Short stories | Lecturia

Arthur C. Clarke: Superiority

“Superiority” is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, published in August 1951 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. As a court statement, the story tells how a technologically superior civilization suffers a crushing defeat in an intergalactic war. The commander-in-chief’s account explains how a theoretical scientist’s obsession with developing increasingly advanced weapons led them to succumb to a more backward civilization. With an ironic tone, Clarke constructs a story about the risks of unthinkingly relying on innovation and shows how excessive confidence in progress can lead to collapse.

Ray Bradbury: Bright Phoenix

Bright Phoenix is a story by Ray Bradbury, written in 1947 and published in 1963 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. This story is considered the seed of Bradbury’s most famous novel, Fahrenheit 451. Set in Green Town, the story begins when the quiet library routine is interrupted by Jonathan Barnes, the Chief Censor, who arrives to confiscate and destroy books under the pretext of protecting society. Tom, the librarian, accompanied by a group of regular readers, responds with silent but firm resistance, transforming the library into a symbol of intellectual struggle against authoritarianism.

Philip K. Dick: We Can Remember It For You Wholesale

In “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale,” Philip K. Dick explores the limits of reality and identity through the story of Douglas Quail, an ordinary man who longs for an extraordinary life. Tired of his monotonous existence, Quail buys implanted memories of a trip to Mars. However, when the memories emerge, Quail discovers that his life may not be as ordinary as he thought. This story, which inspired the movie Total Recall, raises profound questions about memory, perception, and the nature of reality.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Picture in the House

The Picture in the House is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, published in July 1921 in The National Amateur. The story follows a traveler caught in a storm in the New England woods, seeking refuge in an old, isolated house. He meets a strange, disturbing-looking older man who receives him with disturbing hospitality. As they talk, attention is drawn to an old book illustrated with macabre scenes that arouse a sinister fascination in the host. As the storm rages, the atmosphere in the house becomes increasingly oppressive and disturbing.

Ray Bradbury: The Playground

“The Playground,” a short story by Ray Bradbury published in The Illustrated Man in 1952, tells the story of Charles Underhill, a widowed man who lives with his son Jim and his sister Carol. Underhill had always ignored the playground near his house until Carol mentioned that she would take Jim there to play with other children. Intrigued and worried, Underhill visits the playground and is horrified by what he sees: children hurting each other in an environment that looks more like a battlefield than a place of fun. The smell of medication and the constant screams remind him of the brutalities of his childhood, filling him with terror. Despite her resistance, Carol insists that Jim needs to learn to be strong in the face of the harshness of life from an early age. Underhill, terrified of what might happen to his son, is willing to do anything to protect him.

Juan Rulfo: Luvina

In “Luvina,” a story published in El llano en llamas (1953), Juan Rulfo describes an inhospitable village lashed by the constant wind and the aridity of its surroundings. Through the memories of a man who narrates his experience in it, a place is presented where nature and time seem to have stopped, leaving only the echo of loneliness and sadness. The inhabitants, marked by resignation, live a hard and monotonous life tied to the barren land and the weight of their dead. In the middle of this desolate landscape, the narrator shares his melancholy reflection on the futile struggle against an implacable destiny.