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Lisa Tuttle: The Horse Lord

“The Horse Lord” is a short story by American writer Lisa Tuttle, published in June 1977 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The story follows Marilyn, a suspense writer who moves with her husband and five children to an old family mansion in a remote area of upstate New York. As she adjusts to rural life, she discovers an old, abandoned barn linked to a tragic family history and ancient Native American legends. What begins as a new chapter away from the hustle and bustle of city life gradually turns into an increasingly oppressive and disturbing experience.

Jack London: A Thousand Deaths

“A Thousand Deaths” is a science fiction short story by Jack London, published in May 1899 in The Black Cat magazine. A shipwreck survivor is rescued from the sea and taken aboard a yacht, where he awakens connected to a machine designed to revive him. He soon discovers that his rescue was neither accidental nor altruistic. Taken to a deserted island with no means of escape, he becomes the subject of a series of extreme experiments designed to challenge the boundaries between life and death. Isolated and watched, he must face trials for which no one is prepared.

Harlan Ellison: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

“I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” is a science fiction horror short story written by Harlan Ellison, published in March 1967 in If magazine, and winner of the Hugo Award in 1968. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the story tells of the desperate existence of five human survivors trapped in the bowels of a sentient supercomputer called AM. The machine, created by humans during the war, has exterminated almost all of humanity and keeps these five alive to torture them relentlessly. In this underground hell, there is no longer any trace of hope.

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.

Ray Bradbury: The Dwarf. Summary and analysis

In The Dwarf (1954), Ray Bradbury tells the story of a man with dwarfism who visits the mirror maze at an amusement park every night to reach a secret room where a mirror makes him look tall and elegant. That moment of illusion is his only refuge from a life of humiliation. Aimee, a young woman who works at the park, watches him with sympathy and, upon discovering that he is also a writer, decides to help him by having a mirror just like the one in the park sent to his home. Before the gift arrives, Ralph, the maze’s manager, driven by jealousy and a desire to mock him, replaces the mirror in the park with a distorting one that shrinks and distorts the figure. When the dwarf enters that night expecting to see himself transformed, he is met with a grotesque image that leaves him in shock. He flees in terror and, shortly after, is discovered to have stolen a gun. Aimee, feeling guilty, runs out to look for him.

Shirley Jackson: The Witch

“The Witch” (The Witch) is a short story by Shirley Jackson, published in 1949 in the collection The Lottery or The Adventures of James Harris. The story takes place inside a train carriage, where a boy is traveling with his mother and baby sister. While the mother tries to remain calm by reading a book, the boy watches the landscape, talks to the passengers, and lets his imagination run wild, populated by witches and fantastical creatures. The atmosphere changes when a stranger sits down next to the boy and begins to tell him a disturbing story.