GUTENVOXLISTEN

Read and listen to The Damned Thing: 1898, From "In the Midst of Life"

by Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) · public domain · courtesy of Project Gutenberg

Cover of The Damned Thing: 1898, From "In the Midst of Life"
  • Format: ebook + synthetic narration
  • Language: English
  • Reading: available without a narration subscription
  • 31,226 downloads on Project Gutenberg

About the book

"The Damned Thing" by Ambrose Bierce is a horror short story written in 1893. When Hugh Morgan is found dead in his cabin, an inquest reveals a disturbing account from his companion: Morgan appeared to struggle violently with something no one else could see. Morgan's diary entries suggest he was tracking an invisible creature—something he called "that damned thing." Bierce explores the terrifying possibility that certain beings might possess colors beyond human perception, blending horror with early science fiction.

Continue by ear

The Damned Thing: 1898, From "In the Midst of Life" is in the public domain, so its text can be read in Gutenvox. The app provides transparent on-device synthetic narration, not a human audiobook recording, and can highlight spoken words on the page while keeping your place between reading and listening.

  1. Get the free Gutenvox app for iPhone and iPad.
  2. Search “The Damned Thing: 1898, From "In the Midst of Life"” and save it to your shelf.
  3. Read without a narration subscription. Narration starts with a seven-day unlimited trial and then includes 20 free minutes per day; optional paid plans remove the narration cap.
Horror talesShort stories