Short stories | Lecturia

Juan Carlos Onetti: Hell so feared

“Hell so feared” (El infierno tan temido) is one of Juan Carlos Onetti’s most acclaimed short stories. Published in 1957 in the magazine Ficción and later collected in the book El infierno tan temido y otros cuentos (1962), it tells the story of the turbulent relationship between Risso, a widowed journalist, and Gracia César, a young actress twenty years his junior. The bond, marked by passion and misunderstanding, soon begins to show cracks. One night, in the newsroom where he works, Risso receives an envelope containing a disturbing photograph. This first discovery marks the beginning of a perverse ritual that will become a relentless mechanism of revenge and humiliation.

Arthur C. Clarke: Report on Planet Three

“Report on Planet Three” is a science fiction short story by British writer Arthur C. Clarke, published in May 1959 in Holiday magazine. Presented as an ancient Martian document, it describes the scientific observations made by astronomers on the red planet about Earth, its mysterious neighbor. Using data obtained with advanced instruments, they analyze its dense atmosphere, vast oceans, high gravity, and extreme climate, assessing whether it could support life. Clarke uses irony to offer a subtle critique of the anthropocentric view with which we tend to judge other worlds.

H. G. Wells: The Country of the Blind

“The Country of the Blind” is a short story by H. G. Wells, published in April 1904 in The Strand Magazine. It tells the story of a mountain guide who, during an expedition in the Andes, suffers an accident that leads him to a remote valley, isolated from the outside world. There, he discovers a population that has lived for centuries without the sense of sight and has developed its life, customs, and beliefs without any reference to the visible world. Convinced that his ability to see will give him an advantage, he tries to impose himself as a leader, unaware that he will face challenges for which he may not be prepared.

Jack London: Aloha Oe

“Aloha oe” is a short story by Jack London, initially published in December 1908 in Lady’s Realm magazine and later included in the collection The House of Pride (1912). On the Honolulu pier, an ocean liner prepares to set sail as a crowd bids farewell to a group of distinguished visitors on an official visit to the island. From the deck, Dorothea Sambrooke, the daughter of a senator, bids farewell to Stephen Knight, a young islander with whom she has shared weeks of adventure and friendship. The Royal Band plays the emotional melody “Aloha’ Oe,” enveloping the departure in a growing sense of melancholy at the impending separation.

Arthur Conan Doyle: Lot No. 249

“Lot No. 249” is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in September 1892 in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine. Set in Oxford, the story follows medical student Abercrombie Smith, whose academic routine is disrupted by disturbing news about his neighbor Edward Bellingham, an eccentric scholar, expert in Oriental languages, and fascinated by the mysteries of ancient Egypt. Gradually, inexplicable events disturb the quiet life at the university, and Smith begins to suspect that his neighbor is hiding more than just academic eccentricities.

Kate Chopin: A Respectable Woman

“A Respectable Woman” is a short story by American writer Kate Chopin, published on February 15, 1894, in Vogue magazine and later included in the collection A Night in Acadie (1897). The story begins when Mrs. Baroda learns, with some annoyance, that her husband has invited an old friend to spend a few days at their plantation, disrupting her plans to enjoy a season of peace. Although she initially imagines the visitor with antipathy, her attitude toward him soon begins to change, awakening an unexpected restlessness in her.