Short Stories

One of 46 books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives listeners a taste of the Classics' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.

Horror novelist Nick Steen (whose imagination has escaped from a portal to another dimension situated within his own brain following ill-advised dabblings with a cursed typewriter) is haunted by two murdering men-monkeys intent on peeling their victims apart like massive human bananas (whose names are Throttle and Bribes, hence the title). Can Nick protect two young siblings (whose names he can't remember) plus erstwhile editor Roz Bloom from the aforementioned murdering men-monkeys before it's too late?

The Fall of the House of Usher, like many of Poe's stories, blends Gothic horror, psychology, and symbolism to explore themes of madness, decay, fear and death. Through the description of the House of Usher, its inhabitants, and the mysterious events that take place there, Poe plunges us into an oppressive, unsettling atmosphere, where architecture and the human psyche are mystically linked.

Dostoïevski nous offre une plongée dans les profondeurs de l'âme humaine, où les personnages semblent suspendus entre le rêve et la réalité, emprisonnés dans un espace-temps indéfini. La ville de Saint-Pétersbourg, avec ses rues désertes et ses ponts brumeux, devient un symbole d'une humanité en quête de sens, égarée dans un labyrinthe de ses propres illusions.Le héros, un rêveur sans nom, incarne la figure de l'errant spirituel, en proie à une quête désespérée de l'amour et de la compréhension.

"The Nameless City" is a haunting tale of cosmic horror by H. P. Lovecraft, first published in 1921. It follows an intrepid explorer who ventures deep into the Arabian desert in search of a lost, ancient ruin—a city so old that it predates all known human civilizations. As he descends into its crumbling subterranean tunnels, he uncovers strange, reptilian artifacts and eerie bas-reliefs that depict a race of grotesque, non-human beings that once ruled this desolate place.

Edgar Allan Poe gilt als Ikone der amerikanischen Kurzgeschichte und Mitbegründer dieser literarischen Gattung. Die Elemente des Mysteriösen, Phantastischen, Unbegreiflichen, Grotesken, Rätselhaften, Transzendentalen schwingen immer als subtiles Klanggebilde in seine Erzählungen mit und regen aufgeschlossene Gemüter zum Nachdenken über all die unzähligen Dinge, die wir nicht imstande sind auch nur annähernd zu erklären, wohltuend an. In der vorliegenden Geschichte stellt Poe eindrucksvoll seine humoristischen Fertigkeiten unter Beweis.

Publié en 1857, Nouvelles Histoires extraordinaires d’Edgar Allan Poe est un recueil de nouvelles qui plonge le lecteur dans l’univers sombre et mystérieux de Poe. Ce recueil rassemble des récits où se mêlent l’horreur psychologique, et le mystère, dans une exploration des peurs profondes et des zones d’ombre de l’esprit humain.

Für Jimmy wird in Traum wahr – er, der mittellose Student aus dem Nirgendwo Irlands, hat es geschafft sich mit ein paar Jungs anzufreunden, die entweder als Söhnemänner von vor Geld strotzender Bonzen oder wenigstens als gestandene Party-Löwen einen glorreichen Ruf genießen und diese Nacht ist er zusammen mit diesen Legenden auf Achse – eine unvergessliche Zeit für Jimmy.

Journey into the mind of sci-fi master Philip K. Dick with this captivating audiobook rendition of 'Tony and the Beetles.' Set against the backdrop of interstellar conflict, young Tony faces a shifting reality when Earth's dominance over beetle-like aliens suddenly crumbles. Experience Dick's profound exploration of prejudice, childhood innocence, and societal change through immersive narration that brings every nuance to life.

The Adventure of the Three Gables is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, collected as one of 12 in The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in The Strand Magazine in 1926 as a serial. The story begins with a visit to 221B Baker Street from Steve Dixie, a black man and a cowardly ruffian who warns Sherlock Holmes to keep away from Harrow.

The American West. A landscape hewn in vastness as its rips from Plains, to deserts, to mountain, to ocean overlaid by waves of emigration of peoples either dispossessed or searching for a new life and the American dream. These are their stories. Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

Dubliners is a collection of fifteen short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. They form a naturalistic depiction of Irish middle class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century. The stories were written when Irish nationalism was at its peak, and a search for a national identity and purpose was raging; at a crossroads of history and culture, Ireland was jolted by various converging ideas and influences.

Die große Höredition von Ferdinand von Schirach: mit 26 Stories, 2 Romanen und 13 Essays. Ferdinand von Schirach erzählt unglaubliche Geschichten, die dennoch wahr sind. Präzise, schnörkellos, lakonisch wie ein Raymond Carver und gerade deswegen mit unfassbarer Wucht. Diese Edition zeigt neben seinen Stories die ganze Bandbreite seines Schaffens. Denn auch seine Romane sind "fesselnd wie ganz großes Kino" (BRIGITTE). In meisterhaften Interpretationen sind hier Der Fall Collini und Tabu zu hören.

In einem Olivenhain in Arkadien befindet sich neben den Ruinen einer antiken Villa das Grabmal des Bildhauers Kalos. Einst standen er und sein befreundeter Kollege Musides im Auftrag des Tyrannen von Syrakus in einem künstlerischen Wettstreit, dessen Verlauf und Ausgang ebenso erstaunlich wie unheimlich sein sollten. Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937); meist nur H. P. Lovecraft, war ein amerikanischer Schriftsteller. Er gilt als einer der weltweit einflussreichsten Autoren im Bereich der phantastischen und anspruchsvollen Horror-Literatur.

It had felt a bit like being haunted, being pregnant. Unexpected thumps, and moments when she would be reminded that there was a little person living inside of her. For a while afterwards, sometimes it would feel like she was still inside, and Kate would tap her stomach, or say something to the baby before she remembered that she was alone. In this dark, glittering collection of short stories, Deirdre Sullivan explores the trauma and power that reside in women’s bodies.

In 1953, in Dustville, a trio of young, handsome country boys—brothers: Silver and Oakley James and their friend Bucket Tillman—set out to make their mark on the music scene. With their tight harmonies and undeniable charm, they quickly capture the hearts of fans and industry insiders alike. As they embark on a whirlwind tour, they face the challenges of fame, the thrill of performing, and the complexities of love and friendship.

The storm arrives, unbidden yet unstoppable, sculpting the world in reckless white. The north wind, a faceless mason, works without plan or patience—bastions rise, wreaths drape, roads vanish. No symmetry, no restraint, only the wild hand of winter shaping chaos into fleeting grandeur. By dawn, the architect is gone. What remains is a frozen wonder, a masterpiece of whim and force, too perfect to last, too wild to be remade.

H.G. Wells was more than a science fiction pioneer—he was a futurist, a philosopher, and an architect of ideas that continue to shape modern discussions on global governance, education, and human progress. This essential collection brings together Wells’ most influential works on civilization’s fate, world order, and the role of centralized planning in shaping the future. From the bold proclamations of The Open Conspiracy to the thought-provoking insights of World Brain, these writings lay out his vision for a unified, scientifically managed society.

Written by Scottish-Canadian author John Buchan (The Thirty-Nine Steps), The Runagates Club is a collection of twelve short stories focusing on members of the eponymous London dining society.

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. They can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. It is difficult to propose a more gifted exponent of the short story than Kate Chopin. Her individual jewels may be brief but are laden with atmosphere and character as they run their enchanted course. Her genius will always endure.

The name H H Munro is obscured beneath the literary mantle of his nom de plume; Saki. A writer of his times, the stories perfectly portray society’s whims and tastes in a delicate yet at times, barbed humour. A divine wit who conjured words into quite extraordinary works. Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. They can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

Travel along a backcountry road as two bickering siblings encounter a sadistic masked menace. Watch from a couple’s window as a mysterious figure lurks through the darkness of the vacant house next door. Witness a malevolent presence threaten to unravel a man’s sanity decades after testing an urban legend.

An Ancient Book Harboring Monstrous Secrets. A Deadly Guardian Ravenous for Blood. Rick can’t let go of what he’s seen and done. Participating in the slaughter of a werewolf will do that to a guy. But now unsettling questions linger. If that’s out there, what else lurks in the depths of the night? Now Rick has followed hints and rumors of a tome that will provide answers. But there’s a snag: it’s spent centuries secreted away in a castle dungeon in the Austrian countryside. Now he travels alone, risking his life on a perilous journey into the heart of darkness.

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. They can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. Jack London is widely regarded as one of America’s pre-eminent writers of the great outdoors. His stories are raw and, at times, harrowing, but always dependable fare. His work also includes stories on pandemics and bizarre scientific experiments. An author so much more than the usual wrapper proclaims.

From the writer of The Pope Lick Massacre, The Shadow Within, and The Rest Stop comes Eric Butler's next extreme tale. Danny’s wife, Janet, is throwing her annual Halloween get together at the family cabin, and Mike is looking to blow off some steam. Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll … just like the old days when they did anything they wanted. Except, it’s not the old days, and Janet has a list of rules for them to follow. Lucky for Mike, Danny’s given them a way around all that. A place they can go to have a little fun. A place they call ... The Grove.