Moonlit Tales of the Macabre - Small Bites Series

The Queen of Spades is decidedly one of Pushkin's gloomier tales, which inspired several movie adaptations and a magnificent opera by Tchaikovsky. Its determined but misguided protagonist stakes his life on a very old secret that might or might not even exist - with dire consequences.

This lovely (and nevertheless rather spooky) tale by Nikolai Gogol is rooted in Ukrainian lore. It starts quite ordinary - a young man is in love with a beautiful young girl, but other people and unforeseen circumstances stand in the way of their happiness. Quite unexpectedly, our young hero receives an offer of help from a very unlikely source.

The Wooden Guest is an odd little tale by Prince Vladimir Odoyevsky. It starts off as a kind of fairy tale for grownups and develops into a brief lesson in philosophy, with frightening implications when it comes to human nature.

When a young man goes from the demands and rigors of the army to a luxurious and serene country living, his mind is bound to wander where it should not. Such is the fate of Alexei Alexeyevich Fedyashev, who becomes so absorbed in his newfound idleness that he falls in love with an old portrait. When the famous conjurer and medium Count Cagliostro accidentally ends up at Fedyashev's escape, the young man begs him to bring his dream to reality. "Be careful what you wish for," is the lesson young Alexei has yet to learn - and how!

Strange, strange things appear to a man who ventures alone into the nighttime woods.

In the time of paranoia and religious fanaticism, one young woman's life falls into the hands of two very misguided men.

Another strange and frightening tale by Nikolai Gogol with roots in Ukrainian lore. When a poor peasant falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy farmer, a dark power interferes, promising him the fulfillment of his wishes but neglecting to mention the terrible price.

A spooky, chilling tale from Nikolai Leskov, based on a true incident.

When a town is left defenseless and is attacked by the enemy, one woman calls on the powers that be to help her protect her people and save her son's life.

One day, a courier who deems himself quite the romantic hero, decides to follow a beautiful stranger... only to be plunged into a nightmare vortex in space and time.

A reminder from Alexei Nikolayevich Tolstoy that one might take great caution when pursuing hidden treasure.

Alexander Belyaev's rare foray into a bit of mysticism, The Witches' Castle is a reminder how careful must be wandering around the woods, especially when mysterious strangers and spooky buildings might be involved.

A true horror classic of Ukrainian literature, Nikolai Gogol's Terrible Revenge raises the notions of terror, betrayal, and revenge to an entirely new level.

The Engineering Castle is a real building that still exists. It remains one of the most sought-after landmarks in St. Petersburg, and it is steeped in legend, ghost stories, and lore every bit as much as Nikolai Leskov makes it sound.

Khoma Brut had no idea the trouble he would be in when he asked for shelter at a lonely hut belonging to an old woman. Enjoy this quirky and spooky tale by Nikolai Gogol.

Dostoyevsky was never shy to play with the issues of human mind in his work. A funny man's dream is one of his shorter pieces that, nevertheless, lacks none of the profundity or the mind-bending power of his larger works.

Alexander Grin is known for his strange and chilling tales, and this one is certainly one of the oddest of them all. The author would like us to consider, what would happen if a creation not only outsmarted its creator but became truly dangerous.

While somewhat outdated and steeped in the prejudice of the day, Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin fable The lost conscience is nevertheless a worthy tale to ponder and a great study of a mind seeking to discard its inhibitions (not in a good way).

These two fascinating pieces about the Mistress of the Copper Mountain come from Pavel Patrovich Bazhov's much larger collection of stories collected over many years and based on the lore of the Ural Mountains.

Ivan Turgenev's Ghosts is a rare venture into the supernatural for this writer, and all the more precious for it. The story has all the beauty of Turgenev's language, all the power of his description, and a decidedly chilling feel of a true ghost story.

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is considered a very "real life" writer, his feet solidly on the ground at all times. The Black Monk is his foray into madness and mysticism to rival the likes of Dostoyevsky, Saltykov-Shchedrin, and Kuprin.

It is difficult to combine mysticism with humor, but Alexander Grin takes on the challenge and comes out with flying colors. For all its mystical and mythical references, An incident at the apartment of Madam Cerize, is quite a heartwarming story, giving all of us some hope that, sometimes, powers that be do care.

A reminder from the master storyteller Alexander Kuprin - sometimes, there are but a few steps between your own front door and unimaginable horror.

A brilliant and acerbic piece of satire by journalist, writer, and human rights activist Vladimir Korolenko, in the unusual form of a spooky story.