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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>House-Boat on the Styx</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/house-boat-on-the-styx--7059843</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7059843/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright Fantasy Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg</url><title>House-Boat on the Styx</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/house-boat-on-the-styx--7059843</link></image><lastBuildDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:30:23 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Fantasy Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker53@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Science"/><itunes:category text="Science"><itunes:category text="Astronomy"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>6d64d61a-c0c6-50b4-bcfe-43e1e8091012</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Midnight Queen-May Agnes Fleming</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/midnight-queen-may-agnes-fleming--74377896</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74377896</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:04:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74377896/midnight_queen_may_agnes_fleming.mp3" length="270978415" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>33839</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Grotesques and Fantasies-Israel Zangwill</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/grotesques-and-fantasies-israel-zangwill--74331540</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74331540</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:03:42 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74331540/8469_grotesques_and_fantasies_israel_zangwill.mp3" length="191778899" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>23948</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Black Cat Vol. 03 No. 10 July 1898-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/black-cat-vol-03-no-10-july-1898-various--74180640</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74180640</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:03:08 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74180640/black_cat_vol_03_no_10_july_1898_various.mp3" length="52733540" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6585</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Ghosts I Have Met and Some Others-John Kendrick Bangs</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ghosts-i-have-met-and-some-others-john-kendrick-bangs--74126703</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74126703</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:03:37 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74126703/ghosts_i_have_met_and_some_others_john_kendrick_bangs.mp3" length="88315123" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>11029</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz-Anonymous</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/chymical-wedding-of-christian-rosenkreutz-anonymous--74091272</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74091272</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:03:40 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74091272/chymical_wedding_of_christian_rosenkreutz_anonymous.mp3" length="97839191" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>12218</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Enchanted Typewriter-John Kendrick Bangs</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/enchanted-typewriter-john-kendrick-bangs--74053785</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74053785</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:03:27 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74053785/enchanted_typewriter_john_kendrick_bangs.mp3" length="77823975" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>9718</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Black Cat Vol. 04 No. 05 February 1899-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/black-cat-vol-04-no-05-february-1899-various--74010941</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74010941</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:03:59 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74010941/black_cat_vol_04_no_05_february_1899_various.mp3" length="50214460" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6271</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Woman and War-Olive Schreiner</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/woman-and-war-olive-schreiner--73949483</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73949483</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:03:59 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73949483/woman_and_war_olive_schreiner.mp3" length="24927473" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3113</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Foxe's Book of Martyrs Vol 2: Lives and Deaths of Early Christian and Protestant Martyrs-Forbush, Foxe</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/foxe-s-book-of-martyrs-vol-2-lives-and-deaths-of-early-christian-and-protestant-martyrs-forbush-foxe--73905423</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73905423</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:03:48 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73905423/foxe_s_book_of_martyrs_vol_2_lives_and_deaths_of_early_christian_and_protestant_martyrs_forbush_foxe.mp3" length="274822740" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>34318</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Black Cat Vol. 02 No. 01 October 1896-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/black-cat-vol-02-no-01-october-1896-various--73867996</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73867996</guid><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:05:28 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73867996/black_cat_vol_02_no_01_october_1896_various.mp3" length="59493385" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>7429</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Black Cat Vol. 02 No. 03 December 1896-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/black-cat-vol-02-no-03-december-1896-various--73816162</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73816162</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:10:49 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73816162/black_cat_vol_02_no_03_december_1896_various.mp3" length="65607567" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8193</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Kojiki Records of Ancient Matters-no Are Hieda, no Yasumaro Ō</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/kojiki-records-of-ancient-matters-no-are-hieda-no-yasumaro-o--73783978</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73783978</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 23:17:36 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73783978/kojiki_records_of_ancient_matters_no_are_hieda_no_yasumaro_o.mp3" length="271690100" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>33927</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Once on a Time (version 2 Dramatic Reading)-A. A. Milne</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/once-on-a-time-version-2-dramatic-reading-a-a-milne--73754466</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73754466</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:24:28 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73754466/once_on_a_time_version_2_dramatic_reading_a_a_milne.mp3" length="155515938" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>19420</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Extract from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven (version 3)-Mark Twain</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/extract-from-captain-stormfield-s-visit-to-heaven-version-3-mark-twain--73728487</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73728487</guid><pubDate>Sun, 09 Aug 2026 23:41:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73728487/extract_from_captain_stormfield_s_visit_to_heaven_version_3_mark_twain.mp3" length="41680935" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5205</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance - Mark Twain</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/mark-twain-s-burlesque-autobiography-and-first-romance-mark-twain--73308769</link><description><![CDATA[Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance offers a unique and humorous glimpse into the legendary author's life and his early experiences with love. This work captures Twain's signature wit and satirical style, making it a delightful exploration of romance and self-reflection that remains relevant today. The themes of love, identity, and the absurdities of life are timeless, resonating with listeners who appreciate Twain's keen observations and playful narrative. Engaging with this audiobook allows audiences to experience the charm and humor of Twain's writing, reminding us of the enduring nature of his insights into human relationships and the complexities of life.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73308769</guid><pubDate>Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:22:07 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73308769/mark_twain_s_burlesque_autobiography_and_first_romance_mark_twain.mp3" length="16624811" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance offers a unique and humorous glimpse into the legendary author's life and his early experiences with love. This work captures Twain's signature wit and satirical style, making it a delightful...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance offers a unique and humorous glimpse into the legendary author's life and his early experiences with love. This work captures Twain's signature wit and satirical style, making it a delightful exploration of romance and self-reflection that remains relevant today. The themes of love, identity, and the absurdities of life are timeless, resonating with listeners who appreciate Twain's keen observations and playful narrative. Engaging with this audiobook allows audiences to experience the charm and humor of Twain's writing, reminding us of the enduring nature of his insights into human relationships and the complexities of life.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2076</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>House-Boat on the Styx - John Kendrick Bangs</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/house-boat-on-the-styx-john-kendrick-bangs--72170929</link><description><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72170929</guid><pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 15:32:37 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72170929/house_boat_on_the_styx_john_kendrick_bangs.mp3" length="83690095" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2e377bfd-97e4-42a3-b2cb-0a3ec15d931a/2e377bfd-97e4-42a3-b2cb-0a3ec15d931a.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2e377bfd-97e4-42a3-b2cb-0a3ec15d931a/2e377bfd-97e4-42a3-b2cb-0a3ec15d931a.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/2e377bfd-97e4-42a3-b2cb-0a3ec15d931a/2e377bfd-97e4-42a3-b2cb-0a3ec15d931a.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>John Kendrick Bangs</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The premise of the book is that everyone who has ever died (up until the time in which the book is set, which seems to be about the time of its publication) has gone to Styx. This does not appear to be the conventional Hell described by Dante in The Inferno, but rather the Hades described in Greek myth (both of which had Styxes): a universal collecting pot for dead souls, regardless of their deeds in life.The book begins with Charon, ferryman of the Styx (in The Inferno, he was the ferryman of the river Acheron) being startled—and annoyed—by the arrival of a house boat on the Styx. At first afraid that the boat will put him out of business, he later finds out that he is actually to be appointed the boat's janitor.What follows are eleven more stories (for a total of twelve) which are set on the house boat. There is no central theme, and the purpose of the book appears to be as a literary thought experiment to see what would happen if various famous dead people were put in the same room with each other. Each chapter is a short story featuring various souls from history and mythology. (Wikipedia)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10462</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>acheron,bangs,boat,fantastic,ferryman,house,inferno,souls,styx,styxes</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2262a4706596151a5d4618cfdbb7d83e.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
