we end up at this type of end point right up until the conclusion of the story. 🤔🫣😮Very nice ❤👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Yeah this is one of my faves now. Agree with all including the sick thumbnail illustration

[@damienblauwald]

The ambience was nicely written. I’m starting to wonder where this was going to be a horror story until that twist. Very much enjoyed.

[@leebennett1821]

Here we Go❤❤

[@danielx555]

I like the idea and the writing and the build-up. I wish that this writer had fleshed it out more. This story easily could become a global narrative, with tons of events.

[@soulreaver1983]

Outstanding many thanks as always Ian 😎

[@MrsCaranAmy]

This was another amazing story. I just listened to it tonight. Your narration is always awesome. Thank you 🤗🌟💖

[@blurryface9597]

This is a great story. Ewen Whyte's prose is excellent. Thank you for your great narration! This is a gem!

[@TheWalkinDude]

Cheers and thank you! I always look forward to your uploads.

[@Aroundthesquarebowl]

Thank you ❤

[@evelanpatton]

Thanks for the historical publishing information, it helps contextualize/realize the environment in the SHORT STORY PRIMARY that was the first half of the 20th century, that gave us the FOUNDATIONs for all the newly “wired” WEIRD TALEz! Much Appreciation! É.m.P.

[@tamlandipper29]

Definitely agree. Historical context adds a lot.

[@anthonybarnwell767]

Awesome thanks

[@ainternet239]

Nice mood piece

[@clarioncaller3814]

Cor! What great writing!

[@edwardspencer3906]

Some Story! Just wish Ol' Charlie had been part of the Vengeance... yeah, even I saw what I just did there 😄

[@thatguyzorv6650]

DAMMIT WARREN, DONT DIE ON ME! IAN, STOP BABBLING HORRORS AND HELP HIM!

[@listerjne]

made me think about the million year processes of our transformation from slime to jelly. god thats so cool. i love this

[@listerjne]

amoeba to fish to mammal to monkey to human is one thing but single celled to several celled is so minute and mustve taken so long. very honoured the planet let us cook for so long. i credit jupiters gravity. my girl zeus literally enabled humanity. maybe we should talk less about how he turns into snakes or birds to seduce people. its not that bad.

[@listerjne]

i am going to rewind and stop commenting as i have. diverged slightly. people are screaming and im just here thinkin about pure density that is sometimes a sexy turtle

[@listerjne]

nevermind dude just said roads are just refined paths from like pre homo days. i will genuinely begin crying if i keep comprehending existence like this.

[@listerjne]

bro. god. thats so cool. like we went from ppl who werent homo enough to survive to like. horses. and carts. and bikes. and cars. and trains. the environment humans lived in was always shaped by the flow of traffic of the previous inhabitants. guys. we are all monkey. shoutout to the guy who chose to rebel against tree houses. now we have really good arms and like words and like wheat. fantastic job everyone. bring it in

[@johnjones2nd667]

To the next Millennium!

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Great story and narration! Thanks!!

[@robbabcock_]

Wow, another author that's new to me! Great work, well read and gripping. 👏🔥😎

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Yeah his prose is top notch. Kind of next level.

[@Bbergster]

Yeah, man! That junkyard life! 😂💚. Primordial oozes…. Precious bodily fluids.

[@vivanecrosis]

That was clever.

[@EricHonaker]

This was a great story. Who does your illustrations?

[@bigsarge2085]

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[@soulreaver1983]

😎👍🏻

[@Driven2Beers]

Enter Trashman. 🤘

[@noahhecker6672]

This was an interesting time to hear this story. A natural canal path that I loved to walk near my house is being destroyed to give place to a high pressure welded pipe in the name of efficiency. How I wish a horde of Ents would come reeling out of the woods and throttle the damned machines, but I suppose it can’t be helped. Rip Mother Nature, how humanity has scarred you

[@markmark6408]

This story reminds me of "It" by Theodore Sturgeon.

[@Kitsaplorax]

It sounds like a description of Weegee on a ight photo shoot in New York c. 1942. Gritty and urban.

[@fnot804]

A city slicker.

[@toddh377]

15:03 didn't know i had so much in common with old charlie lol

[@GregoryGiordano]

Great story and production! Could you share the name of the artist used in this episode? Thanks.

[@kgreen242424]

That was one gruesome symphony being played! Edit: I have a query of great import. Do we know the whereabouts of one, Mr. Harley Warren, these days? Are we to assume that his body is off traipsing around committing foul deeds? I have already prayed for his soul Ian. I just need to know if we can put his body to rest as well. LOL

[@EndOfSmallSanctuary97]

A very unique story, the author obviously had strong feelings about modern cities!

[@franktheexpertstrenchclub9025]

This reminds me of a conversation I had with my friend, Dr. Black. I told him to imagine that the city is like an island and each block is like a maze full of huge rats trapped and the island is packed, at least that’s what I’m hearing from the stories when my people come back, Black. Sadly, the city never sleeps, it’s full of villains and freaks. So I don’t sleep either, for sleep is too close a cousin of death.

[@WhiteLongSword7]

Dang I was hoping Happy Charlie escaped

[@michaelsmyth3935]

Reminds me of Fritz.

[@NavySeal6474]

Is the creature in the picture the Urbanite?

[@karljunge]

aw, we humans afraid of our garbage.

[@ryan86803]

Would you consider reading Brian Lumley and his horror and cthulu mythos stories?

[@HorrorBabble]

Absolutely, but it's a question of acquiring rights as far as living authors are concerned. Complicated business.

[@ryan86803]

@@HorrorBabble thank you for replying. And yea acquiring rights can be very tricky. That's a shame though. If every horror author just did some kind of tie-up with you, listeners would get so much great storytelling in your voice. That would be such a treat. Thank you for your content.

[@chbend8220]

Seriously what is the Warren thing from?

[@IndustrialBonecraft]

Hmmm. Whyte wasn't too fond of cities, I take it?

[@THEPAGEBURNER1979]

Warren sure dies a lot. 😂😂😂😂

[@nicklindberg90]

💀 💀 💀

[@mrDO-jo4bs]

Who the hell is Warren?

[@Eris123451]

Was; I think you meant was. Warren is dead.

[@jonathankey6444]

Story starts at 20:00

[@thefisherking78]

Uhhhhhh. What 😂😅

[@stevecausey545]

It was interesting...but I feel like after all the character development after all the surrounding development...the author got tired and shut the story down...oh, hi honey...no not writing or anything...let's go to dinner...lol

[@sha0linshawn]

idk, this is boring af. love, love LOVE this channel but imo this is a miss