Short stories | Lecturia

Isaac Asimov: Exile to Hell

“Exile to Hell” is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, published in May 1968 in the magazine Analog Science Fiction and Fact. The story is set in a future society where exile is the ultimate punishment for those who threaten its delicate technological existence. While awaiting the verdict in the trial of Anthony Jenkins, a man accused of damaging critical facilities in a fit of rage, two programmers, Dowling and Parkinson, play chess and debate the justice and severity of this punishment. Dowling argues that exile is an effective and necessary deterrent in a world where even minor mistakes can be catastrophic. Parkinson, however, questions the humanity of such a punishment and advocates for more compassionate alternatives.

E. F. Benson: The Room in the Tower

“The Room in the Tower” is a short story by E. F. Benson, published in January 1912 in Pall Mall Magazine. It recounts the disturbing experience of a man haunted for years by a recurring dream: a visit to a mysterious house, a silent reception by an unknown family, and the relentless announcement that he has been assigned a room in an old tower. However, one day, what had until then been only a dream vision begins to manifest itself in his real life with increasingly disconcerting precision.

Arthur C. Clarke: Encounter in the Dawn

“Encounter in the Dawn” is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, published in June-July 1953 in the magazine Amazing Stories and collected that same year in the anthology Expedition to Earth. It tells the story of three scientists from the distant Galactic Empire who descend on a primitive, fertile, and mysterious planet, where they soon discover signs of intelligent life. Cautiously, one of them attempts to establish contact with a local inhabitant, initiating a bond between two civilizations separated by thousands of years of evolution but united by their shared humanity.

August Derleth: The Drifting Snow

“The Drifting Snow” is a vampire story by August Derleth, published in February 1939 in Weird Tales magazine. The story takes place in an old house in Wisconsin during a winter storm. Clodetta, who has just arrived with her husband, begins to sense an unsettling tension in the family atmosphere, marked by Aunt Mary’s rigid character and her strange prohibition against opening the curtains on the west side of the house after sunset. The mysterious rules imposed by the old woman make sense when Clodetta thinks she sees a figure in the snow.

Nathaniel Hawthorne: Earth’s Holocaust

“Earth’s Holocaust” is an allegorical short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in May 1844 in Graham’s Magazine and collected in Mosses from an Old Manse (1846). The story begins with the organization of a huge bonfire, where crowds from all over the world gather to destroy ancient symbols of power, prestige, and tradition. In a reformist fervor seeking the moral regeneration of humanity, material objects, and entire institutions are thrown into the fire: noble titles, royal emblems, weapons, beverages, books, and even religious symbols. However, something essential remains intact, hidden from the power of the flames.

Bram Stoker: Dracula’s Guest

“Dracula’s Guest” is a short story by Bram Stoker, published in 1914 in the collection Dracula’s Guest and Other Weird Stories. Originally conceived as the first chapter of the novel Dracula, it was discarded by the author and published independently after his death. Set in the vicinity of Munich, the story follows a young Englishman who, ignoring the warnings of his coachman, ventures into a desolate landscape on Walpurgis Night. As the snow falls and the surroundings become increasingly threatening, the traveler finds a forgotten mausoleum and begins to sense strange presences that herald the approach of a dark power.