Fantasy | Lecturia

Robert E. Howard: Skulls in the Stars

Robert E. Howard - Calaveras en las estrellas

Skulls in the Stars is a short story by Robert E. Howard, published in January 1929 in the magazine Weird Tales. The story follows the gloomy puritan Solomon Kane, a solitary traveller who, ignoring local warnings, decides to cross a deserted wasteland on his way to Yorkertown. Despite the villagers’ fears of an invisible horror lurking in the area, Kane ventures into the darkness, where the desolate landscape and the echoes of inhuman laughter announce a supernatural threat. With his sword and faith, he faces a spectral force that will test his courage and determination.

Julio Cortázar: Axolotl

Axolotl is a short story by Julio Cortázar, published in 1956 in the Final del juego (End of the Game) collection. It tells the story of a man’s obsession with axolotls —amphibians native to Mexico also known as ajolotes— that he observes daily in an aquarium in Paris. Fascinated by their stillness and their eyes, the protagonist feels a deep connection with these creatures, perceiving in them a mysterious presence and a latent humanity.

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.

Richard Matheson: Old Haunts

Old Haunts is a short story by Richard Matheson, published in October 1957 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The story follows Bill Johnson, a middle-aged man who returns to the city where he spent his university years, driven by nostalgia and the desire to reconnect with his past. He visits old places, relives memories, and stays in his old room, seeking solace in the familiar. But as the journey progresses, the atmosphere becomes disturbing, and the past, far from offering refuge, begins to reveal itself as a more worrisome territory than he imagined.

Ursula K. Le Guin: The White Donkey

The White Donkey is a short story by Ursula K. Le Guin, published in 1980 in the magazine TriQuarterly. The story follows Sita, a young woman who takes her goats to graze in the forest, where she discovers a mysterious white donkey with a horn on its forehead. Fascinated by its elegance and uniqueness, Sita visits it daily, offering flowers and sharing moments of silent companionship. As her bond with the animal grows stronger, at Sita’s home, her parents decide her fate.

Ray Bradbury: The Dragon

“The Dragon” is a short story by Ray Bradbury published in Esquire in August 1955. It tells the story of two men waiting by a fire in a desolate nocturnal wasteland, fearful of the presence of a legendary dragon that devours solitary travelers. The darkness and the cold increase their anxiety as they talk about the terrifying beast, described as having eyes of fire and deadly breath. As the night progresses, the men prepare for an inevitable confrontation. When the dragon appears, they don their armor and mount their horses, marching towards an inevitable clash with their destiny.