When a young man seeks the perfect place to study for his universitymathematics exams, he finds an isolated house that seems ideal—too ideal. The locals whisper about the Judge's House and about the cruel magistrate who once lived there. But he is a man of science, dismissive of superstition. He believes in mathematical theorems, not ghost stories. As rats scurry through the ancient walls and something enormous watches from the shadows, he'll discover that some equations have solutions that rational minds aren't prepared to accept. From the master of Gothic horror, Bram Stoker, comes a tale where academic arrogance meets supernatural justice, and where the tools of execution become instruments of an older, darker judgment.

Bram Stoker, born in Dublin in 1847, is best remembered as the creator of Count Dracula, but his mastery of Gothic horror extended far beyond vampires. Before achieving literary fame, Stoker worked as a theater manager for the renowned actor Henry Irving, a career that gave him deep insight into dramatic tension and atmospheric storytelling. "The Judge's House," published in 1891, showcases Stoker's ability to build psychological terror through the gradual revelation of supernatural forces. Unlike his more famous vampire tales, this story explores themes of academic hubris and moral justice, wrapped in the claustrophobic atmosphere of an isolated house where past sins refuse to stay buried. Stoker died in 1912, leaving behind a legacy of horror fiction that continues to influence writers and filmmakers today, proving that the best ghost stories are those that make us question what we think we know about the world around us.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Halloween approaches we begin a time for scarier stories. For this short tale with a chilling twist we turn to prolific 19th century stories Ambrose Bierce for "A Wireless Message."

Ambrose Bierce is considered one of the 19th Century finest authors of shockingly realistic short stories. His most famous tale “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is one of our favorites and can be heard at Litreading.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.