Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, True Crime, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved

Darren Marlar
  • 4.6 (3.7K)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • UPDATED DAILY
Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, True Crime, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved

Award-winning podcast hosted by voice artist Darren Marlar who narrates true stories of crime, the unexplained, and paranormal. * Ranked #2 in Podcast Magazine‘s “Best True Crime and Horror” podcasts for 2020 * Named one of the “Best Storytellers in Podcasting” in 2019 by Podcast Business Journal * Darren Marlar’s narration of “The Tell-Tale Heart” won Bronze at HEAR NOW 2020 Podcast Palooza * Reached #5 worldwide on the “HOT 50” chart for November 2020 by Podcast Magazine * Finalist for”Storyteller-Drama” award for the “People’s Choice Podcast Awards” in 2019

  1. “THE PIRATE” and “THE GHOST WOLF” #MicroTerrors

    2 HR. AGO

    “THE PIRATE” and “THE GHOST WOLF” #MicroTerrors

    “The Pirate” by Kade Bloomquist, age 5 “The Ghost Wolf” by Oziel Cruz, age 8 Find more family-friendly frights and creepy games to play on our website at http://MicroTerrors.com! Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/microterrors Other stories, novels, and more from author Scott Donnelly: https://amzn.to/3LymHaU Other narrations, podcasts, and audiobooks from voice artist Darren Marlar: https://WeirdDarkness.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Weird Darkness©, 2025 Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids™, 2025 #scarystories #halloweenstories #halloweenkids #storiesforkids #kidsstories #scarystoriesforkids #microterrors

    8 min
  2. HE BROUGHT HIS WIFE BACK TO LIFE – BUT HE SHOULDN’T HAVE! #RetroRadio EP0329 #WeirdDarkness

    3 HR. AGO

    HE BROUGHT HIS WIFE BACK TO LIFE – BUT HE SHOULDN’T HAVE! #RetroRadio EP0329 #WeirdDarkness

    Like Dr. Frankenstein, a genius scientist the dead back to life – but when he does so with his recently killed wife, he learns why man should never play God. *** Hear the story in this OTR marathon’s episode of Lights Out with the story “Death Robbery” from July 16, 1947! Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:02:00.000 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Thomas Jefferson Defense” (September 27, 1975) ***WD 00:47:48.139 = Inner Sanctum, “Dead Mean’s Debt” (June 26, 1945) 01:17:43.529 = The Key, “What Happens When You Die” (1956) ***WD(LQ) 01:42:37.959 = Lights Out, “Death Robbery” (July 16, 1947) ***WD 02:12:22.139 = The LineUp, “The Cigar Box Boys Case” (February 15, 1951) 02:42:35.709 = Philip Marlowe, “Long Rope” (February 05, 1949) 03:12:40.009 = The Black Mass, “A Predicament / Tell-Tale Heart” (June 20, 1964) ***WD 03:42:38.579 = Beyond Midnight, “40th Birthday” (1968-1970) ***WD 04:14:13.149 = MindWebs, “They” (August 04, 1978) 04:44:22.933 = Ellery Queen’s Minute Mysteries, “Crossword Puzzle Murder” (1965) ***WD 04:45:41.458 = Starlight Theater, “Man Hires Hit Man to Kill Him” (ADU) ***WD 05:13:20.751 = Show Close (ADU) = Air Date Unknown (LQ) = Low Quality ***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing. Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness. = = = = =CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0329

    5h 14m
  3. “ANCIENT GIANTS WERE REAL: Towering GOLIATHS of HISTORY That TRULY EXISTED!" #WeirdDarkness

    7 HR. AGO

    “ANCIENT GIANTS WERE REAL: Towering GOLIATHS of HISTORY That TRULY EXISTED!" #WeirdDarkness

    From ancient tales of Viking-like giants in Ecuador to mysterious fallen angels called "Watchers," humans have a long-running fascination with towering, superhuman beings who may have once truly walked the Earth. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV IN THIS EPISODE: Ancient giants in Ecuador were supposedly killed by fire from the sky. Tales of giants in North America. The stories of giants living in the days of Noah. How much of these stories about giants can be believed – and how much should be considered tall-tales? CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and story “Jack O’ Legs” 00:04:27.215 = Show Open 00:05:31.658 = Ancient Giants, Part 1 00:16:59.018 = Ancient Giants, Part 2 00:35:17.840 = Ancient Giants, Part 3 00:45:47.493 = Show Close, Verse, and Final Thought SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE… Episode Page at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/AncientGiants “Jack O’ Legs” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/emv9rr46 “Giants of Yore” by GotQuestions.org: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/fu4dx579, and Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5enmwfzb, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5c2w4xbb,https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/tk4nr88n, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4bu4e4mh,https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/76wab36r, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/8j5zympd, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/tfdf8jfn===== (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.) = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness. ===== Originally aired: March, 2022

    47 min
  4. “The REAL-LIFE FRANKENSTEIN: Andrew Ure & GALVANISM’S HORRORS!” + More True Tales! #WeirdDarkness

    7 HR. AGO

    “The REAL-LIFE FRANKENSTEIN: Andrew Ure & GALVANISM’S HORRORS!” + More True Tales! #WeirdDarkness

    Back in 1818, the same year *Frankenstein* hit the shelves, a Scottish professor named Andrew Ure decided to see if electricity could actually bring a dead body back to life—so he hooked up a freshly executed murderer to a current and watched in fascination as the corpse twitched, "breathed," and even made terrifying expressions that sent witnesses into a panic. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV IN THIS EPISODE: In 1800s numerous scientists were trying to find the reason for life in the hopes of staving off death or even bringing the recently dead back to life. But in 1818 one scientist named Andrew Ure attempted to do even more – to bring the brain of dead human back into the living. And ironically, his experiments took place the very same year the novel “Frankenstein” was published. (The Real-Life Dr. Frankenstein) *** They say the family that plays together stays together… but does that also mean that the family that crimes together does time together? We’ll look at a few true cases of parents committing crimes – and getting help from their children in doing so. (The Family That Preys Together) *** A hunter comes across a wild man in the woods… but what he hears from the humanoid doesn’t sound like a man at all. (The Man I Saw Through My Night Vision Scope) *** What would you do if you showed up to work one morning and your employer asked you to help dispose of a dead body? Don’t be so quick to say that would never happen. That’s just one part of the story of one of the most notorious crimes of 19th century America – the murder of John Parkman. (Dr. Coolidge Settles a Debt) *** Skipping church to go fishing might get you more than just a guilty conscience – especially if you believe the strange story of the Lambton Worm. (The Legend of the Lambton Worm) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and excerpt from Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” 00:01:08.171 = Show Open 00:03:24.522 = The Real-Life Dr. Frankenstein 00:11:41.825 = The Family That Preys Together 00:31:45.825 = The Man I Saw Through My Night-Vision Scope 00:39:52.642 = Dr. Coolidge Settles a Debt 00:50:02.247 = Legend of the Lambton Worm 00:58:32.817 = Show Close, Verse, and Final Thought SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE… Episode Page at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/RealFrankenstein “The Family That Preys Together” by Chrys for ListVerse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2sv76asj “The Real-Life Dr. Frankenstein” by Rachel Souerbry for Weird History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4pevzd6e “Dr. Coolidge Settles a Debt” from Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/7tpj8wmv “The Man I Saw Through My Night Vision Scope” from PerpetualConnection: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4e6nrd3h “The Legend of the Lambton Worm” by Brent Swancer for Mysterious Universe: a href="https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/52t8cfnc" target="_blank"...

    1 hr
  5. “AUTOPSY ROOM NUMBER FOUR” by Stephen King (Fiction Horror Story!) #WeirdDarkness #ThrillerThursday

    1 DAY AGO

    “AUTOPSY ROOM NUMBER FOUR” by Stephen King (Fiction Horror Story!) #WeirdDarkness #ThrillerThursday

    Waking up on an autopsy table, fully aware but completely paralyzed, Howard Cottrell realizes he has only moments to prove he’s alive before the scalpel cuts deep. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV IN THIS EPISODE: It’s #ThrillerThursday, and I have a short story from the master of horror himself, Stephen King! Be sure to stick around at the end for a few additional thoughts that Stephen King gives about writing the story, and what inspired him to write it! CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open 00:01:19.385 = “Autopsy Room Number Four” (Fictional Story) 00:57:02.641 = Why Stephen King Wrote The Story 00:58:39.738 = Show Close 00:59:32.196 = Final Thought SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE… Episode Page at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/AutopsyRoomNumberFour “Autopsy Room Number Four” by Stephen King from the book “Everything’s Eventual” https://amzn.to/48k9z3X===== (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.) = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness. ===== Originally aired: January 04, 2024

    1 hr
  6. “THE SPIDERS UNDER YOUR SKIN” and One More Story of Fiction! #WeirdDarkness #ThrillerThursday

    1 DAY AGO

    “THE SPIDERS UNDER YOUR SKIN” and One More Story of Fiction! #WeirdDarkness #ThrillerThursday

    A stressed-out new office worker's encounters with increasingly massive spiders takes a deeply disturbing turn when the creatures start following him home. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV IN THIS EPISODE: It’s “Thriller Thursday” and I have two stories to share. If creatures with eight legs wig you out, the hairs of your body are going to stand straight up when I tell the story from Jonathan Byrd called “The Spiders Under Your Skin. But first, I’ll start with a short one. It’s written by Melody Grace, and it’s called “There’s Something Off About The Lights Next Door”. CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open 00:01:28.519 = There’s Something About The Lights Next Door (Fictional Story) 00:06:45.518 = Spiders Under Your Skin (Fictional Story) 00:32:07.028 = Show Close SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE… Episode Page at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/SpidersUnderYourSkin “There’s Something Off About The Lights Next Door” by Melody Grace for Thought Catalog: https://tinyurl.com/ybpf4b5p “The Spiders Under Your Skin” by Jonathan Byrd for Thought Catalog: https://tinyurl.com/ycdp998k===== (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.) = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness. ===== Originally aired: May 14, 2020

    33 min
  7. “POWDER AND POWER: The HORRIFYING HISTORY Behind VOODOO ZOMBIES” + More True Stories! #WeirdDarkness

    2 DAYS AGO

    “POWDER AND POWER: The HORRIFYING HISTORY Behind VOODOO ZOMBIES” + More True Stories! #WeirdDarkness

    They whispered about the undead rising through dark rituals, but deep in the swamp, where the air is thick with fog and secrets, the legends of Voodoo zombies are more than just stories. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV IN THIS EPISODE: Movies like Shaun of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, World War Z, and TV shows like The Walking Dead, have made the subject of zombies a fairly popular topic over recent years. And while we all know these undead creatures are purely make-believe, the idea of the zombie has been around for thousands of years… and in the Voodoo culture, they’ve found a way to make zombies a real, horrifying thing. (The Disturbing Truth Behind Voodoo Zombies) *** In July of 1956, the SS Andrea Doria collided with another ship and quickly sank to the bottom of the ocean. Today it is a tourist destination for brave divers who not only want to see something hauntingly beautiful, but who also dare to investigate a wreck that has been deemed by many to be cursed – and for good reason. (The Cursed Remains of the SS Andrea Doria) *** Paranormal author and researcher G. Michael Vasey tells of a personal incident that took place recently where he saw what could be described as a “peripheral person”. (Peripheral People) *** Sir Clive Sinclair might have been a man ahead of his time. The late inventor created all manner of strange and wonderful gadgets – most of which you’ve likely never heard of. But that doesn’t mean you can say they were failures. (The Inventor of Weird Contraptions) *** If the legends are to believed, you’ll want to avoid driving down Nan Tucks Lane in East Sussex - unless you don’t mind coming into contact with a vengeful ghost. (The Witch of Nan Tucks Lane) *** Where in the bible do we see the story of fallen angels sleeping with women to produce a breed of giants? Most would point to the book of Genesis – but in the unincluded book of Enoch, it tells a more-detailed account, worthy of a horror movie. (The Story of Giants and Fallen Angels) *** Some people collect baseball cards, others coins, and others Pokemon. There’s no telling what someone might find enough of an interest in to begin collecting. And collecting books is one of the most common – but when your collecting becomes a compulsion and you can’t stop yourself, it can get out of hand. Just ask Thomas Phillipps… the man who was addicted to books… to an extreme level. (The Man Who Was Addicted To Books) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open 00:03:19.231 = The Man Who Was Addicted To Books 00:15:00.379 = The Cursed Remains of the SS Andrea Doria 00:23:07.976 = The Disturbing Truth Behind Voodoo Zombies 00:35:23.030 = Peripheral People 00:37:34.847 = The Inventor of Weird Contraptions 00:44:13.290 = The Story of Giants and Fallen Angels 00:54:42.153 = The Witch of Nan Tucks Lane 00:57:31.255 = Show Close 00:58:17.490 = Final Thought SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE… Episode Page at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/VoodooZombies “The Story of Giants and Fallen Angels” from Anomalien: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/akvusfjf “The Man Who Was Addicted to Books” from Strange...

    59 min
  8. “BEYOND PARANOIA: CONSPIRACY THEORIES That Were REAL” and More Strange True Stories! #WeirdDarkness

    2 DAYS AGO

    “BEYOND PARANOIA: CONSPIRACY THEORIES That Were REAL” and More Strange True Stories! #WeirdDarkness

    They called them crazy, paranoid, and delusional—until the truth came out, and suddenly, these conspiracy theories weren’t theories anymore. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV IN THIS EPISODE: The next time that you hear a conspiracy theory, take the time to investigate before you decide that it’s too impossible to be true. (Conspiracy Theories That Turned Out To Be True) *** The Black Knight satellite. Is this satellite nothing more than a Russian attempt at signal jamming or spying? Or is there something more sinister behind it? (Black Knight Satellite Conspiracy) *** A man starts to fall asleep at the wheel – but gets a supernatural shakeup from an unusual police squad car. (Guardian Angel Speed Trap) *** In a quiet Virginia cemetery is a peculiar tomb that has mystified visitors for nearly two hundred years. Nobody seems to know who is buried there. (The Grave of the Female Stranger) *** A man is knocked unconscious and while being so, he lives an entirely different life. (A Parallel Life) *** “I do not suppose that any man and wife lived more happily and wished each other better than we.” Strange last words from a man who murdered his wife due to a love triangle. (Neal Devaney) *** Did a strange race of albino, sun-fearing people used to roam the Appalachian Mountains? (Moon Eyed People) *** She can kill a man just by sucking all the blood from his body out through his nose. She can slip out of her skin at night to terrorize the countryside. Those who believe in hoodoo call her the Boo Hag. (The Boo Hag) *** A rash of attacks took place in India’s New Delhi back in 2001 – and the attacker was described as having monkey-like qualities. Who or what was the Monkey Man of New Delhi? (Monkey Man of New Delhi) *** Bizarre secrets are said to hide somewhere in the bottomless depths of Mel’s Hole. The hole definitely exists… but it appears that Mel himself may never have been real. (Mel’s Hole) *** The old hag, the succubus, whatever you call it – it’s a paranormal nighttime encounter with erotic overtones. Erotic – but more terrifying and mentally scarring than enjoyable. (The Old Hag Revisited) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open 00:03:16.964 = The Black Knight Satellite Conspiracy 00:06:03.582 = Guardian Angel Speed Trap 00:10:12.194 = Grave of the Female Stranger 00:15:14.159 = Conspiracy Theories That Turned Out To Be True 00:26:56.445 = The Old Hag Revisited 00:33:51.552 = The Boo Hag 00:41:58.107 = A Parallel Life 00:45:34.718 = Neal Devaney 00:50:08.950 = The Moon-Eyed People 00:59:37.271 = The Monkey Man of Delhi 01:04:37.096 = Mel’s Hole 01:15:20.031 = Show Close 01:16:11.453 = Final Thought SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE… Episode Page at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/BeyondParanoia “The Black Knight Satellite Conspiracy”: https://tinyurl.com/r3wxu6s “Guardian Angel Speed Trap” submitted by Weirdo family member Blackfire Wolf “Grave of the Female Stranger” by Orrin Grey: http://ow.ly/7cVz30nf1Di “Conspiracy Theories That Turned Out To Be True”: a...

    1h 17m
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4.6
out of 5
3,722 Ratings

About

Award-winning podcast hosted by voice artist Darren Marlar who narrates true stories of crime, the unexplained, and paranormal. * Ranked #2 in Podcast Magazine‘s “Best True Crime and Horror” podcasts for 2020 * Named one of the “Best Storytellers in Podcasting” in 2019 by Podcast Business Journal * Darren Marlar’s narration of “The Tell-Tale Heart” won Bronze at HEAR NOW 2020 Podcast Palooza * Reached #5 worldwide on the “HOT 50” chart for November 2020 by Podcast Magazine * Finalist for”Storyteller-Drama” award for the “People’s Choice Podcast Awards” in 2019

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