"The House on the Borderland" by William Hope Hodgson - read by Jim Norton - BBC Radio drama (2007)

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"The House on the Borderland" by William Hope Hodgson, read by Jim Norton for BBC in 2007, is a seminal work of cosmic horror and early science fiction. It's presented as a manuscript discovered by two friends on a fishing trip in remote western Ireland, near the ruins of a strange old house perched above a chasm.

The manuscript itself is the diary of an unnamed recluse who once lived in the now-ruined house with his sister and dog. His journal details increasingly bizarre and terrifying experiences within and around the house. These include:

"Otherworldly visions and cosmic journeys:" The recluse experiences out-of-body travels through space and time, witnessing the universe on a grand, terrifying scale, including the eventual death of the Earth and sun. He encounters a colossal, jade-green replica of his own house on a vast, alien plain, surrounded by monstrous, god-like beings.

"A siege by "Swine-Things":" His earthly house is attacked by horrific, pig-like creatures that emerge from a mysterious pit beneath the property. The recluse must barricade himself and fight for survival against these relentless and unsettling entities.
"Distortions of time:" The flow of time itself becomes distorted, with days and nights flickering by in seconds, and years blurring into aeons, further disorienting the recluse and the reader.

The novel is renowned for its unsettling atmosphere, its blend of supernatural horror with philosophical musings on the nature of existence and the insignificance of humanity in the face of vast cosmic forces. Jim Norton's narration would undoubtedly bring a sense of chilling gravitas to the recluse's descent into a terrifying and ultimately unknowable reality.