Fantasy | Lecturia

Harlan Ellison: All the Sounds of Fear

Harlan Ellison - Todos los sonidos del miedo

“All the Sounds of Fear” is a short story by Harlan Ellison, published in 1962 in the collection Ellison Wonderland. It recounts the extraordinary career of the actor Richard Becker, who develops a revolutionary acting technique based on total immersion in his characters—living them in reality in order to achieve absolute authenticity on stage. Over the course of twenty-four years, Becker conquers Broadway with legendary characterizations, turning down offers from Hollywood because he believes his art requires the reality of the theater. However, his extreme dedication to assuming other identities drags him toward a breaking point where the line between actor and character fades away irretrievably.

Arthur Conan Doyle: The Leather Funnel

“The Leather Funnel” is a Gothic short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in November 1902 in McClure’s magazine. A man visits his friend Lionel Dacre, a wealthy collector of strange objects and occult books, in Paris. During his stay, an ancient and enigmatic leather funnel arouses the visitor’s curiosity. Dacre, convinced that certain objects retain traces of extreme experiences and can transmit them to sensitive minds, proposes a unique experiment to his guest: to sleep next to the funnel in order to access, through sleep, revelations about his dark past.

Julio Cortázar: Circe

“Circe” is a short story by Julio Cortázar, published in 1951 as part of the Bestiario collection. Dark rumors surround Delia Mañara, a young woman marked by the tragic deaths of her two former boyfriends. Mario, a neighbor in the neighborhood, decides to defend her from the gossip and begins to visit her, gradually entering the secretive world of the Mañaras. There, Delia attracts him with her unique culinary skills and domestic rituals, while the young man tries to unravel the enigma of a woman who seems to exert a disturbing influence on everything around her.

Edgar Allan Poe: Morella

“Morella” is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, published in April 1835 in the Southern Literary Messenger. A man marries Morella, a woman of great erudition and a marked inclination toward metaphysics and mystical knowledge. Although he initially feels deeply attached to her, over time he experiences a growing detachment and an inexplicable aversion toward his wife, a feeling that intensifies as she languishes and her presence becomes increasingly disturbing.

Julio Cortázar: A Yellow Flower

“A Yellow Flower” is a short story by Julio Cortázar, published in 1956 in the collection Final del juego. In a Paris bistro, a drunken man claims to have made an extraordinary discovery: we are immortal. As he tells it, the revelation came to him on a bus, when he recognized in a thirteen-year-old boy named Luc an exact replica of himself at that age—the same face, the same gestures, the same shyness, the same voice. Determined to investigate, he insinuates himself into the boy’s life: he visits his home and meets his family. As he learns more about Luc’s story, he finds astonishing parallels between their two lives, as though existence were repeating itself in endless cycles.

Gabriel García Márquez: I Sell My Dreams

“I Sell My Dreams” (Me alquilo para soñar) is a short story by Gabriel García Márquez, published in 1992 in the collection 12 cuentos peregrinos. It recounts the author’s own experiences with a mysterious woman he met in Vienna. A tragic event that took place in Havana serves García Márquez as the occasion to evoke this fascinating character, who possesses a very special gift: the ability to foresee the future through dreams. The story moves between the fantastic and the journalistic, and also includes a delightful anecdote involving Pablo Neruda.