Short Stories and Short Story Writers

Short Stories

Not my strong suit...

Adiche, Chimamanda Ngoi
     "Cell One" a short story from The Thing Around Your Neck, 2013, first story in the collection

Allende, Isabel

     Lovers at the Museum - not impressed by this story from such a powerful writer.  Magical realism, lovers found in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa.  2024 (2.5)

Atwood, Margaret

     My Evil Mother - love the cover AND the funky story: a witchy, funny (whether she meant to be or not), quirky mom, (2022) (5)

Berry, Lucinda

     One Little Mistake - an audio original about an overwhelmed stay-at-home mom who is arrested for OUI and child endangerment....and she barely even drinks!  Good mystery!  2021 (4.5)

Castillo, Linda
    "Long Lost" - a 52-page short story about Kate Burkholder that is considered #4.5 in the series (a short story that comes between the 4th and 5th books in the series.
     "A Hidden Secret" - a 74-page short story in the Kate Burkholder series.
     "Seeds of Deception" - a 74-page ebook that I listened to on Audio, about Kate and her mischievous best friend Maddie when they were 14 years old.
       "Only the Lucky" - a 56-page ebook that was not too bad, and no on died (at least I ca't remember that they did....)

Child, Lee
     Small Wars - a 44-page short story about Jack Reacher that includes his brother Joe, set in 1989, considered #19.5 in the series.

Doiron, Paul

    Snakebit: A Mike Bowditch Short Story - a 99-page short story about a very strange family who raises snakes, and particularly loves rattlers.  #13.5  (2023)  4

     The Imposter - a 60-page short story that takes place back at the very beginning of Mike's career, when someone stole his game warden identity. #10.5 (2020)

    Backtrack - an eBook of 21 pages about Charley Stevens as a 28-year-old warden finding a doctor missing in the Maine woods. #9.5 (2019)\

    Rabid - a 50-page short story about Charley and Aura Stevens' interaction with a Vietnam vet and his wife,  #8.5 (2018)

    The Bear Trap - a 20-page eBook about Charley Stevens finding and capturing a notorious hermit named "Sweet Tooth" who had been stealing in the Maine woods for 19 years. #4.5 (2014)

Downing, Samantha

     Sleeping Dogs Lie - A dog walker in CA (Bel Marin Keys!) and the murder mystery that she becomes "involved" in.....

Flora, Kate
     Girls' Night Out  - an eBook of 32 pages by an author who writes longer fiction: police pocedurals

Hoffman, Alice

     The Bookstore Sisters - Kindle Audio short story of 36 pages set on the Maine coast (2022)

     Everything My Mother Taught Me - Audio short story, 28 pgs. (2017) (4.5)

Hunt, Margo

     The House on the Water  - novella of 82 pgs (2:47) (4) predictable but good

Lauren, Christina

       Exception to the Rule - 101 pg. romcom written almost entirely in emails

McNally, John
     "Return Policy" -  the first story in the collection The Ghosts of Chicago (2008)

Munro, Alice
     "Deep Holes" - a short story from her 2009 collection Too Much Happiness
     "Dimensions" - a short story from her 2009 collection Too Much Happiness
     "Fiction" - a short story from her 2009 collection Too Much Happiness
     "Runaway" - a 45-page short story in the collection Runaway (2005)
     "Wenlock Edge" - a short story from her 2009 collection Too Much Happiness

Oates, Joyce Carol
     "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" (1966) Best American Short stories, 1967

Quinn, Kate

     Signal Moon (2022) 57 pgs., listened to audio on Audible

Sanow, Anne
     "Pioneer" - a short story from Triple Time, 2009

Tan, Shaun
     Tales from Outer Suburbia (2009) is a collection of 15 weirdly bizarre short stories written for tweens

Waldman, Ayelet
     "At the Water's Edge" - a very, very short story - for kids, though it's quite spooky - from Half-Minute Horrors edited by Susan Rich.

Weir, Andy

     The Egg and Other Stories, 2017 - (very short sci fi stories including my favorite, "Access")

Short Story & Essay Collections Read or Partially Read

The Egg and Other Stories (Andy Weir)

       9 very short stories, all scifi, read them all - liked the first one, "Access," the best

Ghosts of Chicago (John McNally)
      read "Return Policy" and liked it a lot
Knitting Yarns (edited by Ann Hood)
     read and reported on FOUR essays - Ann Hood, Elizabeth Berg, Lan Samantha Chang, and Andre Dubus III
Runaway (Alice Munro)
     read the title story - wow!
Tales from Outer Suburbia (Shaun Tan)
     see above
Too Much Happiness (Alice Munro)
     listened to the first four stories.  great stuff.
Triple Time (Anne Sanow)
     read the first story - would like to read more at a later date

Other writers to try:
Adichie, Chimanmanda Ngozi - I have The Thing Around Your Neck
Antepol, Molly - I have The Un-Americans
Bender, Aimee - I have The Girl in the Flammable Skirt
Carver, Raymond
Diaz, Junot
Doyle, Brian - I have Bin Laden's Bald Spott & Other Stories
Eisenburg, Deborah - I have Twilight of the Superheroes
Gaiman, Neil
Hempel, Amy
Hill, Joe
Joyce, James - I have Dubliners
King, Stephen
Lahiri, Jhumpa - I have Interpreter of Maladies
Lee, Rebecca - I have Bobcat and Other Stories
Mason, Bobbie Ann - I have Zigzagging Down a Wild Trail
Moore, Lorrie - I have Birds of America
Munro, Alice (lover her work) - I have Runaway and Dear Life
Saunders, George
Sedaris, David - I have Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls
Welty, Eudora - I have Selected Stories of Eudora Welty

Here are a few links to some great short story suggestions:

Storyville:  Top Ten Best Short Stories Ever
from Huff Post Books:  These Classic Stories Are So Short You Have No Excuse Not to Read Them
from The Guardian:  The 10 best short story collections
Powell's Short List:  Best Story Collections of the Century (so far)
Powells Short List:  Our Favorite Short Stories
from First Things:  25 Favorite Short Stories (by Joe Carter)
from Flavorwire:  10 Wonderful Short Stories to Read Free Online
from The Guardian:  Writers Pick Their Favorite Short Stories
EW's picks for The New Yorker's best 15 short stories (some available to read immediately)
YA author Nova Ren Suma's 10 Favorite Short Stories
Many older short stories are available in full at classicshorts.com