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murielm99

(32,861 posts) Sat Dec 1, 2012, 03:57 PM Dec 2012

Favorite short stories: [View all]

I don't know if anyone has ever posted this here before. Maybe they have.

I don't read short stories that often, but I think short stories may be harder to write well than longer works of fiction. What are some of your favorites?

I like "Nightfall," by Asimov, and of course, Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." Ambrose Bierce has written some great stories. So has Phillip K. Dick.

Those are the obvious ones. What are some others that are your favorites, in any genre? Maybe I can learn something, and find some good, new reading.

47 replies

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Highlight:

Favorite short stories: [View all] murielm99 Dec 2012 OP

Anything by M.R. James (1862-1936) aint_no_life_nowhere Dec 2012 #1

ANYTHING by O. Henry! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2012 #2

Was going to post the Magi, CalPeg! elleng Dec 2012 #6

GMTA! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2012 #7

Yes! Iwillnevergiveup Dec 2012 #39

That is a wonderful, very inspiring story...I loved it! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2012 #41

The Ransom of Red Chief! csziggy Dec 2012 #17

That story is so hilarious! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2012 #18

My little sister could have played the kid, no problem csziggy Dec 2012 #20

Plus One!!!! Scuba Dec 2012 #28

Or Guy de Maupassant... PoliticAverse Dec 2012 #27

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven Ptah Dec 2012 #3

i've been eyeing that on my bookshelf fizzgig Dec 2012 #44

I have many favorites Dyedinthewoolliberal Dec 2012 #4

Annabelle’s Alphabet frogmarch Dec 2012 #5

Welcome to the Monkey House msu2ba Dec 2012 #8

Anything by Harlan Ellison. Aristus Dec 2012 #9

One of yours... pipi_k Dec 2012 #10

"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas," by Ursula K LeGuin Glorfindel Dec 2012 #11

Ian McDonald: "The Days of Solomon Gursky" petronius Dec 2012 #12

I thought of "The Lottery" before I opened the thread! :) Pool Hall Ace Dec 2012 #13

One of my very favorites is Vonnegut's "Long Walk To Forever." Brickbat Dec 2012 #14

This thread's posters might be able to identify one for me, not a "deep" one UTUSN Dec 2012 #15

Zenna Henderson's stories about The People csziggy Dec 2012 #16

I have two. Chan790 Dec 2012 #19

The Chaste Clarissa by John Cheever. n/t RiffRandell Dec 2012 #21

The House of Asterion by Borges Zorro Dec 2012 #22

Thanks, everyone! murielm99 Dec 2012 #23

From Clive Barker's "Books of Blood Vol 1", something SO outside the box (SPOILER ALERTS) MiddleFingerMom Dec 2012 #24

I don't think I would enjoy this one. Baitball Blogger Dec 2012 #32

Divided by Infinity by Robert Charles Wilson pokerfan Dec 2012 #40

Frost and Fire by Ray Bradbury Enrique Dec 2012 #25

For A Breath I Tarry by Roger Zelazny hobbit709 Dec 2012 #26

All the Assholes in the World and Mine -- Bukowski Orrex Dec 2012 #29

The Russians pscot Dec 2012 #30

"The Destructors" by Graham Greene. (nt) Paladin Dec 2012 #31

What, no Poe? pink-o Dec 2012 #33

Vonnegut. LWolf Dec 2012 #34

'Burning Chrome' by William Gibson Rob H. Dec 2012 #35

"The Enormous Radio" by John Cheever. Brigid Dec 2012 #36

"Why I Live at the P.O." by Eudora Welty ok_cpu Dec 2012 #37

Yes! I love Eudora Welty! murielm99 Dec 2012 #38

'Jesus' Son' by Denis Johnson. 'Black Tickets' by Jayne Anne Phillips. nomorenomore08 Dec 2012 #42

Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find". nolabear Dec 2012 #43

I can't believe I forgot O'Connor! nomorenomore08 Dec 2012 #46

"Lost Legacy" by Robert Heinlein DFW Dec 2012 #45

Young Goodman Brown by Hawthorne sarge43 Dec 2012 #47