Robert Bloch | Lecturia

Robert Bloch: The Night Before Christmas

“The Night Before Christmas” is a short story by Robert Bloch published in 1980 in the anthology Dark Forces. Arnold Brandon, a struggling painter, receives a commission that could boost his career: to paint the portrait of Louise, the elegant wife of Carlos Santiago, an imposing and mysterious Argentine tycoon. From their first meeting, Santiago, with his commanding presence and shady past, provokes in Arnold a mixture of fascination and revulsion. As Arnold progresses with his work and Christmas approaches, the relationships between the three characters become increasingly complex, creating an atmosphere where power, jealousy, and secrets threaten to unleash a tragic storm.

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.

Robert Bloch: The Eyes of the Mummy

“The Eyes of the Mummy,” a short story by Robert Bloch published in Weird Tales in April 1938, tells the story of a man fascinated by ancient Egypt who embarks on a secret expedition with an archaeologist to plunder the tomb of a priest of the god Sobek. After discovering the mummy, they come across mysterious gems that have replaced the corpse’s eyes. These jewels possess hypnotic and supernatural properties related to ancient Egyptian beliefs about resurrection. What begins as a simple treasure hunt turns into a terrifying experience that challenges the protagonist’s understanding and pits him against dark forces beyond his comprehension, threatening his sanity and his very existence.