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Edgar Allan Poe: Some Words with a Mummy

“Some Words with a Mummy” is a short story by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe, published in April 1845 in the American Review. At the home of Dr. Ponnonner, a group of people gathers to witness the examination of an Egyptian mummy that has remained intact in a museum for years. After opening its successive coffins, the attendees discover that the body is exceptionally well-preserved and lacks the usual incisions made during embalming. Fascinated by the discovery, they decide to subject the corpse to the action of a voltaic pile, which triggers an unexpected reaction in the mummy.

Edgar Allan Poe: Morella. Summary and Literary Analysis

A man encounters Morella by chance, a woman of extraordinary intelligence, and marries her, driven by an attraction he cannot define. Together they immerse themselves in the study of ancient philosophical doctrines concerning personal identity and the survival of the soul after death—subjects Morella discusses with an intensity her husband cannot explain. In time, his initial fascination turns into revulsion: Morella’s voice, her eyes, the touch of her fingers become unbearable to him. She perceives it, makes no complaint, and slowly wastes away, as though she knew her own fate in advance. One autumnal evening, from her deathbed, Morella utters a series of prophecies he cannot understand, and whose full magnitude only subsequent events will reveal.

Ambrose Bierce: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is a short story by the American writer Ambrose Bierce, published in 1891 in the book *Tales of Soldiers and Civilians*. During the Civil War, a man stands on a railroad bridge in Alabama, his hands bound and a noose around his neck, while a federal detachment prepares to execute him. The condemned man, Peyton Farquhar, is a Southern plantation owner who, unable to enlist in the Confederate ranks, has sought to serve the Confederate cause as a civilian. As strict military protocols are followed, he awaits the carrying out of his sentence and directs his final thoughts toward his wife and children.

Jack London: Bâtard

“Bâtard” is a short story by American writer Jack London, published in June 1902 in The Cosmopolitan magazine. Black Leclère is a cruel and brutal man who, upon seeing a fierce mixed-breed puppy—a cross between a wolf and a husky—decides to acquire it not because he wants it, but because he despises it. Leclère names the dog Bâtard, “Bastard,” and from the very first moment, man and animal are bound together by hatred. For five years, they travel together through the Canadian North. Amid hunger and abuse, Bâtard grows, becomes strong, fiercely dominates the other dogs, and harbors a deep grudge against his master. Both are trapped in a battle of wills, bound by a savage enmity in which each waits for the moment to destroy the other.

Isaac Asimov: The Feeling of Power

“The Feeling of Power” is a short story by the American writer Isaac Asimov, published in February 1958 in If magazine and later included in 1959 in the book Nine Tomorrows. In a future dominated by technology, humanity depends on computers and has forgotten even the most elementary mathematical operations. In the midst of a long war against Deneb, programmer Jehan Shuman summons military and political leaders to introduce them to Myron Aub, a humble technician with an unusual talent: he has developed a method that allows him to perform arithmetic calculations using only his mind, a pencil, and a sheet of paper. Intrigued and skeptical, the high-ranking officials witness a demonstration that could change the course of the conflict.

Otto Binder: “I, Robot”

“I, Robot” is a short story by the American writer Otto Binder, published under the pseudonym Eando Binder in January 1939 in Amazing Stories. Adam Link is a robot endowed with an artificial brain capable of learning and reasoning like a human being. Created by Dr. Link after twenty years of work, Adam recounts his awakening to consciousness, his first steps, his learning of language and reading, and the peculiar relationship he develops with his creator and with the little dog Terry. When Dr. Link prepares to reveal his creation to the world, an unexpected accident alters Adam’s fate.