RavynReads

Ravyn
  • 5.0 (4)
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  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Night-shift calm readings for people who need their nervous system to unclench

  1. 10/25/2025

    A Year Without Summer: Polidori's Failed Pitch to Mary Shelley (The Vampyre) | The October Rite

    We've all done unhinged things for love, but have you ever invented an entire cultural genre? In 1816, the "Year Without Summer," a volcanic winter traps five creative minds at the Villa Diodati. While Mary Shelley dreams up Frankenstein, her admirer, Dr. John Polidori, is busy being insecure, jumping off balconies, and spraining his ankle. From that humiliation and unrequited love, he conjures a new kind of monster: the aristocratic, seductive predator. This is the story of The Vampyre, the failed romantic who wrote him, and the brutal lesson of a sprained ankle. Key Works Mentioned & People Work: The Vampyre (1819) by John Polidori Work: Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley Concept: The Year Without Summer (1816) Event: Mount Tambora eruption (1815) Location: Villa Diodati, Lake Geneva People: John William Polidori, Mary Godwin (Shelley), Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Claire Clairmont Further Reading & Resources The Vampyre: A Tale by John Polidori Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality by Paul Barber

    7 min

  2. 10/16/2025

    Vlad the Impaler: Sinner or Saint? (1490) - The October Rite

    Today, having examined both sides of Vlad's legacy, we ask the obvious question: So, arbiter of justice or monster? And the answer is...complicated... Today's primary text is a paraphrasing of the Church Slavonic text:  The Tale of the Voivode Dracula https://sourcebook.stanford.edu/text/tale-dracula-voivode

    9 min

  3. 10/13/2025

    The Impaler's Theatre: How Did Vlad the Impaler's Legend Spread? (1463) - The October Rite

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    28 min

  4. 10/11/2025

    Blood Between Empires: The Land Vlad the Impaler Fought to Protect (1456) - The October Rite

    Today we examine the duality of Vlad. But more specifically, the land he fought for.  There have been longer rulers in the region. More popular rulers. But none who claimed the Devil who would fight for God. A quick note: Wallachian geopolitics and history is fascinating. Vlad's life and lineage is chronicled in Radu Florescu & Raymond McNally's "Dracula: Prince of Many Faces".  Alongside this title; Captivating History has an accessible and thorough history of Vlad and Wallachia available in audiobook, Kindle, and print forms "Vlad the Impaler: A Captivating Guide to How Vlad III Dracula Became One of the Most Crucial Rulers of Wallachia and His Impact on the History of Romania" Both come with my highest recommendation.

    8 min

  5. 10/08/2025

    What's Worse Than a Vampire?: Vlad the Impaler (1431ish-1477)

    He's only the third Vlad I know of, and definitely the one I'd least like to be stuck in a forest with.  We briefly dive into the history, lore, and non-vampiristic character of Vlad Tepes III, Son of the Dragon. If you're interested in Vlad, I highly recommend these two books: Dracula, Prince of Many Faces: His Life and His Times In Search Of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires Both authored by Radu Florescu & Raymond T. McNally If you'd like to connect on social media, feel free to follow me @RavynReads

    7 min

  6. 10/07/2025

    The Monk Who Said "...Maybe?" - Dom Calmet (1746) - The October Rite

    We've had a scientific rebuttal from 2025. But we've also got one from an 18th century librarian-monk-scholar! @RavynReads on socials

    11 min

  7. 10/06/2025

    A Biologist's Guide to The Undead: Revisiting Early Vampires (2025) - The October Rite

    When I'm not reading books into a microphone, I have a degree in biomedical sciences.  Unbelievably, our two worlds are about to collide as we revisit the stories of early vampires and examine the likely biomedical causes of the descriptions. I'm delighted to say that your high school chemistry class is about to come roaring back. Forget Dracula, the scariest thing we'll encounter today is the ideal gas law... After all, pressurized vampires equal necrosis, rigor, & trauma. ... @RavynReads for socials and updates (and no more chemistry jokes) Marked explicit for pretty gross post-mortem biology

    11 min

  8. 10/04/2025

    The Perfect Couple - "The Awakening" (Ch. 3 & 4) by Kate Chopin (1899)

    Today, we're taking a break from all the blood and gore and returning to a far more seemingly placid disquiet.  Grand Isle and the slow piercing of the Ponteliers. I hope you enjoy, friends. @RavynReads for social and updates

    18 min
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About

Night-shift calm readings for people who need their nervous system to unclench

Information

  • Creator
    Ravyn
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2022
  • Show Website
    RavynReads