Ten minute stories

"Ten Minute Stories" by Algernon Blackwood is a compilation of bite-sized stories crafted in the early 1900s that journeys into the realms of the supernatural, the bizarre, and the inner workings of the human mind. Designed for rapid consumption, each story offers a swift plunge into the fascinating universes Blackwood conjures; for instance, we are first introduced to Martin in the story "Accessory Before the Fact", an accountant on vacation, whose vacation takes a turn when he finds himself disoriented at a moorland intersection thanks to a faulty map, which begins his unsettling experience. As evening descends, he runs into a mysterious couple of vagrants who speak to him in German, intensifying his fear. Following a sudden, fierce confrontation, Martin understands he has accidentally overheard a perilous situation that endangers others and struggles with the ethical ramifications of what he now knows. The story establishes a complex environment of suspense and psychological complexity, which paves the way for the engaging narratives that come next in the collection.