Lost Hearts

Title: The Damned Thing

Author: Ambrose Bierce

Narrator: Jonathan Dunne

Original Publication: 1893

Public Domain: Yes

Series Placement: Number 13 in the Timeless Terrors series

Description:

The Damned Thing by Ambrose Bierce is a chilling tale of the unseen and the unknown. First published in 1893 in Tales from New York Town Topics, it presents the strange account of a man’s violent death and the mysterious force believed to be responsible.

Told through a coroner’s inquest, the story unfolds in stark fragments—testimony, diary entries, and grim observation—revealing hints of an invisible creature that moves through the natural world, stalking its prey. Bierce masterfully blends psychological dread with cosmic horror, leaving readers to confront the terrifying possibility of forces beyond human perception.

This recording, narrated by Jonathan Dunne, captures the eerie tension and stark fatalism that defines Bierce’s writing. While the text is in the public domain, this performance is an original work and copyright © 2025 Jonathan Dunne.

Listeners should be prepared for a haunting meditation on mortality, fear, and the unseen horrors that may lurk just beyond the reach of human senses.