WINTER'S TALES

Spooky radio dramas have been around forever, and the whole genre seems a bit hokey today--or at least self-consciously nostalgic. That's why the four dramatizations in this collection are such a surprise. They're decidedly modern. In "Someone Just For Me" a lawyer is haunted by a prank she played on a helpless schoolmate long ago. "ManRadio" is a spoof of shock jocks in which an obnoxious host gets his comeuppance. Smartly written and well acted, with restrained special effects, these tales may not be genuinely frightening, but they leave the listener with an unsettling smile, just as a chilling tale should. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 04/ JAN 05]