Short stories | Lecturia

Algernon Blackwood: The Kit-Bag

Synopsis: “The Kit-Bag” is a short story by Algernon Blackwood, published in December 1908 in Pall Mall Magazine. Johnson has spent ten days in court observing the trial of a brutal murderer named John Turk, whose image haunts him. Eager to leave for the Alps and put this disturbing experience behind him, he is packing his bags when he hears furtive footsteps on the stairs, as if someone were lurking in the shadows. As his unease grows, the atmosphere becomes increasingly oppressive, and the night, which promised to be peaceful, turns into a terrifying experience.

Harlan Ellison: Santa Claus vs. S. P. I. D. E. R.

“Santa Claus vs. S.P.I.D.E.R.” is a short story by Harlan Ellison, published in January 1969 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Kris, a secret agent living hidden in the Arctic under the identity of Santa Claus, receives an urgent call that draws him into a confrontation with S.P.I.D.E.R., a mysterious organization with an eight-point plan to destabilize the world. Eight American political figures have been possessed and turned into puppets of the enemy. Kris must infiltrate and neutralize each phase of the conspiracy, using his arsenal of sophisticated gadgets and espionage skills, while uncovering the true intentions of this dangerous entity.

Robert Bloch: The Night Before Christmas

“The Night Before Christmas” is a short story by Robert Bloch published in 1980 in the anthology Dark Forces. Arnold Brandon, a struggling painter, receives a commission that could boost his career: to paint the portrait of Louise, the elegant wife of Carlos Santiago, an imposing and mysterious Argentine tycoon. From their first meeting, Santiago, with his commanding presence and shady past, provokes in Arnold a mixture of fascination and revulsion. As Arnold progresses with his work and Christmas approaches, the relationships between the three characters become increasingly complex, creating an atmosphere where power, jealousy, and secrets threaten to unleash a tragic storm.

Arthur Conan Doyle: The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire

In “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire,” a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle published in January 1924 in The Strand Magazine, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson face an unusual mystery when they receive a letter about a suspected case of vampirism. A concerned client, whose family is being torn apart by strange events, desperately seeks Holmes’ help. With his keen powers of observation and deduction, Holmes unravels a plot that defies conventional explanations, revealing the complexities of human relationships and the prejudices that can blind us to the truth. A story that combines Gothic elements with Holmes’ characteristic ingenuity in solving mysteries.

Juan Rulfo: Remember

“Remember” (Acuérdate) is a short story by Juan Rulfo, published in 1953 in the collection El llano en llamas. It tells the story of Urbano Gómez, a cunning and resourceful boy raised in an environment marked by poverty and neighborhood gossip. Through memories of his childhood—his quarrelsome mother, his sister with hiccup attacks, his sales and petty tricks to earn a living—the story reconstructs the years in which Urbano roams the village, depicting a lively atmosphere in which his figure becomes inseparable from the daily hustle and bustle, until an embarrassing incident at school alters that routine forever.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Outsider

“The Outsider” is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, published in April 1926 in Weird Tales magazine. It recounts the bleak existence of an isolated individual in an ancient, gloomy castle, completely cut off from the outside world and deprived of all human contact. Feeding on fragmentary and obscure memories, the protagonist lives in oppressive solitude, surrounded by shadows and books, unaware of his origins or his own appearance. Driven by a deep longing for light and contact with the outside world, he embarks on a reckless climb to the top of the castle, where he will have a shocking experience.