With Rachael

Short Stories With Rachael
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Listen to short stories With Rachael as you wind down at the end of the day or try to fall asleep. It's story time for grown ups, with thoughtful tales, rich voices and a moment to stop the mindless scroll. withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

  1. 1d ago

    Episode 34: “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde

    I love children’s tales, because I’m someone who’s prone to getting nightmares and I love stories that have an underlying message. The underlying message in this one is strong. When there is suffering all around, people need to step up and help their neighbors. Not just because it’ll come back to them in some way, but because it’s the right thing to do. This story is about a statue of the Happy Prince, who has sapphire eyes and a ruby in his sword hilt. He sees suffering all around him and cannot help because his feet are fixed to the pedestal. A Swallow comes up to him to sleep between his feet, and is recruited to help a few people that the Prince sees suffering each day. Instead of the Swallow going to meet his friends in Egypt, he stays for a little to help those suffering. It’s a beautiful story about found friendship and love. If you have children listening to the podcast with you. This would be a great episode to share with them. Be sure to Like this episode and comment your thoughts! Goodnight, x Rachael The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

    Episode 34: “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde

  2. Oct 23

    Episode 33: “The Star” by H.G. Wells

    H.G. Wells does it again. He draws you in to a great story with tons of detail and makes it so you’re itching to find out how the story ends. We begin at the top of the year. Scientists see the solar system change, but yet none of the population notices until the star they warn people about starts to glow bigger and brighter. As it heads on collision course towards Earth, most people on the planet go about their businesses. The sellers continue selling, the mourning continue to mourn, the lamps continue to burn, and the factory workers continued to clock in. What happens next can only be described as mayhem. Be sure to Like this episode and comment your thoughts! Goodnight, Rachael The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

    Episode 33: “The Star” by H.G. Wells

  3. Oct 15

    Episode 32: “The Trial for Murder” by Charles Dickens

    Charles Dickens isn’t someone I would go to for an interesting short story. I had read Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, and I had watched A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey. I hadn’t read a short story by him though, so that made this episode an easy pick. What I didn’t expect in reading this one was that the same idea of inviting in the supernatural, ghosts and apparitions, and allowing them to also tell the story would be a prominent feature. I’ve read a lot of short stories in the making of this podcast, some you’ve heard, and some you’ll never hear me read (there are a lot of slurs in the public domain, trust me). This is one that truly inspired me to think past what the author is trying to say. Is our narrator unreliable despite the fact that we want to trust him because he points out all of the ways he can be biased? Maybe. I won’t say that Charles Dickens is a genius, but I think his work stands for itself and forces you to digest the plot rather than just allow you to glaze over the story. I might read more from him on this podcast. Let me know what you think or if you have any authors you want me to highlight. Be sure to like this episode and comment your thoughts! Goodnight, Rachael The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

    Episode 32: “The Trial for Murder” by Charles Dickens

  4. Oct 9

    Episode 31: “Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield

    Miss Brill goes to the same park at the same time every Sunday just to see what the other regulars are doing. She dresses to the 9s, listens into conversations, makes comments to herself about what the others are doing and how they look. It’s not long until she comes to the conclusion that everyone at the park has their own roll to play and that this Sunday is an actual play. The band playing is the orchestra and everyone is to sing along. After watching a woman wearing a similar piece of clothing gets rejected by a man, she continues to sit and enjoy her time until two lovers come to the park. In a not so quiet tone they start to laugh about her outfit. Unhappy and defeated, she goes home and puts her precious fur back into the box. This one was very short but still very interesting. She’s not the first or the last to people watch, but with what she overheard, I don’t think she’ll be running back to that park next Sunday. Be sure to Like this episode and comment your thoughts! Goodnight, Rachael The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

    Episode 31: “Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield

  5. Sep 25

    Episode 30: “The Diamond Maker” by H.G. Wells

    Not only was H.G. Wells a fantastic author, but he was also a visionary. Topics that seemed abstract and impossible at the time of his writing have come true, and that was an exciting surprise in this short story. Let me know what you think! Be sure to like this episode and comment your thoughts! Goodnight, Rachael The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

    Episode 30: “The Diamond Maker” by H.G. Wells

  6. Sep 11

    Episode 29: “The Cold Equation” by Tom Godwin

    Let me start by saying that I think this is the best short story I’ve read so far on this podcast. Maybe ever. Not because it’s about space, which typically gives us a phenomenal look into a new landscape we don’t quite understand and makes it easier for us to imagine the possibilities. It’s so good because it takes a simple action, that I’m sure many of us have done albeit not to this extent, and it shows the very real consequences. An 18 year old girl is caught as a stowaway on an EDS ship traveling to deliver supplies to a far away planet where her brother is working. The Captain has to figure out how to keep her safe, since the ship only carries a limited amount of fuel, just enough to stop the ship from exploding during the trip through the atmosphere of the planet Woden. Her existence on the ship is detrimental to the mission where 6 people need medicine to survive living on that planet. Raise your hand if you’ve ever snuck into a place you knew you weren’t supposed to be, and instead of getting in trouble, you were just told not to do it again. All to be set free and to go home without any serious consequences. I have! Thanks everyone at Tayamentasachta. In this case, we’re in space and trespassing has dire consequences. It also briefly explains the differences in gender and what role that plays in this setting. Because the stowaway is a young girl, 18 years old and only 110 pounds, he feels a sense of duty towards her, where he wants to keep her safe instead of allowing himself to follow the law and dropping him into the dark abyss of space. This episode truly makes you contemplate every piece of the situation and has you at the end of your seat trying to understand each side, wondering what you would do if you were The Captain or the girl, or maybe one of the many bodies colonizing the planets to start a new civilization. It’s also intriguing to think about how precisely they fine tuned the processes aboard the ship and if there’s a similar margin of error for rocket scientists at NASA who are trusted to send our astronauts to space and back home to their families. Be sure to Like this episode and comment your thoughts! Goodnight, Rachael The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

    Episode 29: “The Cold Equation” by Tom Godwin

  7. Sep 4

    Episode 28: “Briar Rose” by Brothers Grimm

    I’m sure we all know that Disney took inspiration from Brothers Grimm for some of their Princess movies! Today, we explore that by reading Briar Rose, and I challenge you (loosely because reading is fun) to find some movies that could have been based on this story. I had always heard that the original stories had dark twists so when I read this before recording the episode, I was patiently awaiting it. Fortunately, I was wrong and this was delightful read for all ages. Briar Rose was born a princess and the only child of the King and Queen who desperately wanted children. Unfortunately she was cursed at birth and when the curse was realized, she and her family were put to sleep for a hundred years. This really short story is the perfect first episode for anyone wanting to dip their toes into With Rachael, so make sure to share this episode with your friends! Be sure to Like this episode and comment your thoughts! Goodnight, Rachael The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

    Episode 28: “Briar Rose” by Brothers Grimm

  8. Aug 28

    Episode 27: “The Black Bull of Norroway” by Flora Annie Steel

    I miss children’s stories that teach morals and values like this one! Three sisters start chatting with each other about the husbands they’re going to have. When it’s time to pay up the youngest girl realizes that she has to actually marry the scary Black Bull of Norroway. Luckily he treats her well and she falls in love! I was so excited to see a woman on the list of short stories, and she didn’t disappoint! This story is cute, has a great theme, and best of all on this pod, no slurs! I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. Be sure to Like, Comment, or Share this episode with your friends! Goodnight, Rachael The music for this podcast was provided by Miles Agean. Check out his album, Alpenglow, on Apple Music & Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

    Episode 27: “The Black Bull of Norroway” by Flora Annie Steel
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Ratings & Reviews

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About

Listen to short stories With Rachael as you wind down at the end of the day or try to fall asleep. It's story time for grown ups, with thoughtful tales, rich voices and a moment to stop the mindless scroll. withrachaelpodcast.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Short Stories With Rachael
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rachael Wood
  • Show Website
    With Rachael