Horror | Lecturia

Ray Bradbury: Skeleton

“Skeleton” is a short story by Ray Bradbury, first published in Weird Tales magazine in September 1945. It tells the story of Mr. Harris, a somewhat hypochondriac man who, convinced that he suffers from mysterious health problems, seeks the help of an alternative medicine specialist named M. Munigant. The doctor offers a psychological explanation for his ailments, suggesting that they stem from an apparent disconnection with his own skeleton. As the story unfolds, Harris becomes increasingly obsessed with his bones, leading him into a series of surreal and disturbing events that plunge him into a spiral of fear and paranoia.

Henry Kuttner: The Graveyard Rats

Synopsis: “The Graveyard Rats” is a horror short story by Henry Kuttner, first published in Weird Tales magazine in March 1936. The story follows Masson, the caretaker of an old and neglected cemetery in Salem, where huge, ravenous rats dig tunnels among the graves to steal freshly buried corpses. Their activity threatens Masson’s grim side business—grave robbing. One night, while trying to exhume a body, he discovers that the rats have gotten there first. What follows is a frantic and terrifying chase through the underground tunnels, leading Masson to confront horrors beyond imagination.

Robert Louis Stevenson: Thrawn Janet

“Thrawn Janet” is a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in October 1881 in The Cornhill Magazine. A young minister, Reverend Soulis, arrives in the Scottish village of Balweary to take charge of the parish. Ignoring the warnings of the locals, he hires Janet M’Clour as his housekeeper—a woman of ill repute, accused of witchcraft. After a tense confrontation with the village women, Janet publicly swears to renounce the devil. From that moment on, something disturbing begins to manifest around her, and the manse becomes shrouded in an atmosphere of growing fear and mystery.

Fredric Brown: Don’t Look Behind You

“Don’t Look Behind You” is a short story by Fredric Brown, published in May 1947 in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. It tells the story of Justin Dean, a modest engraver working at a printing shop in Ohio, whose life changes when he meets Harley Prentice, a handsome, refined, and enigmatic man. Fascinated by his elegance and confidence, Justin agrees to join him in a risky business venture that promises fortune. But beneath the appearance of success lie unsettling secrets that will drag them toward an increasingly ominous and uncertain fate.

Ray Bradbury: The Wind

“The Wind” is a psychological horror story by Ray Bradbury, published in Weird Tales in March 1943. It tells the story of Allin, a man convinced that the winds are living entities and that one of them is trying to possess him. Seeking comfort, Allin turns to his friend Herb Thompson, but Herb is unable to visit him because he is expecting guests at his own home—and his wife believes Allin has gone mad. Throughout the night, Herb receives several phone calls from Allin, each one more disturbing than the last.

William Hope Hodgson: The Voice in the Night

“The Voice in the Night” is a short story by William Hope Hodgson, first published in November 1907 in The Blue Book Magazine. On a starless, misty night in the North Pacific, a schooner lies motionless in the middle of the ocean. Suddenly, a disturbing voice emerges from the fog, repeatedly calling out to the ship. The speaker remains hidden in the shadows and refuses to come near the light. His tone is desperate, and his request, strange. The bewildered sailors try to understand who he is and what mystery lies behind this invisible figure who shuns being seen.