Short stories | Lecturia

Kate Chopin: A Respectable Woman

“A Respectable Woman” is a short story by American writer Kate Chopin, published on February 15, 1894, in Vogue magazine and later included in the collection A Night in Acadie (1897). The story begins when Mrs. Baroda learns, with some annoyance, that her husband has invited an old friend to spend a few days at their plantation, disrupting her plans to enjoy a season of peace. Although she initially imagines the visitor with antipathy, her attitude toward him soon begins to change, awakening an unexpected restlessness in her.

Edgar Allan Poe: Shadow—A Parable

“Shadow—A Parable” is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, published in September 1835 in The Southern Literary Messenger and later included in Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque (1840). Set in the fictional city of Ptoleméis during a devastating plague, the story begins with a group of seven men locked in a gloomy room, drinking wine beside the recent corpse of a friend. As they try to ignore the horror outside, an inexplicable shadow emerges from the draperies of the room, interrupting their forced revelry with a presence that seems to speak from a place beyond time.

Lisa Tuttle: The Horse Lord

“The Horse Lord” is a short story by American writer Lisa Tuttle, published in June 1977 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The story follows Marilyn, a suspense writer who moves with her husband and five children to an old family mansion in a remote area of upstate New York. As she adjusts to rural life, she discovers an old, abandoned barn linked to a tragic family history and ancient Native American legends. What begins as a new chapter away from the hustle and bustle of city life gradually turns into an increasingly oppressive and disturbing experience.

Bram Stoker: The Coming of Abel Behenna

Bram Stoker - El regreso de Abel Behenna

“The Coming of Abel Behenna” is a romantic and dark short story by Bram Stoker, published in 1893 in Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper. In the peaceful port of Pencastle, two young men who have been inseparable since childhood, Abel and Eric, share not only a deep friendship but also a love for the beautiful Sarah Trefusis, the most sought-after young woman in the village. When she is forced to choose between them, an unusual proposal gives rise to a risky agreement that will keep her away from her fiancé for a year. While chance determines the future, jealousy, ambition, and uncertainty begin to cloud the bond between the former comrades.

Anton Chekhov: The Man in a Case

“The Man in a Case” (Chelovek v futlyare) is a short story by Russian writer Anton Chekhov, published in July 1898 in the magazine Russkaya Myslʼ. Through the account of a high school teacher, we meet Byelikov, a Greek teacher who lives with obsessive rigidity. He fears everything new, avoids any emotion, and takes refuge in rules and prohibitions. Even his clothes seem like armor against the world. The story, told among hunters during a quiet night, becomes a subtle critique of those who live prisoners of fear, locked in a case that separates them from life.

Jack London: A Thousand Deaths

“A Thousand Deaths” is a science fiction short story by Jack London, published in May 1899 in The Black Cat magazine. A shipwreck survivor is rescued from the sea and taken aboard a yacht, where he awakens connected to a machine designed to revive him. He soon discovers that his rescue was neither accidental nor altruistic. Taken to a deserted island with no means of escape, he becomes the subject of a series of extreme experiments designed to challenge the boundaries between life and death. Isolated and watched, he must face trials for which no one is prepared.