Horror | Lecturia

Robert Bloch: The Secret in the Tomb

“The Secret in the Tomb” is a gothic horror tale written by Robert Bloch and published in Weird Tales in May 1935. It is the author’s first story set within the Cthulhu Mythos, created by H. P. Lovecraft. The narrative follows the last heir of a family of sorcerers, who ventures into the cemetery in search of an ancient and sinister secret hidden within his ancestors’ vault. In this grim and mysterious setting, the protagonist confronts supernatural forces that defy reason, while the macabre and oppressive atmosphere reveals forbidden and hidden terrors.

M. R. James: Lost Hearts

“Lost Hearts” is a gothic tale written by Montague Rhodes James (M. R. James), first published in The Pall Mall Magazine in 1895. The story follows Stephen Elliot, an orphaned boy who arrives at Aswarby Hall, the mansion of his enigmatic distant cousin, Mr. Abney. This solitary scholar, fascinated by ancient religions and esoteric practices, invites the boy to live in his austere residence in Lincolnshire. As Stephen adjusts to his new home, he grows increasingly intrigued by the mysterious atmosphere of the house and the strange sculptures and books that decorate it. Through conversations with the kind housekeeper, Mrs. Bunch, he uncovers unsettling stories about the mansion and begins to suspect that his cousin’s true intentions may be far darker than they seem.

H. P. Lovecraft: The Festival

“The Festival” is a haunting tale by H.P. Lovecraft, published in January 1925 in Weird Tales magazine. On Christmas Eve, a man travels to the ancient coastal town of Kingsport to take part in an enigmatic winter solstice ritual. His purpose is to connect with the arcane roots of his lineage, which trace back to times predating the colonization of America. Immersed in an oppressive atmosphere of mystery, the protagonist finds himself in a transformed Kingsport, where the shadows of the past come alive and family secrets intertwine with ancient horrors.

Ambrose Bierce: The Boarded Window

In “The Boarded Window”, a short story published in 1891, Ambrose Bierce transports us to the vast and lonely forests near Cincinnati in 1830, where the untamed wilderness serves as the backdrop for an unsettling tale. The story follows Murlock, a reclusive widower who lives in an isolated cabin, cut off from all company. Once a lively pioneer, Murlock has aged prematurely after the death of his wife, a tragic event shrouded in mysterious and terrifying circumstances that changed his life forever.

Arthur Conan Doyle: Lot No. 249

“Lot No. 249” is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in September 1892 in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine. Set in Oxford, the story follows medical student Abercrombie Smith, whose academic routine is disrupted by disturbing news about his neighbor Edward Bellingham, an eccentric scholar, expert in Oriental languages, and fascinated by the mysteries of ancient Egypt. Gradually, inexplicable events disturb the quiet life at the university, and Smith begins to suspect that his neighbor is hiding more than just academic eccentricities.

Edgar Allan Poe: Shadow—A Parable

“Shadow—A Parable” is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, published in September 1835 in The Southern Literary Messenger and later included in Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque (1840). Set in the fictional city of Ptoleméis during a devastating plague, the story begins with a group of seven men locked in a gloomy room, drinking wine beside the recent corpse of a friend. As they try to ignore the horror outside, an inexplicable shadow emerges from the draperies of the room, interrupting their forced revelry with a presence that seems to speak from a place beyond time.