Horror | Lecturia

Robert E. Howard: Skulls in the Stars

Robert E. Howard - Calaveras en las estrellas

Skulls in the Stars is a short story by Robert E. Howard, published in January 1929 in the magazine Weird Tales. The story follows the gloomy puritan Solomon Kane, a solitary traveller who, ignoring local warnings, decides to cross a deserted wasteland on his way to Yorkertown. Despite the villagers’ fears of an invisible horror lurking in the area, Kane ventures into the darkness, where the desolate landscape and the echoes of inhuman laughter announce a supernatural threat. With his sword and faith, he faces a spectral force that will test his courage and determination.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Alchemist

The Alchemist is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, published in November 1916 in The United Amateur magazine. The story is narrated by Antoine, the last descendant of an ancient and ruined French noble lineage marked by a mysterious curse that condemns its members to die young. From childhood, the protagonist grows up isolated in a ruined castle, surrounded by solitude, books, and dark omens about his lineage. As he investigates the origin of the family tragedy, he discovers ancient documents that connect him to a past full of secrets, alchemy, and a dark threat that seems to defy time.

August Derleth: The House in the Valley

The House in the Valley is a story by August Derleth, published in July 1953 in the magazine Weird Tales. Told in the first person by Jefferson Bates, a painter seeking isolation to devote himself to his work, the story begins when he rents an old mansion in a remote valley in Massachusetts near the ancient fortresses of Arkham and Dunwich. The house, marked by a dark past linked to the Bishop family, soon awakens a disturbing sensation of an invisible presence in the protagonist. As he settles in, he perceives subtle hints of a mystery hidden beneath the apparent calm of the place, slowly submerging himself in an increasingly disturbing environment.

Shirley Jackson: The Summer People

“The Summer People” is a disturbing story by the acclaimed American author Shirley Jackson, published in September 1950 in the magazine Charm. The story explores the story of an elderly couple, the Allisons, who, after years of spending their summers in a quiet country cottage, decide to extend their stay beyond the usual season. However, this harmless decision triggers a series of unexpected events.

Clark Ashton Smith: The Death of Malygris

The Death of Malygris is a story by Clark Ashton Smith, published in April 1934 in the magazine Weird Tales. Set in the mythical Poseidonis, it explores the mystery surrounding the fate of the fearsome sorcerer Malygris. King Gadeiron summons the most powerful magicians of Susran to confirm whether the sorcerer is dead, because although no one has seen him move or speak in a long time, his presence continues to inspire terror. Using forbidden arts, and knowing the dangers to which they are exposed, the conjurers try to unravel the enigma surrounding the sorcerer.

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

“The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” by Edgar Allan Poe narrates a disturbing scientific experiment. A hypnotist, fascinated by the boundaries between life and death, decides to try to hypnotize a person at the moment of their death. To do this, he recruits Ernest Valdemar, a terminally ill man. With the help of doctors and assistants, the narrator undertakes this audacious experiment, exploring unknown territories of the human consciousness. As the process advances, the participants face inexplicable phenomena that challenge their understanding of reality and death. The story combines elements of psychological horror with a pseudo-scientific approach, creating an atmosphere of growing tension and mystery that keeps the reader in suspense until its surprising conclusion.