An Unholy Terror Resurfaces on Tape

Halloween just isn’t much of a hair-raising holiday without a frightening yarn or two. One audio book worth tossing into the cassette player this year is the recently released, unabridged version of “The Exorcist” by William Peter Blatty. (Dove Audio; eight cassettes; nine hours; $36; read by the author.)

First published in 1971, this tale of demonic possession is still scary after all these years and well worth hearing, even if you have already seen the 1973 movie starring Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair. Blatty’s vivid characters stay with you long after the story ends, and he packs a horrific punch with his no-holds-barred descriptions of a sweet little girl transformed into a vile and murderous creature.

What is most surprising about this production is Blatty’s sharp performance. The writer has an intriguingly deep voice and the ability to adopt regional accents. He lowers his tone and perceptively growls when reading the parts of the possessed little girl and noticeably softens his voice for female characters.

Though he is a bit awkward at the onset of the production and occasionally reads a little too swiftly, he does a laudable job of conveying emotion throughout the audio. He is one author worth hearing from again.

If you want to frighten your friends and relatives with spooky yarns, look no further than “Midnight Mass and Other Great Vampire Stories,” by various authors, edited by Martin Greenberg. (Dove Audio; unabridged short stories; four cassettes; six hours; $25; read by Susan Anspach, Karesa McElheny, Joe Barrett, Stephanie Beacham, Richard Cox, Loretta Swit and Theodore Bikel.)

Unfortunately, the recording does not begin auspiciously, as the first story, “Bite-Me-Not or Fleur de Fur” by Tanith Lee, is a lengthy and rather turgid tale of vampires from long ago. However, this collection of seven stories picks up by the second tale and does not disappoint thereafter.

The subjects range from the urbane to the creepy to the comedic--a fresh batch of tales and not just tired fables culled from the public domain. In fact, it is one of the best horror anthologies released in several years, and one only wishes it were longer.

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All of the readers are in top form, although Loretta Swit reads a bit too quickly. The heretofore unknown Joe Barrett is especially entertaining as a New England farmer of vampire lineage. He speaks with distinct Yankee intonation in a droll and energetic tale of countrified bloodsuckers, “Moonlight in Vermont,” by Esther Friesner. Stephanie Beacham is a standout as the reader of a story set in the 19th century, “Madeleine,” by Barbara Hambly. She conjures up a host of voices that range from a sophisticated blueblood to a Yiddish peddler.

Never judge an audio by its cover, because even a cheesy-looking radio play may surprise you. Such is the case with “Clive Barker’s The History of the Devil,” which was released in a flimsy cardboard package adorned with author Barker’s crude sketch of Satan. (Dove Audio; unabridged original material; two cassettes; three hours; $18; read by Dylan Baker and a cast of 14.) In this production by the Sci-Fi Channel’s Seeing Ear Theatre, Satan has had enough of living in hell. He’s lonely and bored and wants his angel wings back. A hapless defense attorney is literally roped into being the devil’s advocate, and a wild court case is presented in Africa, a climate just hot enough for Satan to tolerate. The trial moves through space and time, reviewing scenes of humanity’s greatest sins to decide if they were committed at Lucifer’s behest.

This is fun stuff that was originally produced for the Sci-Fi Channel’s Web site, the Dominion. A full-cast recording replete with overdone church music, it boasts crisp sound effects and lively performances. Fast moving and well written, it is well served by the cast, especially Dylan Baker, who is convincingly menacing as the Lord of Darkness.

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Thanks to a musical score provided by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, production values have quite improved in the latest collection of silly, scary stories by Frank Macchia and Tracy London, “Little Evil Things III.” (Little Evil Things; original audio material; one cassette or CD; 70 minutes; $12.98; read by Macchia, London, Jim McDonnell and Lauren Cohn. Available in stores or by calling [877] LIL-EVIL.)

Five stories run the gamut of subjects ranging from premature burial to that of a vengeful doll collection. The high-energy production is aimed at ages 13 and older--it is far too gory and the themes too adult for younger listeners. Less vulgar than volume II, this collection is closer in style to the first volume, which won the Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award in 1977.

None of the narrators have particularly memorable voices, but all are upbeat and animated. A strong score dominates the production and includes a bonus of eight minutes of eerie mood music at the end of the tape.

Rochelle O’Gorman reviews audio books every other week. Next week: Dick Lochte on mystery books.

For more reviews, read Book Review

* This Sunday: Alex Pang considers the future of the Silicon Valley in Michael Lewis’ “The New New Thing”; Zachary Karabell looks at the bull market optimism of “Dow 36,000”; Susan Spano reviews Lisa See’s new thriller, “The Interior”; and Jonathan Levi finds much to admire in Steven Millhauser’s “Enchanted Night.”