“The Food of the Gods,” a short story by Arthur C. Clarke published in 1964, revolves around human nutrition’s technological and ethical dilemmas. The protagonist is the CEO of a food company, who discusses the historical evolution of the human diet before a congressional committee, from the vicious dependence on meat and agricultural products to … Read more
“The Black Veil,” a short story by Charles Dickens, narrates the disturbing visit of a mysterious woman to the office of a young, newly established doctor. The woman, concealed by a black veil, requests the doctor’s help for a sick person with one peculiar condition: he must not see the patient until the following day. Despite the urgency and seriousness that the woman conveys, the doctor is forced to agree to her strange request. The next day, the doctor goes to the specified location, a bleak and desolate environment, to uncover a disturbing reality that challenges his understanding and tests his humanity. The story delves into themes of mystery, guilt, and redemption, enveloped in a gothic and gloomy atmosphere characteristic of Dickens’ work.
Faith, Half-faith and No Faith At All is a fable by Robert Louis Stevenson that narrates the journey of three men, a priest, a virtuous man, and a wanderer, who discuss faith and truth on their pilgrimage. Along the way, they encounter situations that challenge their beliefs, leading to debates about the nature of faith, … Read more
“Dracula” by Bram Stoker is a Gothic novel that tells the terrifying story of Count Dracula, a vampire who travels from Transylvania to England, unleashing a wave of horror and mystery. Through diaries and letters, the novel follows a group of characters led by Professor Van Helsing, who desperately struggles to stop Dracula and his … Read more
There was a man dwelt by a churchyard. Well, no, okay, it wasn’t always a man; in this particular case it was a woman. There was a woman dwelt by a churchyard. Though, to be honest, nobody really uses that word nowadays. Everybody says cemetery. And nobody says dwelt any more. In other words: There … Read more
Egbert came into the large, dimly lit drawing-room with the air of a man who is not certain whether he is entering a dovecote or a bomb factory, and is prepared for either eventuality. The little domestic quarrel over the luncheon-table had not been fought to a definite finish, and the question was how far … Read more