Fantasy | Lecturia

F. Marion Crawford: The Dead Smile

“The Dead Smile” is a short story by F. Marion Crawford, first published in August 1899 in Ainslee’s Magazine and later included in the collection Uncanny Tales (1911). Set in an old Irish mansion, it unfolds the unsettling tale of the Ockrams, a family burdened by a cursed inheritance. Before his death, Sir Hugh—an old man both cruel and merciless—utters cryptic warnings to his son Gabriel and to his niece Evelyn, who intend to marry. Yet he takes his secret to the grave. From that moment on, the young couple’s happiness is overshadowed by a growing threat and an insistent summons that seems to rise from the family crypt itself.

Robert Silverberg: Passengers

“Passengers” is a short story by Robert Silverberg, published in 1968 in the anthology Orbit 4. In a world invaded by entities that control people without warning, a man wakes up with a confused mind and his body marked by the traces of an unknown host. Not knowing what he has done during the last few days, he tries to reconstruct the lost time by observing his surroundings: the mess in the apartment, traces of a woman, signs of someone else’s life. While the city adapts to this disturbing form of slavery, the protagonist clings to the illusion of becoming himself again and regaining control of his destiny.

Oscar Wilde: The Fisherman and His Soul

“The Fisherman and His Soul” is a short story by Oscar Wilde, published in 1891 in the book A House of Pomegranates. It tells the story of a young fisherman who one day catches a mermaid in his nets. Fascinated by her beauty and enchanting voice, he agrees to set her free on the condition that, whenever he calls her, she will return to sing for him. As time goes by, the fisherman falls deeply in love and becomes willing to make any sacrifice to live with her in the sea — even to give up his own soul.

Oscar Wilde: The Nightingale and The Rose

“The Nightingale and the Rose” is a short story by Oscar Wilde, published in 1888 as part of the collection The Happy Prince and Other Tales. A young student is heartbroken because he cannot find a red rose to win the girl he loves, who has promised to dance with him only if he brings her one. A nightingale, listening to his sorrow from a tree, decides to help and sets out in search of that single flower. Moved by the ideal of true love, the bird sees in the young man the embodiment of a genuine lover.

Saki: The Saint and the Goblin

“The Saint and the Goblin” is a short story by Saki, published in 1910 in Reginald in Russia and Other Sketches. In an old cathedral, a little stone saint and a goblin carved into the opposite wall converse every night. The saint worries about the poor mice that live in the church, while the goblin teases him with irony and a pragmatic view of the world. Between them unfolds a sharp, satirical dialogue about charity and the limits of goodness. An unexpected event will put the sincerity of their ideals to the test.

Franz Kafka: A Report to an Academy

“A Report to an Academy” (Ein Bericht für eine Akademie) is a short story by Franz Kafka, first published in 1917 in the magazine Der Jude and later included in the book Ein Landarzt (1920). A peculiar ape who has adopted human behaviors is summoned before an academic assembly to give an account of his former life in the wild. Captured on the Gold Coast and locked in a cage aboard a ship, he recounts in detail the harsh conditions of his captivity and the reasons that led him to seek escape through imitation of the men around him. His narrative reconstructs the beginning of a forced adaptation that would forever shape the course of his existence.