An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Collected Stories of the Supernatural

By: Ambrose Bierce

Narrated by: Mark Hammer

American journalist, short story writer, and poet, Ambrose Bierce is best known for his formidably vicious wit - given free rein in his famous column, "The Prattler." But his stories were elegantly crafted, with a compelling blend of realistic detail, clever plot twists, and his own sardonic humor. These 8 macabre stories, read here by Mark Hammer, establish Bierce as a master of the genre. Included are "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," "The Damned Thing," "A Watcher by the Dead," "An Inhabitant of Carcosa," "The Famous Gilson Bequest," "The Eyes of the Panther," "The Secret of Macarger's Gulch," and "The Night-Doings at 'Deadman's'."

Public Domain (P)Recorded Books

Poe-like with more of a Western writers style

Perplexing Bierce isn't held in higher regard. His pragmatism, satire, and stoicism him distinct from Poe
--and his own death is something of a legend.
Bierce influenced Hemingway, Crane, Vonnegut.
He also introduced the fictional city of Carcosa, a locale later used by Chambers, Lovecraft, Karl Edward Wagner, Lin Carter, Marion Zimmer Bradley, James Blish and many others--and is still used by modern weird fiction writers.

Very satisfying!!

Ambrose Bierce is one of weird fiction’s greatest authors, with imaginative stories and unbelievable pacing. His writing is everything that you would desire in tales of the strange and macabre, with an acerbic wit and scalding commentary that is not to be found this side of a Dickens novel! Not to short change Mark Hammer ( classic moniker, Mr. Hammer! ), his narration is excellent on all counts! The recording quality is splendid and if you haven’t yet, you really ought to! Add this collection to your library, it is absolutely wonderful!

Supremely Enjoyable

I have been reading epic saga's, the kind that have 12,15,20 books in a continuing story for so many years that I had forgotten all about the short story. If they are any good, they are like having a power nap, or a high carb energy drink. Very satisying and supremely enjoyable.
These stories are all set in a pre-industrial, America. (Perhaps 1750-1800)
I enjoyed every story presented with one or two of the endings leaving me suddenly surprised with my mouth open in aghast! Even the other stories left me with some remaining feelings and thoughts that pleasantly stuck with me.
To me, the stories had a feel of a more realistic "Twi-light Zone" set in the early west.
I usually always enjoy an author who is elequent with his prose and this author's script gave this excellent narrator/voice actor some very meaty characters and twisty plots to work with. It was undoubtedly a pleasure to listen to,

A Classic

This story had been an example for writing short stories in a 1985 writing class. I was glad to reread it nearly 40 years has passed… and this book is still a classic. I enjoyed listening to it. And I enjoyed the other stories by this author; that I previously hadn’t been exposed to. He is a good author and I enjoyed the reader also thank you.

Well Read!

It is not the The ghost stories that will get your attention as much as the narrator’s skill of telling them. His voice and cadence are perfect for these fun short stories.

Fun Stories But A Learning Performer

My first experience with Bierce. This is a collection of short stories of odd tales. Though odd, the stories are fun and interesting. They will entertain you.

The performance gets better as the stories progress. In the first, there are dead spots where it seems perhaps the recording was stopped and restarted. Associated with these pauses, or perhaps in addition to them, one can hear the performer taking a breath.

That being said, the performers voice and narration are both pleasant to listen to, appropriate for the tales, and once the pauses and breaths stop, well done.

Recommended.