Short stories | Lecturia

J. D. Beresford: The Misanthrope

“The Misanthrope” is a short story by the English writer J. D. Beresford, published in 1918 in the book Nineteen Impressions. Intrigued by the stories about a mysterious hermit living on the remote islet of Gulland, a man decides to travel there. Once there, he meets William Copley, who has chosen to live apart from society. Invited to spend the night with him, the visitor gradually becomes Copley’s confidant, who reveals the disturbing condition that afflicts him: a peculiar faculty of perception that has driven him into a profound rejection of humanity.

Roald Dahl: The Sound Machine

“The Sound Machine” is a science fiction short story by Roald Dahl, published on September 17, 1949, in The New Yorker. It tells the story of Klausner, a solitary and obsessive man who builds a device capable of detecting sounds inaudible to the human ear. Convinced that the world is filled with hidden voices, he tests his invention in the garden and makes a disturbing discovery as he observes how the plants react. His fascination turns into mounting unease as he ventures deeper into an invisible sonic realm that could radically transform our understanding of plant sensitivity.

H. G. Wells: The Stolen Body

“The Stolen Body” is a short story by H. G. Wells published in 1898 in The Strand Magazine, combining science fiction with supernatural horror. Mr. Bessel and his colleague Vincey are deeply interested in the study of psychic and spiritual phenomena. Driven by his curiosity, Bessel decides to experiment with astral projection, attempting to separate his mind from his physical body. However, during one of these attempts, something goes wrong and Bessel finds himself outside his body, facing mysterious and puzzling situations as he searches for a way to return to his normal state.

Jorge Luis Borges: The Aleph

“The Aleph” (El Aleph) is one of the most iconic short stories by Jorge Luis Borges, originally published in 1945 in the magazine Sur and later included in the 1949 collection of the same name. In this work, Borges explores the intersection between the infinite and the everyday. The story follows a protagonist obsessed with the memory of his beloved Beatriz Viterbo, who regularly visits the house where she once lived. There, he encounters her cousin, Carlos Argentino Daneri, a mediocre poet and library clerk. During one of these meetings, Daneri reveals the existence of an astonishing object: an “Aleph,” a point in space that contains all the points in the universe.

Mariana Enríquez: An Invocation of the Big-Eared Runt

“An Invocation of the Big-Eared Runt” (Pablito clavó un clavito: Una evocación del Petiso Orejudo) is an unsettling short story by Mariana Enríquez, published in the collection Las cosas que perdimos en el fuego (2016). The story centers on Pablo, a guide of macabre tours in Buenos Aires, who begins to see the specter of the Petiso Orejudo, an infamous murderer from the early twentieth century. The criminal’s supernatural apparition becomes a disturbing reflection of the protagonist’s personal and familial crisis. Enríquez intertwines historical horror with psychological terror, creating a dense and chilling atmosphere that explores obsession, guilt, and the loss of human connection.

Bram Stoker: The Dualitists, or, the Death Doom of the Double Born

“The Dualitists, or, the Death Doom of the Double Born” is a horror short story laced with dark humor written by Bram Stoker, published in November 1886 in The Theatre Annual for 1887. The story follows Harry and Tommy, two inseparable boys whose pranks grow increasingly macabre, leading them to discover an unsettling fascination with cruelty and destruction. What begins as innocent play gradually transforms into a spiral of boundless violence. Set in an apparently quiet neighborhood, the narrative—rich in suspense and horror—reveals the darkness that can lurk behind childhood innocence.