Moonlit Tales of the Macabre - Small Bites

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

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 night-time woods.

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 grown-ups and develops into a brief lesson in philosophy, with frightening implications when it comes to human nature.

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 peasant's son leaves his family after being drafter into the army and returns far more different than anyone ever expected.

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.

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

A Mysterious Incident at the Mental Institution is a spooky, chilling tale from Nikolai Leskov based on a true incident.

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.

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.

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.

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 the decidedly chilling feel of a true ghost story.

While somewhat outdated and steeped in the prejudice of the day, the 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 (and not in a good way).