Adventure | shortsonline

The Middleman

shortsonline — Wed, 24 May 2023 21:00:28 +0000

Short Story by Bharati Mukherjee. A story involving lust, arms smuggling, treachery and murder in which an unscrupulous American on the run from the law unwittingly aids a Central American revolution. He is new to the country, hoping to “make a living from things that fall”. And something certainly does!

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All the King’s Horses

shortsonline — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 21:00:42 +0000

Short Story by Kurt Vonnegut. Sixteen plane crash survivors captured by rebels must play a game of human chess in which only those left standing will live. The survivor's “king” faces a hard decision when the only way to win is to sacrifice a “knight” represented by his son.

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A Passion in the Desert

shortsonline — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 21:00:19 +0000

Short Story by Honoré de Balzac. A French soldier lost in the Egyptian desert during the Napoleonic conquests finds a small oasis but soon realizes that it is already occupied… by a leopard! He befriends the beast, with the leopard becoming more trusting and (sadly) a little too playful.

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The Offshore Pirate

shortsonline — Tue, 31 May 2022 22:01:22 +0000

Short Story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A 1920s romantic adventure involving a rude, obnoxious rich girl who makes a sport of manipulating the men around her. Things change when she falls for a dashing band leader who commandeers her motor yacht, claiming to be on the run from police.

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Heart of Darkness

shortsonline — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 22:04:03 +0000

Novella by Joseph Conrad. A riverboat captain travels into the heart of Africa to contact an enigmatic trading post manager employing questionable methods. The story explores the ‘darkness’ of unexplored Africa, the ‘darkness’ of European imperialism, and the potential ‘darkness’ in the heart of every man.

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An Outpost of Progress

shortsonline — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 21:53:23 +0000

Novelette by Joseph Conrad. Motivated by greed, the bumbling administrators of a remote African trading post rationalize their activities by talking about “the sacredness of the civilizing work, and the merits of those who (go) about bringing light, and faith and commerce to the dark places of the earth”.

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The Most Dangerous Game

shortsonline — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 06:04:01 +0000

Novelette by Richard Connell. A famous big game hunter falls from a yacht and comes ashore on an island owned by a crazed Russian aristocrat. The hunter, who cares nothing about the rights or feelings of the animals he kills, then experiences the hunt from the other side.

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The Treasure in the Forest

shortsonline — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 09:51:53 +0000

Short Story by H. G. Wells. Two men kill another to get their hands on a map that shows the location of a buried treasure. They find the treasure and, as they carry some of it away, learn why its owner was smiling as they killed him.

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The Secret Sharer

shortsonline — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:11:41 +0000

Novelette by Joseph Conrad. A young sea captain preparing for his first command learns some valuable lessons from a fugitive killer he allows to hide in his cabin. Unlike his guest, the captain is unsure of himself and does not yet project the self-confidence and authority needed for the job.

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To Build a Fire

shortsonline — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:11:28 +0000

Short Story by Jack London. A poorly prepared prospector decides to return to his camp in the frozen wilds of Alaska, ignoring advice from more experienced men never to travel through the snow alone. A single mistake brings disaster and the most comfortable and satisfying sleep he had ever known.

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