In this pioneering psychological horror story by E. T. A. Hoffmann, a ten-year-old boy believes that a German myth featuring a cruel man who collects the eyes of naughty children is about a grotesque-looking associate of his father. His fixation with eyes and his father’s associate continues into adulthood, sending him spiraling into madness and self-destruction. Although written over two hundred years ago, the story carries a stark warning for today … beware of developing an unhealthy attachment to AI chatbots and companion androids! Themes include technological progress, violence, childhood trauma, real vs. idealised love, conflating identities, madness, self-destruction.
