Horror | Lecturia

Charles Dickens: A Madman’s Manuscript

“A Madman’s Manuscript” is a short story by Charles Dickens, published in 1836 as part of The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. Presented as a manuscript found in an asylum, it tells the story of a man who describes his gradual descent into madness. A descendant of a family plagued by insanity, he is obsessed with the idea of inheriting the same fate. This fear consumes him, isolating him from the world and trapping him in a spiral of paranoia and despair. As his obsession grows, his reality becomes distorted, and his worst fears begin to take shape.

Shirley Jackson: The Intoxicated

“The Intoxicated” is a short story by Shirley Jackson, published in 1949 in The Lottery, or, The Adventures of James Harris. During a party, a slightly drunk man slips into the kitchen to escape the noise and sober up a little. There he finds Eileen, the hosts’ teenage daughter, who offers him coffee. Somewhat uncomfortable, the man strikes up a conversation he intends to keep trivial. Gradually, however, the exchange takes a disturbing turn when the girl begins to reveal her dark vision of the world’s future.

Theodore Sturgeon: It

“It” is a short story by American writer Theodore Sturgeon, published in August 1940 in the magazine Unknown. When Kimbo, his hunting dog, doesn’t answer his calls, Alton Drew grows concerned. It is unusual for the animal to disappear; therefore, even though it is already night, he decides to venture into the woods with his rifle to look for him. What Alton doesn’t know is that Kimbo has had a brutal encounter with a mysterious creature born of dampness, decay, and darkness, which roams the forest driven by a curiosity as blind as it is monstrous.

Ray Bradbury: The Scythe

“The Scythe” is a short story by Ray Bradbury, published in July 1943 in the magazine Weird Tales. It tells the story of an exhausted and starving family arriving at a solitary house next to a mysterious wheat field. Drew Erickson, the father, discovers a will that bequeaths him the property, including a gleaming scythe. As he tries to rebuild his life in that fertile and seemingly providential place, the field and the tool begin to reveal a deeper, darker purpose. In a setting steeped in symbolism, Drew faces a task that transcends the agricultural and drags him toward the inevitable.

Daphne du Maurier: Kiss Me Again, Stranger

“Kiss Me Again, Stranger” is a short story by British author Daphne du Maurier, published in 1952 in the collection *The Apple Tree*. A young London mechanic and former soldier decides to go to the movies one night. There he meets an attractive and enigmatic young woman who works as an usher, and is immediately captivated by her. Driven by this sudden attraction, after the show he follows her to the bus and embarks with her on a long journey to the suburbs, increasingly convinced that he may have finally found someone to share his life with.

Truman Capote: Miriam

“Miriam” is a short story by Truman Capote, published in June 1945 in Mademoiselle magazine. Mrs. H. T. Miller is a sixty-one-year-old widow living in New York, where she leads a solitary life marked by tranquility and routine. One snowy night, while waiting in line to get into the movie theater, she meets Miriam, a peculiar girl with silver hair who asks her for help getting into the movie. Although Mrs. Miller readily agrees, she soon begins to sense something about Miriam that unsettles her and causes her to distance herself. However, that will not be the last time she sees the girl.