Short stories | Lecturia

H. G. Wells: The Flowering of the Strange Orchid

The Flowering of the Strange Orchid is a short story by H. G. Wells, first published on August 2, 1894, in Pall Mall Budget. The story follows Winter-Wedderburn, a quiet and solitary man who finds excitement in his hobby of cultivating exotic orchids. One day, he acquires a strange plant collected from remote regions, which awakens in him a sense of mystery. Fascinated by its unusual growth, he spends his days tending to the greenhouse, unaware that the orchid holds more than just beauty. The tale blends the ordinary with the unsettling, drawing the reader into an atmosphere of growing suspense.

Sheridan Le Fanu: Madam Crowl’s Ghost

Madam Crowl’s Ghost is a short story by Sheridan Le Fanu, published on December 31, 1870, in the magazine All the Year Round. Narrated in the first person by an older woman who recalls her youth, it tells of the disturbing experience she had when, as a young girl, she was sent to work at the mysterious Applewale House. In that gloomy and decadent place, inhabited by silent servants and dominated by the disturbing figure of Mrs. Crowl, the young protagonist begins to perceive an oppressive atmosphere, disturbing rumors, and signs of a dark secret surrounding the old mansion.

Robert E. Howard: Skulls in the Stars

Robert E. Howard - Calaveras en las estrellas

Skulls in the Stars is a short story by Robert E. Howard, published in January 1929 in the magazine Weird Tales. The story follows the gloomy puritan Solomon Kane, a solitary traveller who, ignoring local warnings, decides to cross a deserted wasteland on his way to Yorkertown. Despite the villagers’ fears of an invisible horror lurking in the area, Kane ventures into the darkness, where the desolate landscape and the echoes of inhuman laughter announce a supernatural threat. With his sword and faith, he faces a spectral force that will test his courage and determination.

Jorge Luis Borges: The Interloper

The Interloper (La intrusa) is a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, published in 1970 in the book El informe de Brodie. The story is set in Turdera, a town on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, and narrates the life of two brothers, Cristián and Eduardo Nilsen, rough cattle drivers united by violence, pride and a strange loyalty. Their bond begins to strain when a woman, Juliana Burgos, enters their lives and upsets the balance that kept them together. A story with a sordid history that portrays life in the Argentine countryside at a time when women were nothing more than objects.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Alchemist

The Alchemist is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, published in November 1916 in The United Amateur magazine. The story is narrated by Antoine, the last descendant of an ancient and ruined French noble lineage marked by a mysterious curse that condemns its members to die young. From childhood, the protagonist grows up isolated in a ruined castle, surrounded by solitude, books, and dark omens about his lineage. As he investigates the origin of the family tragedy, he discovers ancient documents that connect him to a past full of secrets, alchemy, and a dark threat that seems to defy time.

Julio Cortázar: Axolotl

Axolotl is a short story by Julio Cortázar, published in 1956 in the Final del juego (End of the Game) collection. It tells the story of a man’s obsession with axolotls —amphibians native to Mexico also known as ajolotes— that he observes daily in an aquarium in Paris. Fascinated by their stillness and their eyes, the protagonist feels a deep connection with these creatures, perceiving in them a mysterious presence and a latent humanity.