Short stories | Lecturia

Arthur C. Clarke: The Nine Billion Names of God

“The Nine Billion Names of God” is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, published in February 1953 in the collection Star Science Fiction Stories. A Tibetan monastery acquires an advanced computer to complete its century-long project: listing all possible names of God in a special alphabet. The monks believe that by completing this list, they will fulfill humanity’s divine purpose. Two Western engineers are hired to install and operate the machine, and as they approach the end of the project, they are torn between logic and faith, grappling with the potential impact of completing this momentous task.

Edgar Allan Poe: The black cat

“The Black Cat” is a psychological horror short story by Edgar Allan Poe, published on August 19, 1843, in The Saturday Evening Post. Told in the first person, it recounts the story of a man who, since childhood, has felt a deep affection for animals—especially for his cat, Pluto. However, the abuse of alcohol gradually transforms his character, leading him to violence and depravity. As his behavior deteriorates, his relationship with the animal grows dark and obsessive, while the narrator begins to reveal the deepest and most terrifying recesses of his tormented mind.

F. Marion Crawford: For the Blood is the Life

“For the Blood is the Life” is a classic horror tale by F. Marion Crawford, set in a lonely tower in southern Italy. The narrator and his friend Holger, a Scandinavian artist, dine by moonlight at the top of the tower and observe a disturbing phenomenon: the image of a tomb with a figure on … Read more

Ray Bradbury: April 2005: Usher II

In Ray Bradbury’s “Usher II,” Mr. William Stendahl has built an exact replica of Edgar Allan Poe’s The House of Usher on Mars as a protest against the censorship that has destroyed fantasy literature on Earth. In a society where all things imaginative are forbidden, Stendahl invites members of the Society for the Prevention of Fantasy to a macabre event at his newly built house, where they will experience a shocking experience.

Edgar Allan Poe: The Fall of the House of Usher

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” tells the story of a man who visits the home of his childhood friend, Roderick Usher, who has asked him for help due to his fragile physical and mental health. Upon arrival, he finds an old and desolate mansion, which seems to have a sinister influence on its inhabitants. As the visit continues, the protagonist witnesses not only the mental deterioration of his friend but also the decline of his sister, Madeline, who is suffering from a strange disease that consumes her life. The oppressive atmosphere and supernatural events envelop the protagonist in a spiral of terror and despair.

Bram Stoker: The Squaw

In “The Squaw”, a short story by Bram Stoker published in 1893, a young American couple is enjoying their honeymoon in Germany, where they meet an eccentric traveler from Nebraska, Elias P. Hutcheson. Together, they head to Nurnberg, where they hope to visit the ancient castle, particularly the torture tower where the famous “Iron Virgin” is kept. During a walk around the castle, Hutcheson, in an attempt to play with a stray kitten, accidentally kills it with a stone. This unleashes the wrath of the mother cat, which becomes an embodiment of hatred and revenge, which will have severe consequences for the travelers.