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Study 003 - The Chestnut Beads - Part 1 (Patreon)

Published:
2022-07-22 21:40:45
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

A secret coven of witches are established on campus in this week's story: The Chestnut Beads by Jane Roberts.

Special thanks to our reader, Heather Klinke!

Don't forget to vote for Cults of Cthulhu at The ENNIE Awards site!

Comments

Thylacine

Channeled Mae West sounds a bit like a muppet 😆 I just read a memoir about C-PTSD and child abuse by Stephanie Foo called What My Bones Know, and she talks about she talks about her mother doing similar things to what Jane Roberts' mother did with threatening to commit suicide and/or murder. It's gut-wrenching to read what people go through as kids.

Ben A

Great choice for a horror tale that hits a little too close these days. As I listened I realized I had read this one at some point, and having found and reread it in my copy of the 3 Ws, I remember how unsettling a tale this one is. I think it fits very well with what you all define as a strange story. It’s not purely horror, not purely fantastical, and leaves a feeling of unease, a creeping dread, for the reader. I don’t want to preempt the second half, but boy does this one get dark. The Day After is a picnic compared with what happens to the women in this story. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the rest. Also, congratulations, Chris! Your nomination is very well deserved.

Adequately Excellent Entertainment

Super interesting how there are illusions to this plot being a matriarchal response to the patriarchy, while at the same time the main character (and presumably her room mates) are stripped of their agency. I’m wondering how deep into the hierarchy that goes. Was that professor with the jingly bracelet really acting of her own volition? Did the ritual involve everything being explained to the girls and they voluntarily allowed themselves to be made to forget? Is that little voice in Olive’s mind her true self? I doubt it, because Olive’s little voice in her mind had to remind her that she really loved what’s-his-face and should stick with him. Not to mention the feelings of dread she initially feels at the beginning of the story and in regard to the necklace. How far back does this training go considering her responses to, like, everything. Looking forward to how this turns out, good choice on the place to make the cliffhanger!

Chris Petch

Channel lying Vincent Price for us next time! We haven’t heard from him in a while.

Jason Thompson

Respect to Chad’s chuckle when he reads the Rod Serling introduction and Rod basically says “witches and werewolves, the subject of this anthology, how lame”

Sweatin' to the Great Oldies

I'm feeling like there have been far too many initiations happening during my lifetime. And the day of the mushrooms is not too far away.

Ben Gilbert

Another campus witch story is Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber.

Ben Moule

While you're voting for Mr Lackey's excellent 'cults of Cthulhu' and the ho Lovecraft historical society's prop collection can I put in a plea to vote for Chris Spivey and Darker Hue studios where they appear.

Jim Cannon

Whoah, when you started this off claiming it was a witch story I was not expecting the full Fallout experience. Of course 1957 being 1957, I should not be remotely surprised, especially with that whole Serling preface that lays out the premise. But the end of the episode did catch me off guard. Eagerly awaiting the next part. Heather knocked it out the park this week. A lot more readings than usual, too. I kind of miss the amount of text you guys would quote when doing Lovecraft, but I guess if you do too much that leaves less time for summary and discussion. I assume breaking this into two parts allowed for that space to share more of the text, and while I don't love a cliffhanger, I wouldn't mind hearing this sort of thing more often... once in a while.

Dave Parfitt

I can't stop laughing at "I'm so frightened"

Saint Fu

If I could, I would banish the phrase “post-apocalyptic” from the language. I’ve been dealing with popular culture representations of the end of civilization for the last 40 years, and I’m tired of it. I’ll probably skip next week’s episode, as I did with I Am Legend.

Andrew Brown

Two things struck me, wow chestnut beads struck me as being so 70’s, and the other thing is as a frat boy the worst on campus were GDI’s. Actually I have mixed feelings about my Greek experience. Have to think about that sometime.

Ryan Thomas

Entertain your weird fiction sensibilities with an internet image search for chestnuts. Rather, some caution I first here offer. The smooth, curved nut of divided shades of brown gives no hint to the dangerous nature of various chestnut pods. The horse chestnut pod and Chinese chestnut pod encase their seeds in rough skin erupting with long, sharp spikes. The difference is that while each spike of the horse chestnut pod poses an obvious threat, claiming some distance between it and its neighbors, a Chinese chestnut pod verges on overpopulation of spikes, crowding together in a false impression of welcoming, soft grass. Then, as if that doesn't disarm you with enough confusion, beware the water chestnut. Aha! More aptly named Bat Nut or Devil Pod, their casings are black as tar, dangerously angular, and more multifaceted than Gilman's room in the Witch House. Beware.

Alan Ricks

New Pitch Black Manor EP dropped, Saber-toothed Draculas.