Fantasy | Lecturia

Edgar Allan Poe: Eleonora

Eleonora is a gothic tale by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1841. It tells the story of a young man who lives in a paradisiacal valley with his cousin Eleonora. In this haven of beauty and isolation, the two share an existence of pure love and simple harmony, surrounded by dreamy landscapes and the silent flow of a magical river. However, a shadow threatens to break their idyllic life, forcing them to confront the fragility of happiness and the strength of the ties that bind them together.

George R. R. Martin: In the Lost Lands. Summary and analysis

In In the Lost Lands by George R.R. Martin, Gray Alys, a mysterious woman capable of granting any wish, is tasked by the noble Lady Melange to provide the power of shapeshifting. Accompanied by Boyce, a charismatic guide, Gray Alys ventures into the desolate Lost Lands to find a werewolf. Along the way, secrets unravel: Boyce is the wolf, and Gray Alys’s true abilities are revealed.

Oscar Wilde: The Star-Child

“The Star-Child” is a fantastic tale by Oscar Wilde published in 1891 in the collection A House of Pomegranates. During a harsh winter, two woodcutters find a child abandoned in the forest, wrapped in a golden cloak and wearing an amber chain. Although one wants to leave him there, the other decides to take him home, where the boy grows into a young man of unusual beauty. However, his appearance does not reflect his character: the Star-child is vain and cruel; he despises others and harshly treats the poor and afflicted. The Star-Child’s arrogance and selfishness soon lead him to face harsh consequences.

Ray Bradbury: The Man Upstairs

“The Man Upstairs” is a disturbing short story by Ray Bradbury, first published in Harper’s Magazine in March 1947. The story follows Douglas, a curious boy who lives with his grandmother, a woman skilled in the kitchen whose culinary rituals fascinate him. One day, a strange man named Mr. Koberman arrives at the boarding house to rent the upstairs room. From the moment he appears, the atmosphere in the house becomes tense and mysterious. Intrigued by the newcomer’s peculiar behavior, Douglas begins to suspect that there is something very unusual about him—something that defies all logic.

Edgar Allan Poe: The black cat

“The Black Cat” is a psychological horror short story by Edgar Allan Poe, published on August 19, 1843, in The Saturday Evening Post. Told in the first person, it recounts the story of a man who, since childhood, has felt a deep affection for animals—especially for his cat, Pluto. However, the abuse of alcohol gradually transforms his character, leading him to violence and depravity. As his behavior deteriorates, his relationship with the animal grows dark and obsessive, while the narrator begins to reveal the deepest and most terrifying recesses of his tormented mind.

Ray Bradbury: Time Intervening

In Ray Bradbury’s “Time Intervining,” an old man leaves his house in the early morning and finds some children playing in his garden. Although he tries to talk to them, he gets no response. When he returns home, he sits in the dark, restless. Suddenly, a young man and a girl enter, surprised to see him, and chase him away, claiming that this is their home. The old man, perplexed and with unheeded protests, ends up in the street. During the night, he watches in bewilderment as several people enter and leave his home, seemingly paying no attention to him.