Horror | Lecturia

H. P. Lovecraft: The Festival

“The Festival” is a haunting tale by H.P. Lovecraft, published in January 1925 in Weird Tales magazine. On Christmas Eve, a man travels to the ancient coastal town of Kingsport to take part in an enigmatic winter solstice ritual. His purpose is to connect with the arcane roots of his lineage, which trace back to times predating the colonization of America. Immersed in an oppressive atmosphere of mystery, the protagonist finds himself in a transformed Kingsport, where the shadows of the past come alive and family secrets intertwine with ancient horrors.

Ambrose Bierce: The Boarded Window

In “The Boarded Window”, a short story published in 1891, Ambrose Bierce transports us to the vast and lonely forests near Cincinnati in 1830, where the untamed wilderness serves as the backdrop for an unsettling tale. The story follows Murlock, a reclusive widower who lives in an isolated cabin, cut off from all company. Once a lively pioneer, Murlock has aged prematurely after the death of his wife, a tragic event shrouded in mysterious and terrifying circumstances that changed his life forever.

Arthur Conan Doyle: Lot No. 249

“Lot No. 249” is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in September 1892 in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine. Set in Oxford, the story follows medical student Abercrombie Smith, whose academic routine is disrupted by disturbing news about his neighbor Edward Bellingham, an eccentric scholar, expert in Oriental languages, and fascinated by the mysteries of ancient Egypt. Gradually, inexplicable events disturb the quiet life at the university, and Smith begins to suspect that his neighbor is hiding more than just academic eccentricities.

Edgar Allan Poe: Shadow—A Parable

“Shadow—A Parable” is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, published in September 1835 in The Southern Literary Messenger and later included in Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque (1840). Set in the fictional city of Ptoleméis during a devastating plague, the story begins with a group of seven men locked in a gloomy room, drinking wine beside the recent corpse of a friend. As they try to ignore the horror outside, an inexplicable shadow emerges from the draperies of the room, interrupting their forced revelry with a presence that seems to speak from a place beyond time.

Lisa Tuttle: The Horse Lord

“The Horse Lord” is a short story by American writer Lisa Tuttle, published in June 1977 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The story follows Marilyn, a suspense writer who moves with her husband and five children to an old family mansion in a remote area of upstate New York. As she adjusts to rural life, she discovers an old, abandoned barn linked to a tragic family history and ancient Native American legends. What begins as a new chapter away from the hustle and bustle of city life gradually turns into an increasingly oppressive and disturbing experience.

Bram Stoker: The Coming of Abel Behenna

Bram Stoker - El regreso de Abel Behenna

“The Coming of Abel Behenna” is a romantic and dark short story by Bram Stoker, published in 1893 in Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper. In the peaceful port of Pencastle, two young men who have been inseparable since childhood, Abel and Eric, share not only a deep friendship but also a love for the beautiful Sarah Trefusis, the most sought-after young woman in the village. When she is forced to choose between them, an unusual proposal gives rise to a risky agreement that will keep her away from her fiancé for a year. While chance determines the future, jealousy, ambition, and uncertainty begin to cloud the bond between the former comrades.