Tales from the Dark River (Dramatized)

By: Brad Strickland, Lawrence Barker, G. K. Hayes, Michael Anne Lee, Ron N. Butler, Wendy Webb

Narrated by: Atlanta Radio Theatre Company

There is a river that flows through the misty landscape of imagination, seeping up through the rocky earth high in the Appalachian Mountains. It winds southward through the foothills and the piedmontl; it tumbles past the fall line, widens and deepens, and then meanders across the coastal plain until it finally reaches the gulf of Mexico.

And all along its length, the great river inspires stories to tease listeners into wonder, or send a shiver down their spines. These are the tales from the Dark River. For the first time, hear original stories created by Dark River Writers, Atlanta's professional association of fantasy, horror, science fiction and mystery authors.

©2003 Atlanta Radio Theatre Company (P)2003 Atlanta Radio Theatre Company

Awful

I love audio dramas so I grabbed this one from a group I've never heard of. Unfortunately, the writing was amateurish and procedural, with heavy dependence on narration and little opportunity for the actors to perform. Even though the first three stories (Dreamiand, The Deer Hunter, and Cat Scratch Fever) had decent concepts, the bad writing, bad pacing, and lack of sound effects or atmospherics made them mediocre at best. If I found out this was a middle or high school club project, I wouldn't be sirprised. The fourth story, The Spirit, was downright appalling, piling a senselessly depraved story on top of the other problems I already mentioned. I don't like writing bad reviews, especially for independent projects with clearly limited budget, but after that story I had to. I hope the writer has already sought professional help.