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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.

Nathaniel Hawthorne: Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment

“Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, first published in Knickerbocker Magazine in January 1837 and later included in Twice-Told Tales (1837). It tells of the eccentric Dr. Heidegger, who invites four elderly friends—once distinguished by wealth, beauty, power, and pleasure but now broken by time and misfortune—into his mysterious study. Amid dusty tomes, strange relics, and the portrait of his lost fiancée, the doctor proposes a peculiar experiment involving a liquid said to flow from the legendary Fountain of Youth.

Joanna Russ: When It Changed

Joanna Russ - Cuando las cosas cambiaron

“When It Changed” is a science fiction short story by Joanna Russ, published in 1972 in the anthology Again, Dangerous Visions and awarded the Nebula Prize in 1973. Set on the planet Whileaway, where women have lived without men for centuries, the story follows Janet and her wife, Katy, as they confront the unexpected arrival of a group of men from Earth. Through Janet’s perspective, the narrative explores everyday life in an all-female society and the unease caused by the newcomers, whose attitudes reflect a profoundly different worldview.

Philip K. Dick: The Pre-Persons

“The Pre-Persons” is a controversial short story by Philip K. Dick, published in October 1974 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Set in a dystopian future where abortion is legal up to the age of twelve, a boy flees when he sees the truck that collects unwanted children to take them to a state institution, where an algebra test determines whether or not they have a “soul.” Although his mother tries to calm him with legal arguments, the fear persists. In this tale, Dick presents a disturbing premise where the right to life and human dignity are subjected to bureaucratic and arbitrary criteria.

Ray Bradbury: A Touch of Petulance

“A Touch of Petulance” is a short story by Ray Bradbury, published in 1980 in the anthology Dark Forces. The story begins on an ordinary afternoon when Johnathen Hughes, a young, newlywed accountant, takes his usual train and sits next to an older man reading a newspaper with a future date. Intrigued, Hughes strikes up a conversation that leads him to discover disturbing details about his life, his marriage, and his destiny. What seemed like a chance encounter turns into a disturbing warning about a possible future.

Robert E. Howard: The Tower of the Elephant

“The Tower of the Elephant” is a sword and sorcery story written by Robert E. Howard, published in 1933 in the magazine Weird Tales. This story is one of the first adventures of the iconic character Conan the Barbarian, a Cimmerian warrior who faces the dangers of a world filled with dark magic, monstrous creatures, and forgotten gods. In this story, Conan ventures into the mystical Tower of the Elephant in search of a fabulous treasure, facing deadly challenges and discovering cosmic secrets that will test his strength and cunning. It is a masterpiece of the genre, notable for its intense atmosphere and plot full of action and mystery.