Episodes

Check out our Patreon and join us for free: https://www.patreon.com/GoodStoriesPodcastToday's story is a journey deep into the mountains of George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin, a beautiful fairytale full of good lessons and good humor for us all. This story has enchanted readers for generations — and it’s easy to see why.The Princess Irene lives in her lonely castle, perched halfway up a mountain. In the story, she meets a miner boy named Curdie as well as sneaky goblins, who live...

I’ve said before that Stephen is the kind of guy you can prompt at random — for instance, “Tell me everything you know about the First Crusade. Go!” — and somehow, he can actually do it. I (Jody) really envy his memory and his knack for retaining details.In these bonus episodes, I want to showcase Stephen’s gift for diving deep into complex historical events, weaving the stories together, and sharing them in a way that helps all of us learn something new.Here’s a bite-sized introduction to t...

Meet Our Executive Producer -- David Gabrielson, EPIn this special episode, while Stevie's out of town, I sit down with my favorite David -- who helps make this podcast happen. He may not be a big reader himself, but his support for books, history, and storytelling helps shape this show.Learn a little bit about his love of jiu jitsu, his memories of the The Velveteen Rabbit, and why he believes stories—whether from history or childhood classics—matter more than ever.

Come join our Patreon family: https://www.patreon.com/GoodStoriesPodcastMurder mystery meets the Holy Grail -- and it's sitting quietly in a box in a little English parish church.In this episode, we dive into War in Heaven, Charles Williams’s haunting and brilliant novel about the struggle between good and evil over the most sacred relic of Christendom: the Holy Grail. First published in 1930, this story weaves together theology, suspense, literature, faith, metaphysics and a murder mystery ...

You're invited to join our Patreon family at https://www.patreon.com/GoodStoriesPodcastToday we dive into The Magician’s Nephew -- the creation story in C.S. Lewis’s wonderful Chronicles of Narnia series. This story has a little bit of everything relating to the good, the true, and the beautiful. And best of all, it describes amazing concepts like the wood between the worlds and the great lion singing a new world into existence. It's hard to beat this one!

We had such a fun time chatting about stories and books and podcasting in this interview with Mr David Bates -- one of the hosts from Pints with Jack -- an excellent podcast that celebrates all things CS Lewis.You can find all their episodes and resources here: https://www.pintswithjack.com/

Join us as we follow the cool and calculating Phileas Fogg around the world with his manservant and carpetbag full of money to win a wildly expensive wager. They travel by all means of conveyance, including steamers, coaches, trains and even an elephant! It's a fun mix of precision, humor, and heart set at a time when the world was becoming smaller than it had ever been before.Whether you’re new to the story or have read it many times, this is a journey worth taking again.For more, join our ...

Join our Patreon family for more: https://www.patreon.com/GoodStoriesPodcastIn this episode of Good Stories, we meet Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester—literary rockstars at the heart of one of the greatest love stories ever told. But it’s more than just a romance. Jane Eyre is woven with mystery, faith, and fortitude, all unfolding through quiet drawing-room conversations, some analytical internal dialogue, and the reflective voice of a narrator looking back on her life with clarity and strength.

In the exciting GK Chesterton story of Manalive, we discover a man named Innocent Smith -- and how he truly is a man alive! He is colorful and full of adventure and unorthodox ideas. He approaches life in a BIG way as he happily breaks conventions.Come find out what makes him a man truly awake -- truly alive.Join our Patreon family: https://www.patreon.com/GoodStoriesPodcast

Tolkien goes delightfully small-scale in Farmer Giles of Ham -- that tells the story of a steady farmer with a vocal dog, an old blunderbuss, and a dislike for trespassers. Names abound with clever meanings and a lot of history all tucked into a simple story.And as Tolkien said, "give me a story with a dragon in it and I'm happy." This one ticks all the boxes!Join our Patreon family for all our content, including short stories and extras: www.patreon.com/GoodStoriesPodcast

A BIG thank you to Vanessa for sharing! Everyone has a story worth sharing!In this episode, our guest shares a piece of her own story along with the unforgettable and true story of The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. It’s a testimony of faith, forgiveness, and light shining in the darkest of times.Corrie reminds us: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”Through suffering and loss, she discovered that “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”“Worry...

In this episode, we step into the very first Discworld adventure: The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett.We meet A'tuin - the giant turtle who carries the disc on his back, along with the inept wizard Rincewind and the ever-optimistic tourist, Twoflower. Then there's the tourist's walking, many-legged piece of luggage that steals the show. Come explore the wild humor, wordplay, and fantastical beginnings of a world that went on to capture millions of readers’ imaginations.You can find more fr...

Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a thought problem that considers how easily we can drift through life—avoiding pain, chasing comfort, and clinging to what looks respectable. Yet in the face of death, the story presses us to ask deeper questions: What are we truly here for? What does it mean to live rightly?As Ivan approaches his own death, he is forced to see beyond appearances and consider what truly matters. His story invites us to reflect on our own lives -- to let go of self and to l...

We're joined by singer-songwriter and “literary musician” Matt Wheeler for a great conversation that ties together stories and music and faith. Matt shares why The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis has been such a meaningful book to him personally, and how his songs reflect a great love for literature and the truth that can be found in stories.We’ll also get to hear some of Matt’s personal story—including how he became a musician and some of the artists and authors who inspire him.To close, Ma...

Merlin—the wizard, prophet and so much more! In this sampler, we talk about some of his most memorable tales: from wild beginnings to wise counsellor. He was part of court intrigue and legendary adventure, culminating with the reign of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. It’s a taste of the many sides of Merlin; a man who continues to fascinate across centuries of story.

This is a richly layered novel that moves between past and present and across generations. It's a mysterious blend of secrets, family history, and beautifully drawn characters, Join us as we talk through a story of memory, and mystery, and a deep love of family.http://patreon.com/GoodStoriesPodcast

Join us today for The Light Princess—a beautiful fairy tale by the great George MacDonald. It's playful and sweet, combing creativity and wit and profound truths with a charming story that's accessible to everyone.

This week’s story takes us into the world of The Wind in the Willows—where the seasons keep shifting, and both new and old friends are never far away. Through it all, the river moves steadily on, carrying its stories down to the sea. It’s a tale full of charm, touched with the longing that comes with growing up, and the search for home, comfort, and peace. At its heart, it’s about finding joy in friendship and contentment in the place where you are.

Ten guests. One island.Agatha Christie’s most famous mystery unfolds in chilling perfection. Join us as we talk through the best selling mystery ever written — And Then There Were None.Join our Patreon for more: http://patreon.com/goodstoriespodcast

Join us as we walk through some Halloween Tales to celebrate this season of mystery and imagination. In this Halloween special, we tell three seasonal stories that have shaped the spirit of October itself:The Masque of the Red Death — Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling allegory of fate and folly, where no locked door can keep out the inevitable.The Halloween Tree — Ray Bradbury’s glowing tribute to friendship, time, and the origins of Halloween across the ages.The Raven — Poe’s famous poem of loss...

Wrapping up our Halloween series with a Monster MASHup (Yes, a nod to the song.) This episode dives into the backstories of some of the most famous monsters - like Frankenstein, Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, the Headless Horseman and back even further to monsters like Medusa and the Norse wolf Fenrir along with Shelob and Ungoliant. They're not just creatures of the night, but characters born from imagination and myth and revealing something true about humanity's flaws.

Trace the winding road of The Pilgrim’s Regress—C.S. Lewis’s first major work after his conversion to Christianity. Written in 1933, it’s a challenging book, rich with philosophy, symbols, and reflections on the modern search for meaning and satisfaction in your soul. And a reflection of Lewis' own internal journey.Strangely, the best part may be the Afterword - where we learn a bit of how Lewis' tone and style warmed and changed over time. And his careful dedication to charitable reading.A ...

Roverandom is an endearing adventure story — created by JRR Tolkien to comfort his young son who lost his toy dog on a seaside holiday. Out of that small heartbreak came a fun and exciting tale of a little puppy who gets mixed up in the affairs of wizards and ends up adventuring on the moon and down to the bottom of the sea. It's a sweet adventure everyone can love.

We meet young Horatio Hornblower as he begins his career in the Royal Navy as a midshipman. The entire Hornblower series offers a masterful depiction of life at sea during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars and this is just the start of Hornblower's naval career.These stories are rich with examples of leadership, learning, and growth under pressure—and as a bonus, Stephen closes out the episode boldly with the old sailor's song Heart of Oak.