Short stories | Lecturia

J. G. Ballard: The Lost Leonardo

“The Lost Leonardo” is a suspense and intrigue story by J. G. Ballard, first published in 1964 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Leonardo da Vinci’s priceless painting The Crucifixion mysteriously vanishes from the Louvre, shocking both the art world and the general public. The director of the prestigious Northeby auction house travels to Paris to join Georg de Stael in investigating the unusual theft. Together, they plunge into a labyrinth of clues and enigmas that defy logic and test their knowledge of art and history. As they uncover strange connections between masterpieces and ancient mysteries, they realize that this case is far more complex than it first appeared.

Philip K. Dick: The Eyes Have It

“The Eyes Have It” is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick, published in June 1953 in Science Fiction Stories. The narrative follows a man who finds an abandoned book on public transportation. Reading it at home, he believes he has uncovered evidence of a conspiracy in which a race of alien beings, hiding among humans, is stealthily invading Earth. As his paranoia grows, the protagonist grapples with the uncertainty of whether to share what he has discovered or keep it secret.

Raymond Carver: Errand

“Errand” (“Tres rosas amarillas”) is a short story by Raymond Carver, published in The New Yorker on June 1, 1987, and later included in the book Where I’m Calling From (1988). With a sober and deeply emotional prose, Carver reconstructs the final stretch of Anton Chekhov’s life, from a dinner in Moscow to his death at a German spa, consumed by tuberculosis. Unfolding with delicate attention to every gesture and detail, the story becomes a lucid and profoundly human meditation on dignity in the face of death. Paradoxically, it was also Carver’s own farewell, as he would die shortly after its publication.

Arthur C. Clarke: A Walk in the Dark

“A Walk in the Dark” is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, first published in August 1950 in Thrilling Wonder Stories and later included in the anthology Reach for Tomorrow (1956). The story follows Robert Armstrong, a space technician who, after his vehicle breaks down, must walk several kilometers across a remote and inhospitable planet. The path, shrouded in absolute darkness, turns into a harrowing experience when the memory of a local legend about a creature lurking in the night begins to creep into his thoughts, causing logic to give way to suggestion.

Ray Bradbury: The City

“The City” is a short story by Ray Bradbury, published in July 1950 in Startling Stories and later included in The Illustrated Man (1951). On a distant planet, amid dark towers and empty streets, an ancient city seems immersed in an endless wait. Everything changes when a rocket from Earth lands nearby and a group of explorers ventures into its silent walls, unaware of the mystery surrounding them and the enigma hidden within its structures.

John Cheever: The Swimmer

“The Swimmer” is a short story by John Cheever, published on July 18, 1964, in The New Yorker and included later that year in the collection The Brigadier and the Golf Widow. On a hot summer Sunday, Neddy Merrill spends the afternoon at a friend’s house when he comes up with a peculiar idea: since many houses in the county have swimming pools that are relatively connected, it should be possible to return home by swimming through them. However, what begins as a playful and unusual experience soon turns into something far more unsettling.