Edgar Allan Poe: MS. Found in a Bottle

Edgar Allan Poe: MS. Found in a Bottle

MS. Found in a Bottle is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, published on 19 October 1833 in the Baltimore Saturday Visiter. It tells the story of an anonymous man who, dissatisfied with his life and searching for escape, embarks on a ship sailing from Batavia, Java, to an uncertain destination. Although the voyage begins smoothly, an unearthly calm soon overtakes the sea, foreshadowing a colossal storm that abruptly breaks loose, plunging the ship into chaos and panic.

Ray Bradbury: The Man Upstairs

Ray Bradbury: The Man Upstairs

“The Man Upstairs” is a disturbing short story by Ray Bradbury, first published in Harper’s Magazine in March 1947. The story follows Douglas, a curious boy who lives with his grandmother, a woman skilled in the kitchen whose culinary rituals fascinate him. One day, a strange man named Mr. Koberman arrives at the boarding house to rent the upstairs room. From the moment he appears, the atmosphere in the house becomes tense and mysterious. Intrigued by the newcomer’s peculiar behavior, Douglas begins to suspect that there is something very unusual about him—something that defies all logic.

Arthur Machen: The Happy Children

Arthur Machen: The Happy Children

The Happy Children is a haunting story by Arthur Machen, published in 1920. After Christmas 1915, a journalist stops in Banwick, a town steeped in medieval atmosphere. Fascinated by the beauty of the place, he wanders through the narrow, winding streets, where he is surprised to find numerous children laughing, singing, and dancing merrily. His bewilderment increases as he finds that even as night falls and darkness envelops the village, children are still on the streets. While exploring this enigmatic setting, the journalist witnesses a strange procession heading to an ancient church on the hill. This experience will be far more disturbing than he ever imagined.

Nathaniel Hawthorne: Young Goodman Brown

Nathaniel Hawthorne: Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown is a horror story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in The New England Magazine in April 1835. The story follows Goodman Brown, a young man from Salem who one night takes leave of his wife to keep an enigmatic and urgent appointment. Shortly into the journey, he encounters a mysterious man who reveals himself to be Satan, and together, they go deep into the woods, where he witnesses a disturbing ceremony. That night, Brown will be confronted with disturbing revelations that will shake his faith and vision of everything around him, marking a before and after in his life.

Edgar Allan Poe: The black cat

Edgar Allan Poe: The black cat

“The Black Cat” is a psychological horror short story by Edgar Allan Poe, published on August 19, 1843, in The Saturday Evening Post. Told in the first person, it recounts the story of a man who, since childhood, has felt a deep affection for animals—especially for his cat, Pluto. However, the abuse of alcohol gradually transforms his character, leading him to violence and depravity. As his behavior deteriorates, his relationship with the animal grows dark and obsessive, while the narrator begins to reveal the deepest and most terrifying recesses of his tormented mind.