Short stories | Lecturia

Philip K. Dick: The Golden Man

“The Golden Man” is a short story by Philip K. Dick, published in April 1954 in If magazine. In a post-war world, humans face a disturbing threat: mutants with genetic abilities that give them strange and dangerous powers. George Baines, a government agent, is tasked with tracking down and eliminating these beings. His mission takes him to a remote farm where Cris, a young man of extraordinary beauty with golden skin and hair, lives. His silent presence hides an incomprehensible power that will test Baines’ effectiveness and the system’s ability to control mutants.

Fredric Brown: Something Green

Something Green is a short story by Fredric Brown, published in 1951 as part of the collection Space on My Hands. It tells the story of McGarry, a space explorer stranded for years on Kruger III, a hostile planet dominated by shades of red and violet. He survives by traversing dangerous jungles, armed with a solar-powered pistol and accompanied by Dorothy, a small creature that rests on his shoulder and keeps him company. Isolated and clinging to the memory of Earth and the green that once filled it, McGarry dreams of finding parts to repair his ship and return to the only world he calls home.

Henry Kuttner & C. L. Moore: What You Need

“What You Need” is a science fiction short story written by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore, first published in Astounding Science Fiction in October 1945. The story follows Tim Carmichael, a cynical and ambitious journalist who, intrigued by the display window of a mysterious shop on Park Avenue, steps into the enigmatic business of Peter Talley — a man who claims to have exactly what each person needs. Fascinated by this strange establishment, Carmichael becomes obsessed with uncovering its secret, unaware that he is about to confront a disturbing power that will put his fate to the test.

Arthur Conan Doyle: Playing With Fire

“Playing with Fire” is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in March 1900 in The Strand Magazine. The story follows a small group of intellectuals and occult enthusiasts who, driven by curiosity and a desire to explore beyond the material world, organize séances in a London house. The arrival of an enigmatic French visitor, an expert in psychic phenomena, introduces an unexpected twist to their experiments. As the session progresses, the participants cross increasingly dangerous boundaries, and what begins as a game becomes a disturbing and out-of-control experience.

Oscar Wilde: The Nightingale and The Rose

“The Nightingale and the Rose” is a short story by Oscar Wilde, published in 1888 as part of the collection The Happy Prince and Other Tales. A young student is heartbroken because he cannot find a red rose to win the girl he loves, who has promised to dance with him only if he brings her one. A nightingale, listening to his sorrow from a tree, decides to help and sets out in search of that single flower. Moved by the ideal of true love, the bird sees in the young man the embodiment of a genuine lover.

Frank Belknap Long: The Hounds of Tindalos

Synopsis: “The Hounds of Tindalos” is a short story by Frank Belknap Long, first published in Weird Tales in March 1929, within the Cthulhu Mythos universe. The story follows Halpin Chalmers, a scholar obsessed with the mysteries of time and space, who decides to carry out a daring experiment to prove his theories. Using a strange Asiatic substance that alters perception, Chalmers intends to travel mentally through time, witnessing the lives of his ancestors back to the very origins of humanity. However, what begins as a fascinating journey soon turns into a horrifying nightmare.