Short stories | Lecturia

Theodore Sturgeon: It

“It” is a short story by American writer Theodore Sturgeon, published in August 1940 in the magazine Unknown. When Kimbo, his hunting dog, doesn’t answer his calls, Alton Drew grows concerned. It is unusual for the animal to disappear; therefore, even though it is already night, he decides to venture into the woods with his rifle to look for him. What Alton doesn’t know is that Kimbo has had a brutal encounter with a mysterious creature born of dampness, decay, and darkness, which roams the forest driven by a curiosity as blind as it is monstrous.

Elena Garro: The Cobbler from Guanajuato

“The Cobbler from Guanajuato” (El zapaterito de Guanajuato) is a short story by Elena Garro, published in 1963 in the collection La semana de colores. It tells the story of Don Loreto, an eighty-two-year-old shoemaker, and his grandson Faustino, who arrive in Mexico City from Guanajuato in search of relief from poverty. Lost, hungry, and destitute, they are taken in by Blanquita, a charismatic and compassionate woman who, despite facing her own struggles, offers them shelter in her home.

Philip K. Dick: Exhibit Piece

“Exhibit Piece” is a short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, published in August 1954 in If magazine. In a future society, George Miller is a historian dedicated to the study of the 20th century. Obsessed with his work, which consists of overseeing a detailed exhibition dedicated to that era, he adopts its manner of speaking, dress, and even the use of its everyday objects. Facing hostility from his superiors due to his overzealousness, everything changes one day when, inside one of the houses in the complex he oversees, he hears voices that shouldn’t be there.

Ray Bradbury: The Scythe

“The Scythe” is a short story by Ray Bradbury, published in July 1943 in the magazine Weird Tales. It tells the story of an exhausted and starving family arriving at a solitary house next to a mysterious wheat field. Drew Erickson, the father, discovers a will that bequeaths him the property, including a gleaming scythe. As he tries to rebuild his life in that fertile and seemingly providential place, the field and the tool begin to reveal a deeper, darker purpose. In a setting steeped in symbolism, Drew faces a task that transcends the agricultural and drags him toward the inevitable.

Daphne du Maurier: Kiss Me Again, Stranger

“Kiss Me Again, Stranger” is a short story by British author Daphne du Maurier, published in 1952 in the collection *The Apple Tree*. A young London mechanic and former soldier decides to go to the movies one night. There he meets an attractive and enigmatic young woman who works as an usher, and is immediately captivated by her. Driven by this sudden attraction, after the show he follows her to the bus and embarks with her on a long journey to the suburbs, increasingly convinced that he may have finally found someone to share his life with.

Vladimir Nabokov: Signs and Symbols

“Signs and Symbols” is a short story by Vladimir Nabokov, published on May 15, 1948, in The New Yorker. It recounts a particularly difficult day in the life of an elderly immigrant couple visiting their son, who is confined to a sanatorium due to a severe mental illness. They face everyday setbacks, painful memories, and the weight of a life marked by loss and resignation. The narrative unfolds with a tense calm, amid seemingly trivial details that gradually reveal an atmosphere charged with anguish, while the signs of the outside world seem to take on a disturbing hidden meaning.