# 5 Wonderful Free Short Stories



## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

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Carmilla by Sheriden le Fanu* (published 1871)

'learn the rapture of that cruelty, which yet is love'

Full text here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/10007/10007-h/10007-h.htm

*Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti *(published 1862)

'We must not look at goblin men. We must not buy their fruits: Who knows upon what soil they fed their hungry thirsty roots?'

Full text here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174262

*I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon by Phillip K. Dick *(published 1980)

"God punished me. He took away all that was precious to me because of my sin"

Full text here: https://worldtracker.org/media/library/English%20Literature/D/Dick,Philip%20K/Dick,%20Philip%20K/Dick,%20Philip%20K%20-%20I%20Hope%20I%20Shall%20Arrive%20Soon.pdf

*In the Penal Colony by Franz Kafka *(published 1919)

"What is the sentence?" the Traveler asked. "You don't even know that?" asked the Officer in astonishment and bit his lip.'

Full text here: https://www.kafka.org/index.php?aid=167

*The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens *(published 1866)

"You look at me," I said, forcing a smile,"as if you had a dread of me."

Full text here: https://www.nationalshortstoryweek.org.uk/documents/The%20Signal%20Man%20by%20Charles%20Dickens.pdf


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

Thanks for these. Now I'm depressed......


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

Chouan said:


> Thanks for these. Now I'm depressed......


You won't be if you read them.

They are brimming with all that is good and exciting about ideas and/or language - of these few Rossetti in particular (a tale of gang rape and incestuous lesbianity that believe it or not was originally published as a children's book!) has chosen her words with such craft that the very reading of them arouses the turmoil and breathlessness experienced by the characters, masterful.

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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

Shaver said:


> *
> 
> Carmilla by Sheriden le Fanu* (published 1871)
> 
> ...


Well I never! Google is celebrating the 200th anniversary of Sheriden Le Fanu's birthday.


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