Fantasy | Lecturia

Robert Louis Stevenson: The Bottle Imp

“The Bottle Imp” is a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson published in 1891. It tells the story of Keawe, a Hawaiian man who acquires a magic bottle with an extraordinary power: it can grant its owner any wish. However, the bottle is cursed; whoever dies while in its possession is doomed to hell. The only way to avoid this fate is to sell it for less than what was paid for it. Keawe, seduced by the promises of wealth and happiness, must face the consequences of this dark bargain. As his wishes begin to come true, so does his despair, as the bottle’s curse puts both his future and that of his loved ones at stake.

Nathaniel Hawthorne: Feathertop: A Moralized Legend

“Feathertop: A Moralized Legend” is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in February 1852 in The International Magazine. Mother Rigby, a powerful New England witch, makes a scarecrow for her cornfield using sticks, straw, old clothes, and a pumpkin for a head. Fascinated by the result of her handiwork, the witch decides to use magic to breathe life into it. Transformed into a handsome and refined gentleman, the figure—christened Feathertop—is sent by its creator into the vain world of human beings to try its luck.

Gabriel García Márquez: The Other Side of Death

“The Other Side of Death” (La otra costilla de la muerte) is a short story by Gabriel García Márquez, published in 1948 in the newspaper El Espectador and later collected in the book Ojos de perro azul (1974). The story plunges us into the troubled mind of a man who has just lost his twin brother. Awake in the early hours of the morning, surrounded by strange smells and sensations, he is confronted by a disturbing dream that becomes entwined with reality. His brother’s death leads him to reflect on life, death, and the strange connection between the two. Laden with symbolism and a dreamlike atmosphere, the narrative reveals the protagonist’s deep unease, as he feels that his own existence is inexorably bound to that of his dead brother.

Julio Cortázar: The Night Face Up

“The Night Face Up” (La noche boca arriba) is a short story by the Argentine writer Julio Cortázar, published in 1956 in the collection Final del juego. A man is injured in a motorcycle accident and taken to a hospital. At the same time, in an ancient world, a warrior flees through jungles and marshes during a ritual hunt. Alternating between these two realities, Cortázar creates a subtle tension between the contemporary and the ancestral in a story that disorients the reader and draws them into an uncertain realm where nothing feels entirely safe or familiar.

Arthur Conan Doyle: The Ring of Thoth

“The Ring of Thoth” is a mystery and adventure short story written by Arthur Conan Doyle and published in 1890. The story follows John Vansittart Smith, a renowned English Egyptologist who, during a visit to the Louvre Museum to study ancient papyri, falls asleep and awakens after midnight, finding himself alone in the vast museum. Trapped in this mysterious atmosphere, he witnesses a strange and supernatural event that connects him with an ancient story from Pharaonic Egypt.

J. D. Beresford: The Misanthrope

“The Misanthrope” is a short story by the English writer J. D. Beresford, published in 1918 in the book Nineteen Impressions. Intrigued by the stories about a mysterious hermit living on the remote islet of Gulland, a man decides to travel there. Once there, he meets William Copley, who has chosen to live apart from society. Invited to spend the night with him, the visitor gradually becomes Copley’s confidant, who reveals the disturbing condition that afflicts him: a peculiar faculty of perception that has driven him into a profound rejection of humanity.