Short Story Collections to Read
Midway through the year, not all of us have the energy or time to read an epic twelve-part series. Sometimes you just don’t have the stamina for a marathon; sometimes you just need to take a short walk and enjoy the scenery.
Lately, I’ve turned to short stories as a way to keep up the reading momentum. I put together this list of short story collections that I think everyone can enjoy. Take a break from the pressure to read all those books on your to-read pile by dipping into a short story. And starting small might even help you get back into reading the bigger stuff.
GET IN TROUBLE (2015) – KELLY LINK
My first recommendation is GET IN TROUBLE, a weird and wonderful collection of nine stories, borne out of the strange and magical imagination of Kelly Link.
The quirky narratives cover a whole host of cool ideas: superheroes, ghosts, astronauts, robot boyfriends, pyramids, shadows... and in each story, the loveable and memorable characters face the strange and unsettling realities Kelly Link has created for them.
What I love most about this collection is that these stories all seem to deal with the question of reality. What is real anymore in these strange times we live in? Are these fantasy ideas so strange and different from the weirdness we accept in our own realities every day? Should we accept our reality meekly, or should we resist it (even if that means we get in trouble)?
If you’re looking for stories that are witty, weird, and whimsical, you should pick up this collection.
“People with two shadows were supposed to get in trouble.”
THE BOAT (2008) – NAM LE
THE BOAT by Nam Le includes seven stories that span the globe: from New York, to Colombia, Australia, Japan, Iran, and Vietnam.
The protagonists range from asylum seeker to artist to hitman, from child to teen to senior, showing the breadth of human experience as we all struggle to survive under distinct individual circumstances.
Nam Le has a poetic voice and beautiful descriptions, full of feeling and life. While the stories might not be very fast-paced or plot-driven, they are more like poetic snapshots that Le caught while diving in and out of different lives.
This is a good collection to read if you’re looking for something international, emotional, and firmly rooted in reality.
“A swell of excitement, like a weak current, ran through the boat. People looked at one another as though for the first time.”
THE BLOODY CHAMBER (1979) – ANGELA CARTER
THE BLOODY CHAMBER is a marvellous and monstrous anthology of stories, blending elements of ancient fairy tales with modern expressions.
There are ten stories inspired by the likes of Beauty and the Beast, Puss in Boots, Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, and more; but Angela Carter doesn’t simply retell the classics, she remakes them into new things.
What makes these stories hold up so well is the way Carter can swing from an exploration of the dark and depraved violence that underlies these old stories to an expression of the joyful fantasy elements that makes them entertaining.
At its core, THE BLOODY CHAMBER turns these tales upside down to expose the violence and antagonism towards women that has historically lingered beneath them.
This collection is for anyone looking for stories that are dark, feminine, and magical.
“We have our smiles, as it were, painted on. Those small, cool, quiet Mona Lisa smiles that smile we must, no matter whether it’s been fun or it’s been not.”
NIGHTFLYERS AND OTHER STORIES (1980) – GEORGE R.R. MARTIN
NIGHTFLYERS AND OTHER STORIES is a collection of six works of science fiction by George R.R. Martin, centred around themes of human nature, time, and existence.
Martin is a master craftsman of the science fiction genre, expertly balancing the real with the imaginary, the intrigue of fast-paced plots with the emotional reality of his characters.
His stories ask the questions that the science fiction genre was created to ask: like, can we ever truly understand space? What is all the nothingness? And is humanity just here to make noise in it?
I recommend this collection for anyone looking for stories that are intergalactic, exciting, and existential.
“Where were they? Nowhere. But where is that? No one is sure.”
More Short Story Authors to Check Out:
Shirley Jackson, Edgar Allen Poe, Joyce Carol Oates, H.G. Wells, Alice Munro, Ray Bradbury, Toni Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Octavia Butler, Etgar Keret, Ellen Van Neervan.
Happy reading!