Horror | Lecturia

Ray Bradbury: The Emissary

Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Emissary” tells the story of Martin Christie, a boy confined to his bed due to illness. Torry, his dog, becomes his connection to the outside world. Martin experiences the changing seasons and the experiences of the outside world through Torry, who also brings him visitors, thanks to a note Martin puts on his collar. One day, Torry disappears without a trace. When Martin has already lost all hope of recovering his friend, something unexpected happens.

Edgar Allan Poe: Ligeia. Full Story, Summary and Analysis

Edgar Allan Poe’s “Ligeia” is a gothic horror story that narrates the protagonist’s intense relationship with a woman of exceptional beauty and intelligence whom he met in a dilapidated town near the Rhine. In their union, they share love, passion, and a deep intellectual respect. Ligeia’s death throws the protagonist into a spiral of decadence … Read more

Edgar Allan Poe: The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

“The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar,” a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1845, explores the boundaries of life and death through hypnosis. The story’s protagonist, a hypnotism expert, decides to experiment with Mr. Valdemar, who is on his deathbed. Since Valdemar is seriously ill and has no relatives in America who could object, he voluntarily agrees to the test. The plot unfolds in Valdemar’s room, where the protagonist and other witnesses observe the effects of the hypnotism applied just as Valdemar is about to pass away. Their discoveries are surprising.

Rudyard Kipling: The Mark of the Beast

“The Mark of the Beast,” a short story by Rudyard Kipling published in 1890, plunges into the depths of mysticism and cultural tensions in colonial India. The story recounts the experience of Fleete, an Englishman newly arrived in India, who, while under the influence of alcohol during a New Year’s Eve celebration, desecrates a temple of Hanuman, the monkey god. His disrespectful and mocking action towards the sacred provokes supernatural revenge when he is branded on the chest by a mysterious leper known as the Silver Man. As the mark on Fleete’s chest transforms, he changes alarmingly, displaying animalistic behaviors and appetites. His friends are then embroiled in a desperate attempt to understand and remedy his condition, facing the clash between Western rationality and the inexplicable forces of an ancient local faith.

H. P. Lovecraft: In the Vault

“In the Vault,” a short story by H.P. Lovecraft written in 1925, tells the disturbing tale of George Birch, a miserly and unscrupulous funeral director. While relocating corpses for burial, Birch gets locked in an old crypt, dug into a mountain, with no hope of imminent rescue. In desperation, he is forced to find his way out through a small opening above the door, which he tries to enlarge using the rudimentary tools he finds in the place. While working, Birch must face supernatural and terrifying events, a consequence of his past decisions, which will mark him for life.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Tree

“The Tree,” a tale by H.P. Lovecraft, tells the story of Calos and Musides, two talented sculptors and friends living in ancient Greece. Both face a test when they are commissioned to compete to create a statue for the tyrant of Syracuse. Amid the competition, one of the friends suffers a mysterious illness that leads … Read more