Featured Stories

The Pit and the Pendulum

The Pit and the Pendulum: Short story by Edgar Allan PoeIn this story by Edgar Allan Poe, a man in a dreamlike state of consciousness swoons upon being sentenced to death by the Spanish Inquisition. He wakes to find himself tied to a wooden frame in a chamber housing three forms of horrific death: a deep, water-filled pit; a slowly descending, razor-sharp pendulum; and contracting, red-hot walls. After almost giving up and welcoming death, he finds the will to live and devises a plan to escape the pendulum. As the walls close in, an unexpected visitor saves him. Themes include injustice, sadism, fear, time, the will to live, inventiveness, salvation

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Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness: Short story by Joseph ConradThis story by Joseph Conrad is told through the eyes of a riverboat captain sent into the heart of Africa to contact an enigmatic trading post manager employing questionable methods. It explores the concept of Darkness on several levels. At the highest, we have the ‘darkness’ of unexplored Africa, and the ‘darkness’ of European imperialism in seeking to subjugate its peoples and exploit its resources. On a more fundamental level, we have the potential ‘darkness’ (capacity for cruelty/evil) in the heart of every man. Themes include alienation and loneliness, power, moral and mental degeneration under colonialism, racism, cruelty, greed, exploitation.

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Victory

Victory: Short story by Vasily AksyonovThe enigmatic nature of this Vasily Aksyonov story about a casual chess game between a Russian grandmaster and a chance acquaintance stems from its interwoven motifs. Allegorically, the game represents a battle between the intelligentsia (the well-travelled, Dior-wearing grandmaster) and the common people (the brutish stranger). Additionally, as the game progresses the narration is interlaced with temporal shifts where the grandmaster experiences grim visions of desolation, hiding, escape and death. As he is about to be executed in the last vision, his opponent shouts “checkmate”. Themes include Western influence on Russian culture, class struggle, memories, insecurity, fear, ‘victory’ in survival.

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The Coffee-house of Surat

The Coffee-house of Surat: Short story by Leo TolstoyIn this story from Leo Tolstoy, customers in an Indian coffeehouse overhear a disillusioned religious scholar questioning his servant about the existence of God. This sparks a debate about which religion is God’s favorite. Arguments are put forward supporting most of the mainstream European and Asian religions of the day, as well as some unusual ones like idolatry and fire-walking. The answer (that God is not exclusive to any one system of beliefs) is provided in an allegorical tale from a Confucian scholar about a debate over the existence and path of the sun. Themes: diversity, bigotry, intolerance, religious pluralism.

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Dr Heidegger’s Experiment

Dr Heidegger’s Experiment: Short story by Nathaniel HawthorneIn this story from Nathaniel Hawthorne, an ageing scientist invites four elderly friends to participate in an experiment ostensibly designed to test the efficacy of the waters of the fabled fountain of youth. The inclusion of several supernatural elements clouds whether the effect of the water was real, imagined or faked by substituting alcohol. However, as each friend had a major character flaw in their youth, it is likely that the experiment had a different thesis, which is supported by their behavior after drinking. Themes: ageing, failing to learn from past mistakes, obsession with youthfulness and appearance, the supernatural.

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Yellow Fish

Yellow Fish: Short story by C. S. Lakshimi (aka Ambai)On the surface, this story by C. S. Lakshimi (aka Ambai) is about a grieving mother who arranges the rescue of a discarded fish dying on the shore because its struggles remind her of those of her premature baby Jalaja before she died. The story also reflects the cycle of life (the vibrant colors and frenetic activity associated with return of the fishing fleet), death (Jalaja’s passing and the yellow fish flapping on the sand) and rebirth (the fish’s return to the sea). Themes include loss, grief, insensitivity, maternalism, the cycle of life.

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You Were Perfectly Fine

You Were Perfectly Fine: Short story by Dorothy ParkerThis entertaining “morning after” story by Dorothy Parker describes an embarrassed young man’s reactions as he tries to piece together what happened the night before. The beauty of the story is that, depending on how the reader interprets the dialogue, it can be taken several ways. One is that the woman is exaggerating or even making up events to teach the man a lesson. Another is that the events are true but she is playing them down because she wants to believe something he said during the cab ride home. Themes include alcohol abuse, memory, relationships, guilt, happiness and regret.

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The Birthmark

The Birthmark: Short story by Nathaniel HawthorneIn this story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a brilliant scientist takes a break from his work to marry a woman of nearly perfect beauty. Her one “blemish” is a small hand-shaped birthmark on her left cheek. Much of the scientist’s work has involved (often unsuccessfully) trying to manipulate the laws of Nature. As he begins to obsess over the frightful birthmark, his wife agrees to allow him to remove it… even if it costs her life! The story’s message: the folly of pursuing human perfection; no one is flawless. Themes: perfection, obsession, hubris, religion, gender roles, submission/sacrifice, science vs. nature, mortality.

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