Short stories | Lecturia

Juan Rulfo: They Have Given Us the Land

They Have Given Us the Land (Nos han dado la tierra), a story by Juan Rulfo published in the magazine Pan in 1945, narrates the march of a group of peasants who are going to take possession of some land given to them by the government. Walking under a relentless sun, they reflect on the uselessness of the land assigned to them, where no seed can grow. The story describes their struggle and resignation in an inhospitable environment and the lack of hope for the future.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Nameless City

In “The Nameless City,” a story by H. P. Lovecraft published in 1921, the protagonist recounts his terrifying exploration of an ancient and forgotten city lost in the Arabian desert. Despite local warnings and fears about this cursed place, whose history is lost in antiquity, the man ventures into its ruins. He discovers vestiges of an unknown and deeply disturbing civilization that practiced strange rites and venerated reptilian beings there. As he explores underground temples and descending passages, he is confronted with evidence of a chilling reality that defies human comprehension.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Hound

Synopsis: “The Hound” is a horror story by H. P. Lovecraft, published in February 1924 in the magazine Weird Tales. The story follows two macabre enthusiasts who seek extreme thrills to alleviate their boredom. Both are collectors of esoteric artifacts and practice grave robbing to obtain rare and mystical objects. During one of their expeditions to a Dutch cemetery, they unearth an ancient amulet shaped like a winged hound linked to dark and nefarious rituals described in the Necronomicon. From the moment they possess it, a wave of supernatural events begins to unfold around them.

H. P. Lovecraft: Dagon

In “Dagon,” a short story by H. P. Lovecraft published in 1919, a man recounts a traumatic experience that has brought him to the brink of madness. After escaping from a ship during the First World War, he finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean until a strange geological phenomenon transports him to a desolate landscape, where he discovers a monolith and witnesses the appearance of a gigantic and abominable creature. “Dagon” is an early Lovecraft story that establishes the guidelines for what will become the distinctive hallmarks of his literary universe, which led him to become a renowned master of cosmic and ancestral horror.

H. P. Lovecraft: Cool Air

Cool Air is a story by H. P. Lovecraft published in 1928 in the magazine Tales of Magic and Mystery. It narrates the experience of a man who moves into a boarding house in New York, where he meets Dr. Muñoz, who lives on the floor above him. The doctor is cultured and refined, but suffers from a mysterious illness that forces him to keep his room at a very low temperature. Over time, the relationship between the two grows closer, allowing the man to discover the mystery behind the doctor’s strange behavior.

Juan Carlos Onetti: The Obstacle

The Obstacle is a short story by Juan Carlos Onetti, published in 1935 in the Buenos Aires newspaper La Nación. The story follows a young man who meets with his companions to plan an escape under the cover of night. Walking in the shadows, he relives his past in the institution where he grew up, marked by discipline and harshness. Uncertainty and resentment accompany him on his journey while a shadow of fatalism hangs over him and his desires.