Short stories

Nathaniel Hawthorne: Young Goodman Brown

Nathaniel Hawthorne: Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown is a horror story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in The New England Magazine in April 1835. The story follows Goodman Brown, a young man from Salem who one night takes leave of his wife to keep an enigmatic and urgent appointment. Shortly into the journey, he encounters a mysterious man who reveals himself to be Satan, and together, they go deep into the woods, where he witnesses a disturbing ceremony. That night, Brown will be confronted with disturbing revelations that will shake his faith and vision of everything around him, marking a before and after in his life.

H. G. Wells: The Crystal Egg

H. G. Wells: The Crystal Egg

“The Crystal Egg” is a science fiction story by H. G. Wells published in The New Review in May 1897. It tells the story of Mr. Cave, an antique dealer who owns a small, dilapidated store in London. Among the strange objects he sells is a mysterious crystal sphere, which attracts the interest of two curious customers. However, Cave seems reluctant to sell it, which generates tensions with his family and arouses suspicion. As the story progresses, we discover that Cave has made an astonishing discovery related to this sphere and is keeping it a secret. Fascinated by what he sees through the crystal, Cave immerses himself in a series of reality-defying observations, leading him further away from his everyday life.

Saki: The Open Window

Saki: The Open Window

“The Open Window” is a short story by Hector Hugh Munro (Saki), published in November 1911 in The Westminster Gazette. It tells of Framton Nuttel’s visit to the Sappleton family home. Nuttel, a man who has gone to the country due to a nervous illness, is received by Mrs. Sappleton’s young niece, who, while they wait, tells him a disturbing family story. Although Nuttel is skeptical about the young woman’s story, an unexpected event will plunge him into a terrifying moment.

Arthur C. Clarke: The Nine Billion Names of God

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

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.