Short Stories

MrBeelzy

I just finished reading The Hitch Hiker's Guide and have a list of other books I plan on reading this summer, and I am going to need some short stories, things I can read in one sitting, to balance it all out. I'll probably re-read the H. P. Lovecraft collections I have, and pick up the Kurt Vonnegut story collections that I have yet to read, but beyond this I'm lost (well I'll probably pick up some John Collier, seeing as my username is from his short story Thus I Refute Beelzy).

Any suggestions on good or favorite authors, and better yet, suggestions of good collections would be much appreciated. I haven't really read many short stories since high school, but I do really enjoy them, and I can pretty much guarantee I'll probably end up reading everything that you throw at me over the next few months, so thanks in advance.

kaliyama

The New Yorker publihshes collections, but they also have short fiction in their issues as they're released.

Hachface

Junot Diaz's collection, Drown, is wonderful, and a quick read. I particularly enjoy the stories "No Face" and "Ysrael," a linked pair about a Dominican boy whose face was disfigured by a hungry pig when he was an infant. He gets through life by reading comic books and pretending he's a superhero.

I think Flannery O'Connor is a genius, but most people I recommend her to find her boring so she may not be your cup of tea, but if you want to give her a try, look for the stories "Everything That Rises Must Converge," "Good Country People," and (my favorite) "The Displaced Person."

If you like a dash of fantasy, I can recommend no writer more highly than Gabriel Garcia Marquez. His collected stories should be easy to find. I encourage you to read "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" in particular.

Always be on the look-out for the Best American Nonrequired Reading series, published annually by Dave Eggers. They contain fiction and nonfiction in about equal ratios, and they're usually pretty good.

Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried might be overall the best short story cycle (i.e. collection of linked stories) I've ever read. His stories are all about his experiences in the Vietnam War. Especially good stories include "On the Rainy River," "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," and the title story, "The Things They Carried."

Finally, Amy Hempel. She's just great. Her Collected Stories came out recently in paperback. Read "The Harvest" online, and if you like that you'll love her collection, especially the stories "Going," "Reference Number," "Tumble Home," and "In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried."

Happy reading!

Kilroy

You should check out The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories. It's got a ton of great stories in a lot of different styles.

Hachface wrote: »

I think Flannery O'Connor is a genius, but most people I recommend her to find her boring so she may not be your cup of tea, but if you want to give her a try, look for the stories "Everything That Rises Must Converge," "Good Country People," and (my favorite) "The Displaced Person."

I second this; Flannery O'Connor is a master of short stories. I would add "A Good Man is Hard to Find" to that list, though.

bsjezz

i'd super-second (or third or fourth) the suggestions that you should look out for annuals and other contemporary journals - they're usually full of amazing and unexpected stuff, and it's a huge help for short fiction authors to have popular outlets for their work. do your bit for the industry! reading the stories in the first forty-nine or what we talk about when we talk about love will doubtlessly make you a better person but man, those guys are dead, they won't miss the paycheck

other than that i'd also recommend peter carey or haruki murakami

Willeth

Peter Carey is an absolute must.

Kilroy

Oh, let me add My People's Waltz to the list. It's a collection of short stories written by my first creative writing teacher, one of the most delightfully twisted people I've ever known, and the man who single-handedly taught me to love short stories.

Edit: Should probably add that it was nominated for a Pulitzer.

Bliss 101

Why has Raymond Carver not been mentioned? Raymond Carver must be mentioned. You can easily google up some of his stuff online (same with O'Connor) to see if you like the style.

If you're into horror, I recommend Clive Barker's Books of Blood. Some truly original and effective stuff in there. I keep saying this whenever this topic comes up, but In the Hills, the Cities (included in that collection) is the most awesome horror/fantasy short story I've ever read.

OremLK

Orson Scott Card's Maps in a Mirror is one of the finest single-author short story collections there is. It has horror, science fiction (modern and futuristic), fantasy (contemporary and traditional), and some literary/religious odds and ends... so something for every taste, basically. Give it a look!

bsjezz

Bliss 101 wrote: »

Why has Raymond Carver not been mentioned? Raymond Carver must be mentioned. You can easily google up some of his stuff online (same with O'Connor) to see if you like the style.

hey i mentioned him

MrBeelzy

Thanks guys, I'll probably head to the bookstore today and see what I come back with.

Dalboz

I'm going to take a guess at your tastes based on what you posted in the OP. I will recommend Arthur C. Clarke's short story collection. Isaac Asimov's Gold collection is still in print I think. I'll also probably get some death threats for saying this, but there's also Stephen King. While his novels can be really hit or miss and are mostly brain candy, he really shines as a short story or novella writer. There are several collections of his that you can find.

KalTorak

Neil Gaiman has two short story collections out called Smoke & Mirrors and Fragile Things - both are excellent.

Also if you're into sci-fi, you can't go wrong with Harlan Ellison. Some of his more famous stories are "'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman" and "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream."

EggyToast

I really enjoyed Christopher Coake's We're in Trouble, which isn't fantasy or sci-fi but I found most of the stories to be fascinating, in a character-driven way.

TychoCelchuuu

Obligatory "An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge" mention, plus Mark Twain writes good short stories. And Hemingway and Faulkner. And Fitzgerald I think. And Woody Allen.

noir_blood

Hachface wrote: »

Junot Diaz's collection, Drown, is wonderful, and a quick read. I particularly enjoy the stories "No Face" and "Ysrael," a linked pair about a Dominican boy whose face was disfigured by a hungry pig when he was an infant. He gets through life by reading comic books and pretending he's a superhero.

I think Flannery O'Connor is a genius, but most people I recommend her to find her boring so she may not be your cup of tea, but if you want to give her a try, look for the stories "Everything That Rises Must Converge," "Good Country People," and (my favorite) "The Displaced Person."

Oh man. How the hell can anyone find O'Connor boring? She's one of my favorite authors bar none. "A good man is hard to find" is one of those stories i think everyone should read.

Hemingway too.

Orikaeshigitae

KalTorak wrote: »

Neil Gaiman has two short story collections out called Smoke & Mirrors and Fragile Things - both are excellent.

Also if you're into sci-fi, you can't go wrong with Harlan Ellison. Some of his more famous stories are "'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman" and "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream."

Deathbird Stories is one of the most influential story collections ever published. It's out of print, but if you can find a copy it is definitely worth the purchase.

KalTorak

Orikaeshigitae wrote: »

KalTorak wrote: »

Neil Gaiman has two short story collections out called Smoke & Mirrors and Fragile Things - both are excellent.

Also if you're into sci-fi, you can't go wrong with Harlan Ellison. Some of his more famous stories are "'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman" and "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream."

Deathbird Stories is one of the most influential story collections ever published. It's out of print, but if you can find a copy it is definitely worth the purchase.

I just purchased "The Essential Ellison," a giant collection of his works at a bargain $35. Not only does it have a buttload of his short stories, it's also got things like excerpts from "Memos from Purgatory," which he wrote about the time he spent running with an actual Brooklyn street gang while doing research, and about his experience going to prison in Manhattan for a night. It's really fascinating to read and see how it influenced his later stuff.

Improvolone

I LOVE Steve Martin's short stories. Cruel Shoes is one of his best, and probably dirt cheap used on Amazon.

Mephistopheles

If you're looking for short stories on the literary end of the spectrum, as many have said, Flannery O'Connor is topnotch. Also Mark Twain, O. Henry, and James Joyce's Dubliners. Joyce's "The Dead" is regarded by some as the pinnacle of the short story.

Peter Principle

Short stories by the following authors (not yet mentioned) I have enjoyed, no particular order:

Stephen King, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Issac Asimov, Robert McCammon.

Willeth

Improvolone wrote: »

I LOVE Steve Martin's short stories. Cruel Shoes is one of his best, and probably dirt cheap used on Amazon.

I heard a reading of Cruel Shoes and was really not impressed.

Rainbulimic

Someone mentioned him above but Neil Gaimen also has M is for Magic which is a collection of short stories. Short, but powerful.

an_alt

I'll third an Isaac Asimov collection and since you like Lovecraft, you're likely to enjoy Poe's short stories. The writing is much better though the language more archaic than Lovecraft.

TychoCelchuuu

Oh, and Heinlein.