Read any good short stories lately?

LittleSpider · Jan 2, 2011

I know this is about individual short stories rather than books, so if this isn't the right place to post this, I understand if the thread is moved or deleted. It didn't seem like it would fit in the section about writing short stories.

Anyway, I recently read "Escape from Spiderhead" in The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2010/12/20/101220fi_fiction_saunders

I'd describe it as a speculative piece about a criminal who is doing his time by being a guinea pig in experiments with very advanced psychiatric drugs. It explores the topic of whether or not the ends justify the means when it comes to helping many people by hurting a few. I couldn't pull myself away from it and read it twice in a row. I've read it again since then. It's very moving and clever. It's also written mostly in a pretty conversational tone.

alleycat · Jan 2, 2011

That's the thing about the New Yorker, every now and then they publish a real gem. It took me years to finally end my subscription because just when I'd decide not to renew it, they would publish a story or article that so wonderful I would continue.

dgrintalis · Jan 2, 2011

My recent favorites are The Ghost of a Girl Who Never Lived by Keffy R. M. Kehrli:

http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=issue&vol=i19&article=_005

(You need a subscription to read the whole story. It's only $15 for a year and well worth it, IMO.)

and And the Next, and the Next by Genevieve Valentine:

http://www.johnjosephadams.com/the-...nd-the-next-and-the-next-genevieve-valentine/

LittleSpider · Jan 3, 2011

dgrintalis, thanks for the recommendations. I just read "And the Next, and the Next," and I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately I don't have an extra fifteen bucks to read the other.

A La Vanille · Jan 4, 2011

I'm currently reading The Stories of Ray Bradbury by Ray Bradbury. There are about 100 of his short stories in there, I think, and they are all awesome!
I definitely recommend his work.

Especially, "The Scythe" and "The Small Assasssin".

Vito · Jan 5, 2011

I just finished reading The Ice Cream Headache and Other Stories by James Jones. Jones is remembered for his jumbo-sized novels (From Here To Eternity, Some Came Running, etc.) but this book includes thirteen of his short stories. For me, the standouts are "The Temper of Steel", "Secondhand Man", and "Greater Love".

Jones was a brilliant writer -- too bad he doesn't get much attention nowadays.

Kate Thornton · Jan 12, 2011

Gotta recommend Carpathian Shadows volumes 1 & 2 if you like the vampire type stories. For mysteries, The Complete Farther Brown by G.K. Chesterton. Science Fiction, I like Years Best SF (there's a slew of 'em) and for an eclectic mix, of course, my own short story collection (see below)

Ineti · Jan 12, 2011

I'm currently working through a fantasy anthology titled Swords and Dark Magic, edited by Lou Anders and Jonathan Strahan. I'm about 2/3rds through the book and most of the stories have been good to great. Only one I couldn't get through and that was CJ Cherryh's story.

Worth checking out if you're into S&S.

Chris P · Jan 12, 2011

Kurt Vonnegut's son recently published two collections of Vonnegut's work: Armageddon in Retrospect and Look at the Birdie. Both are excellent, although I like the Armageddon one more. Two stories in particular stick out: "Great Day," about a futuristic army sent to fight in World War I, and "The Commandant's Desk," about a German cabinet maker who hates the Russian occupiers and [spoiler: highlight to read: hides a bomb in the commandant's desk he's been commissioned to make]. A third story about a lovable German corporal set to guard three American POWs is also very good.

The Year's Best American Short Stories for 2010 has a good one called "Into Silence" by Marlin Barton.

PriyankaB · Jan 13, 2011

I work in the Periodicals section of my school library, so you can usually find me perusing several of the literary journals and magazines that we have. I absolutely adore Glimmer Train and the New Yorker, personally!

Read any good short stories lately?

LittleSpider

Has a toddler with a bright future in comedy

alleycat

Still around

dgrintalis

'Tis true, she is a monstergirl

LittleSpider

Has a toddler with a bright future in comedy

A La Vanille

Vito

Recalled to life

Kate Thornton

Still Happy to be Here. Or Anywhere

Ineti

Purveyor of Prose

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

PriyankaB

Literary Flibbertigibbet