Short stories | Lecturia

Gabriel García Márquez: The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World

Gabriel García Márquez - El ahogado más hermoso del mundo3

The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World (El ahogado más hermoso del mundo) is a short story by Gabriel García Márquez, published in 1972 in the collection La increíble y triste historia de la cándida Eréndira y de su abuela desalmada. The story begins when some children discover a body washed up on the beach of a small coastal village. When they take it inland, the inhabitants are astonished by its enormous size and imposing presence. While the women clean and prepare it, they wonder who the man was and what his existence meant. From this discovery, the town begins to transform inwardly, touched by the mysterious grandeur of the drowned man.

H. G. Wells: The Magic Shop

The Magic Shop is a story by H.G. Wells, published in 1903, that transports us to a place full of mysteries and surprises. A father, accompanied by his son Gip, enters an ordinary magic shop that reveals itself as an enchanted space where the amazing comes to life. Crystal balls that materialize out of nowhere mirrors that distort reality, and doors that appear and disappear create an atmosphere that oscillates between the wonderful and the disturbing. The fine line between fantasy and reality is completely blurred in this magical bazaar.

August Derleth: The House in the Valley

The House in the Valley is a story by August Derleth, published in July 1953 in the magazine Weird Tales. Told in the first person by Jefferson Bates, a painter seeking isolation to devote himself to his work, the story begins when he rents an old mansion in a remote valley in Massachusetts near the ancient fortresses of Arkham and Dunwich. The house, marked by a dark past linked to the Bishop family, soon awakens a disturbing sensation of an invisible presence in the protagonist. As he settles in, he perceives subtle hints of a mystery hidden beneath the apparent calm of the place, slowly submerging himself in an increasingly disturbing environment.

Émile Zola: The Paradise of Cats

The Paradise of Cats (Le paradis des chats) is a short story by Émile Zola published in 1874 in Nouveaux Contes à Ninon. It tells the story of a cat who experiences an identity crisis. Raised in the comfort and luxury of a home, where he is spoiled with plenty of food and a warm place to sleep, the cat feels dissatisfied and longs to experience the freedom and adventures of the outside world, idealizing the life of stray cats. However, he soon discovers that not everything on the street is as he thought.

Arthur C. Clarke: Dial F for Frankenstein

Dial “F” for Frankenstein is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, published in January 1965 in Playboy magazine. The story begins with a mysterious global event: in the early morning hours, all the world’s telephones ring in unison, emitting an enigmatic sound that nobody can quite figure out. Amid the confusion, a group of engineers and scientists begin to exchange theories while reflecting on the implications of the new satellite communications network. What initially seems like a simple technical failure soon leads to disturbing questions about the excess of technology and its possible consequences.

Clarice Lispector: Covert Joy

Clarice Lispector - Felicidad clandestina

Covert Joy (Felicidade clandestina) is a short story by Clarice Lispector, published in 1971. It tells the story of a girl who is passionate about reading and longs for a book that is impossible for her. The daughter of a bookshop owner, a cruel and manipulative girl, promises to lend it to her but always finds new excuses to deny it. The protagonist, clinging to hope, returns daily a prisoner of an illusion that always eludes her.