Clarkesworld Magazine The Hole by Ferenc Samsa (audio)
Dec 20, 2025
Explore the haunting tale of a man’s unusual connection with a neighbour through a mysterious hole in his apartment. As they navigate a life filled with rogue golems and shadowy performances, secrets unravel and tensions rise. Delve into themes of trust, betrayal, and the impact of the city’s dark underbelly. A violent attack forces a reckoning with loyalty and survival amid shifting realities. In an unsettling blend of intimacy and suspicion, the characters confront their fates, raising questions about consciousness and human connection.
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City As An Eye
- The city mirrors an eye: the castle is the pupil while rings of streets, houses, and solar panels form iris and sclera.
- This metaphor frames citizens' lives as curated views—performance, surveillance, and engineered delight.
Hole Leads To Secret Conversations
- The narrator discovers a hole in his wall and begins nightly secret conversations with a neighbor's rouged eye.
- They develop a ritual of watching and small disclosures across the wall, blending curiosity and intimacy.
Performance Economy Of Pain
- Apartment life and performance economies intertwine as neighbors pitch turning flats into spectator houses.
- The city commodifies human fragility: exhaustion, decay, and spectacle become marketable entertainment.