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Mary Shelley: Transformation

Synopsis: “Transformation,” a gothic tale by Mary Shelley, tells the story of Guido, a handsome, proud, and reckless young Genoese man who is engaged to Juliet, a beautiful and angelic young woman, daughter of his guardian and mentor, the Marquis Torella. After squandering his fortune, Guido asks for his fiancee back. However, the conditions imposed by Torella for the marriage to take place make the union impossible. Exiled, alone, and penniless, Guido thinks about improving his situation when he meets a mysterious being who offers him wealth and revenge that the ambitious young man cannot refuse.

Mary Shelley: The Dream

In Mary Shelley’s The Dream, the young and beautiful Countess Constance de Villeneuve lives in solitude, grieving the loss of her father and brothers in the civil wars. Determined to enter a convent, her plans are challenged by the unexpected visit of the king and Gaspar de Vaudemont, an old love whose return awakens intense emotions in her heart. On a stormy night, Constance, seeking divine guidance, enters a sacred cave, where revelatory visions confront her with her love and destiny. In a struggle between duty and passion, Constance faces decisions that could change her life forever.

Elizabeth Gaskell: Right at Last

Right at Last is a short story by Elizabeth Gaskell, published on November 27, 1858, in Household Words. The story follows Margaret Frazer, a young woman of strong character who defies her family’s opposition by getting engaged to Dr. James Brown, a talented man of uncertain origins. As the couple builds their life together, events reveal intrigues and secrets that will test their strength and love, confronting them with an uncertain destiny.

Arthur C. Clarke: Superiority

“Superiority” is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, published in August 1951 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. As a court statement, the story tells how a technologically superior civilization suffers a crushing defeat in an intergalactic war. The commander-in-chief’s account explains how a theoretical scientist’s obsession with developing increasingly advanced weapons led them to succumb to a more backward civilization. With an ironic tone, Clarke constructs a story about the risks of unthinkingly relying on innovation and shows how excessive confidence in progress can lead to collapse.

Arthur C. Clarke: The Nine Billion Names of God. Summary and analysis

The Nine Billion Names of God, written by Arthur C. Clarke and published in 1953, is a science fiction story that explores the intersection between faith and technology. In the story, a group of Tibetan monks hires a company to install an advanced computer in their monastery. They aim to speed up an ancient project: the transcription of all the possible combinations of the names of God, a task that, if done manually, would take thousands of years. Two engineers are sent to supervise the operation of the machine, and although they consider the monks’ beliefs absurd, they do their job. As the computer nears completion of its task, the story is immersed in an atmosphere of mystery and growing tension.

Angela Carter: The Kiss

The Kiss is a story by Angela Carter, published in 1985 in the collection Black Venus. Set in the magical city of Samarkand, the story intertwines myth and history to narrate an episode in the life of Tamerlane’s wife. Against a backdrop of vivid colors and exotic landscapes, the wife tries to surprise the famous warrior, returning from his conquests, by erecting a mosque in his honor. However, the cunning architect sets an unexpected condition for finishing the job on time.