The Joke

By: Steve McElhenny

Narrated by: Benjamin Philip Hawkins

Frankie Gallows has spent seven years paying his dues on the stand-up comedy circuit with only limited success, but when he finally lands a headline slot at London’s legendary King Alfred’s Theatre, the opportunity comes with a sinister catch: perform a joke handed to him by the theatre manager—or risk everything.

Darkly comic and unsettling, The Joke is a supernatural tale of ambition, sacrificing artistic integrity, and what lurks in the shadows of the stage. Some jokes kill. Others damn you for not telling them.

©2025 Steve McElhenny (P)2025 Steve McElhenny

Shivery, and So Well Done!

Pride goeth before a fall they say … if Frankie Gallows didn’t understand THAT concept before he performed his stand up routine at “King Alf’s”, he certainly did after … but as Frankie would say, I’m getting ahead of myself. In “The Joke”, there is ONE condition to being allowed to perform at “King Alf’s”. This has been the case for nearly fifty years! But, what happens if that one condition is not met? Brilliantly written, with well placed touches of delightfully dry humor, AND beautifully narrated, this ultimately horrifying short story serves as a lesson in why doing what we agree to is always best! I loved EVERYTHING about “The Joke”! The story itself was utter PERFECTION! The plot flowed smoothly without gaps or lags and my interest was held throughout! Every beautifully drawn character resonated as REAL, their dynamically narrated dialogue completely convincing! The deliciously macabre feel of the story gave me the chills! Time ceased, the suspense mounted, as I wondered how, HOW is this going to play out? Totally engrossed, I confess to uttering a rather loud … uh exclamation of stunned surprise at the resolution! Of course, I’m not telling … but I will say, that’s not the only surprise this stunning story has in store for lucky listeners, AND, while I didn’t see ANY of them coming, honestly, it really couldn’t, shouldn’t, have been any other way! I’m on my fourth listen, and I’m still finding little thought provoking nuggets! Easily, FIVE stunning stars across all categories! I loved “The Joke”!

horror/comedy

Great book, not too long not too short just right. The storyline is very well made and narrated. It is quite funny. The narrator does a great job with different voice levels. Overall excellent 5 stars from me.

Entertaining!!

Great story and narrator. It is definitely a good read. Don’t want to give any spoilers. Wish was longer.