LitReading - Classic Short Stories

This scary season, we are republishing our classic tales of horror. What led a man to live an isolated life at his ramshackle cabin, with a boarded up window, in the former American wilderness? What is the tragic story that led him to this doleful existence? Here is his traumatic tale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the chilling narrative of Edgar Allen Poe's 'The Black Cat' as a tormented soul descends into demonic possession and cruelty towards their beloved pet. Witness a dark tale of terror and tragedy unfold with themes of guilt, remorse, and sinister impulses driving the protagonist to horrifying acts.

We reprise another classic thriller from Litreading's archives for this year's scary season,In this episode, we go on an adventure off the coast of South America, as a famous big game hunter finds himself stranded on an island where hunting has been elevated to a new and frightening level. It’s time to play “The Most Dangerous Game.”"The Most Dangerous Game" has been called "the most popular story ever written in English" and was made into a 1932 movie. It’s author, Richard Connell was one of the most famous American short story writers in the early 20th Century. He was also a screenwriter who won an Academy Award in 1942 for his original screenplay “Meet John Doe.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this podcast, they discuss a unique Japanese ghost story about Yuki-Onna, a winter spirit who preys on those lost in snowstorms. The story follows the encounters of Musaku and Minokichi with a mysterious white woman, leading to tragic consequences. The podcast explores the haunting nature of the Yuki-Onna legend and its impact on the characters' lives.

Explore the eerie prohibition on cat killings in Ulthar, mysterious disappearances and returns, unsettling events in the village, and the dark secrets hinting at a peculiar law. Uncover H.P. Lovecraft's financial struggles and legacy in the world of gothic horror stories.

A short tale by Kate Chopin explores the best ways to learn life's secrets, whether through books or the world. The narrator reflects on exhaustion and the desire for rest, contrasting it with their friend Paul's indifference towards appreciating the world.

Imagine waking up in a strange and wonderful place with no memory and no one to guide you. Your world is filled with strange creatures and incredible beauty along with one enigmatic creature who looks similar to you but is still quite different. Here is the sequel to “Extracts from Adam’s Diary.”When Mark Twain (whose real name was Samuel Clemens) wrote “Eve’s Diary” he was in his 80s and had enjoyed and long career as an author, speaker, and publisher. Two years before its publication, Twain had penned “Extracts from Adam’s Diary” (also available on Litreading). Shortly thereafter his wife of 34 years, Olivia (Lily) died. While he never explicitly said as much, many believe this to be his final love letter to her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What must life have been like in the Garden of Eden for the first man, Adam, and that new creature who suddenly appeared in his idyllic life? Well, left to the imagination of Mark Twain, the story takes a fanciful and funny early 20th-century take on Genesis.Extracts from Adam’s Diary was written in 1904, the final decade of Samuel Clemens's (aka Mark Twain’s) life, and was published as a short book. The character of Adam is obviously based on Twain himself, and Eve was his wife Lily. Shortly after writing this story, Lily died. This may have led to Twain penning “The Diary of Eve,” which was first published in 1905. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here is a story for those times when you only have a few minutes for a story. While not long itself, this incredibly Kafkaesque parable may leave you pondering its meaning long after you have listened to "Before the Law."Bohemian author Franz Kafka is considered one of the greats. Few storytellers have had their names turned into adjectives. Orwellian, maybe Hitchcockian come to mind. But the best known of these is Kafkaesque, whose meaning is elusive, like that of many Kafka stories. I have my own somewhat religious interpretation of “Before the Law.” I will leave it to you to ponder your own.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This tale flips the traditional "boy meets girl" fairy-tale narrative by introducing a strong-willed nature loving girl who puts her own desires and beliefs ahead of those of a young man she meets in the woods.The child of a rural family doctor in Maine, Sarah Orne Jewett was writing short stories professionally from age 18. Most of her work was purchased by The Atlantic magazine, with the glaring exception of "The White Heron." The story went of the become the title piece of her first book and her most popular story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices