Horror | Lecturia

Shirley Jackson: Jack the Ripper

“Jack the Ripper” is a short story by the American writer Shirley Jackson, published posthumously in 1996 in the book Just an Ordinary Day. On a New York night, a man walks down a deserted street when he comes upon a young woman who has fainted beside a bar, apparently drunk. Alarmed by her condition, he goes inside the establishment and tries to get help for her, but he encounters the indifference of the bartender and the other men present, who prefer to wash their hands of the matter, claiming they know her and that she usually sleeps on the street. Faced with this general apathy, the man decides to take matters into his own hands and help the young woman himself.

H. G. Wells: The Stolen Body

“The Stolen Body” is a short story by H. G. Wells published in 1898 in The Strand Magazine, combining science fiction with supernatural horror. Mr. Bessel and his colleague Vincey are deeply interested in the study of psychic and spiritual phenomena. Driven by his curiosity, Bessel decides to experiment with astral projection, attempting to separate his mind from his physical body. However, during one of these attempts, something goes wrong and Bessel finds himself outside his body, facing mysterious and puzzling situations as he searches for a way to return to his normal state.

Mariana Enríquez: An Invocation of the Big-Eared Runt

“An Invocation of the Big-Eared Runt” (Pablito clavó un clavito: Una evocación del Petiso Orejudo) is an unsettling short story by Mariana Enríquez, published in the collection Las cosas que perdimos en el fuego (2016). The story centers on Pablo, a guide of macabre tours in Buenos Aires, who begins to see the specter of the Petiso Orejudo, an infamous murderer from the early twentieth century. The criminal’s supernatural apparition becomes a disturbing reflection of the protagonist’s personal and familial crisis. Enríquez intertwines historical horror with psychological terror, creating a dense and chilling atmosphere that explores obsession, guilt, and the loss of human connection.

Bram Stoker: The Dualitists, or, the Death Doom of the Double Born

“The Dualitists, or, the Death Doom of the Double Born” is a horror short story laced with dark humor written by Bram Stoker, published in November 1886 in The Theatre Annual for 1887. The story follows Harry and Tommy, two inseparable boys whose pranks grow increasingly macabre, leading them to discover an unsettling fascination with cruelty and destruction. What begins as innocent play gradually transforms into a spiral of boundless violence. Set in an apparently quiet neighborhood, the narrative—rich in suspense and horror—reveals the darkness that can lurk behind childhood innocence.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Tomb

“The Tomb,” a psychological horror story by H.P. Lovecraft, published in 1922, immerses us in the disturbing story of Jervas Dudley, a young man obsessed with an ancient family mausoleum. Narrated in the first person, the story offers a disturbing journey through the disturbed mind of Dudley, who claims to have established a supernatural connection with the ancient occupants of the tomb. As the story progresses, the line between the protagonist’s delusions and supernatural events becomes blurred, leaving the reader in a state of uncertainty about the veracity of the events narrated.

María Fernanda Ampuero: Ali

“Ali” is a short story by Ecuadorian writer María Fernanda Ampuero, published in 2018 in the book Pelea de gallos. It tells the story of Ali, a kind-hearted woman who, unlike other women in her social circle, is unusually generous and attentive to those who work in her home. However, as time goes by, her behavior begins to change in a disturbing way. Through the collective voice of the workers, the story shows domestic life from the inside and gives a glimpse of how, in that everyday space, tensions and memories accumulate, destabilizing the apparent normality of the home.