Short stories | Lecturia

August Derleth: The Drifting Snow

“The Drifting Snow” is a vampire story by August Derleth, published in February 1939 in Weird Tales magazine. The story takes place in an old house in Wisconsin during a winter storm. Clodetta, who has just arrived with her husband, begins to sense an unsettling tension in the family atmosphere, marked by Aunt Mary’s rigid character and her strange prohibition against opening the curtains on the west side of the house after sunset. The mysterious rules imposed by the old woman make sense when Clodetta thinks she sees a figure in the snow.

Nathaniel Hawthorne: Earth’s Holocaust

“Earth’s Holocaust” is an allegorical short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in May 1844 in Graham’s Magazine and collected in Mosses from an Old Manse (1846). The story begins with the organization of a huge bonfire, where crowds from all over the world gather to destroy ancient symbols of power, prestige, and tradition. In a reformist fervor seeking the moral regeneration of humanity, material objects, and entire institutions are thrown into the fire: noble titles, royal emblems, weapons, beverages, books, and even religious symbols. However, something essential remains intact, hidden from the power of the flames.

Bram Stoker: Dracula’s Guest

“Dracula’s Guest” is a short story by Bram Stoker, published in 1914 in the collection Dracula’s Guest and Other Weird Stories. Originally conceived as the first chapter of the novel Dracula, it was discarded by the author and published independently after his death. Set in the vicinity of Munich, the story follows a young Englishman who, ignoring the warnings of his coachman, ventures into a desolate landscape on Walpurgis Night. As the snow falls and the surroundings become increasingly threatening, the traveler finds a forgotten mausoleum and begins to sense strange presences that herald the approach of a dark power.

Ambrose Bierce: Beyond the Wall

“Beyond the Wall” is a short story by Ambrose Bierce, published in December 1907 in Cosmopolitan magazine. The story begins with a man visiting his old friend Mohun Dampier on a stormy night in San Francisco. Upon arriving at the gloomy and lonely house where Dampier lives, the visitor realizes that his old companion has undergone disturbing changes. In the dim light of a tower battered by wind and rain, a knock on the wall arouses his curiosity. Intrigued, he listens intently to his friend’s story, which reveals a painful memory related to that mysterious signal.

Saki: The She-Wolf

“The She-Wolf” is a short story by Hector Hugh Munro (Saki), published on August 6, 1912, in the Morning Post. It tells the story of Leonard Bilsiter, a man fascinated by esotericism who returns to England after a trip to Russia with tales of “Siberian magic.” During a stay at Mary Hampton’s house, conversations about occult powers intensify, and Mary challenges Leonard to turn her into a she-wolf. What begins as an intriguing proposition turns into a series of unexpected events that will test the beliefs and nerves of everyone present.

Kate Chopin: Désirée’s Baby

“Désirée’s Baby” is a short story by Kate Chopin, published on January 14, 1893, in Vogue magazine and later included in the collection Bayou Folk (1894). Set in 19th-century Louisiana, it tells the story of Désirée, a young woman of unknown origin adopted by the Valmondé family, who grows up to become a sweet and beautiful woman. Désirée marries Armand Aubigny, a wealthy man, and the two seem happy after the birth of their son. However, an unexpected uneasiness begins to cloud Désirée’s happiness when the consequences of an intimate secret begin to surface.