posted
Another post about a sci-fi short story that was made into a movie and a short film got me thinking. Short story collections have gone out of vogue outside of made for college books. What would be "must read" short stories of any genre and time period? What author or type of story would make a great short story collection? What are some good collections that already exist?
Posts: 2207 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
No Exit The Wall By the Waters of Babylon Scarlet Ibis 8 plus 1: a collection by Robert Cormier
For some reason I don't come across too many short stories that a particularly high spirited or even remotely happy. At least not stories that I would consider quality. Most turn out fairly depressing and leave you feeling...bleh.
Posts: 247 | Registered: Jun 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
In no particular order, and off the top of my head. The problem is, I limited myself to one story per author, but authors like Heinlein and Ellison have any number of stories that really belong on this list. Still, if I were putting together a collection of the best and most important short stories I've read and was limited to one per author, this would be it.
"Nightfall" - Isaac Asimov "Harrison Bergeron" - Kurt Vonnegut "Requium" - Robert A. Heinlein "The Jigsaw Man" - Larry Niven "Carcinoma Angels" - Norman Spinrad "Jeffty Is Five" - Harlan Ellison "Press Enter" - John Varley "Mind Partner" - Christopher Anvil "Quitters, Inc." - Stephen King "A Sound of Thunder" - Ray Bradbury "Like a Dog in the Street" - Lawrence Block "God is an Iron" - Spider Robinson "A Pail of Air" - Fritz Leiber "The Cold Equations" - Tom Godwin "Flowers for Algernon" - Daniel Keyes "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" - Lewis Padgett "Arena" - Fredric Brown "The Most Dangerous Game" - Richard Connell "The Lottery" - Shirley Jackson "Ender's Game" (the original, not the novel) - Orson Scott Card "The Gift of the Magi" - O. Henry "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" - Ambrose Bierce The Monkey's Paw" - W.W. Jacobs
[edited because I forgot OSC - duh.] [edited to add some more (thanks, CT)]
posted
"Ralph the Duck" by Frederick Busch. I think I mention this every time someone asks for stories.
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Here are some ones not yet mentioned that sprang to mind immediately:
"'Repent, Harlequin,' Said the Tick-Tock Man," by Ellison "The Last Defender of Camelot," by Zelazny "The Hit Man," by Boyle "The Cambist and Lord Iron," by Abraham "John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner," by Clarke "The Veldt," by Bradbury
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
"The Last Question," by Isaac Asimov "For a Breath I Tarry," by Roger Zelazny (strictly speaking, a novelette) "There Will Come Soft Rains," Ray Bradbury "The Cask of Amontillado," by Edgar Allan Poe "A Scandal in Bohemia," by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle And for pure fun, "The Storyteller," by Saki. (All of these are somewhat arbitrary choices from authors offering a multitude of good options.)
Also, enthusiastic seconds (or thirds) for "Flowers for Algernon," "The Lottery," and "Harrison Bergeron."
Edited to add: Good grief, we all forgot O. Henry! I'd go with "The Last Leaf."
Posts: 884 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Really? I like "The Gift of the Magi". (The shocking thing is that I read it in a BY. It wouldn't happen there now, but that's because it's shifted quite a bit to the right since I was there. Which is why my daughter isn't there . . .)
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by rivka: Really? I like "The Gift of the Magi". (The shocking thing is that I read it in a BY. It wouldn't happen there now, but that's because it's shifted quite a bit to the right since I was there. Which is why my daughter isn't there . . .)
It's a tossup, really. I'd also put "The Cop and the Anthem" in the running, though it's not as heartwarming as the other two. (And I hear ya on the right-wing-shift thing. It's been happening all over. [sigh])
Posts: 884 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
You know, I'm not sure I'd ever read "The Last Leaf" before now. It's lovely. I had something else in mind when I saw the title, but I googled to check, and I'm glad I did.
(Yes, but we left-wingers are fighting back. My daughter is attending the new HS, for instance. College prep. )
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
At a book fair a couple of years ago I found "The Hugo Winners I" by Isaac Asimov. Its a collection of winners from the first 15 or so years of the Hugo prize. So far I've found "Flowers for Algernon" and the first of McAffrey's Dragon stories, and a bunch of others that have been surprisingly great. I love short story collections.
If you get to read a collection that has been produced or edited by Isaac Asimov, read it. The stories may not be the best, but his commentary is.
Posts: 1941 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
"Those Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula LeGuin.
"Passengers" by Robert Silverberg.
"Bears Discover Fire" by Terry Bisson.
But I'm afraid my suggestions will probably get lost in the shuffle. There are some prolific readers on Hatrack.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Puffy Treat: "A Rose For Emily" by William Faulkner
I remember years ago a co-worker had a new baby girl named Emily. Another co-worker said she had the phrase "a rose for Emily" in her mind and wanted to run the idea by me to use it as a gift theme. I said, "glad you ran that by me first, let me tell you about the story. . . ."
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
"The Nine Billion Names of God" by Arthur C. Clarke
Dang, I was gonna say that one. Actually most of Arthur C Clarke's short stories are good reads. It's his novels which are unreadable...
Posts: 867 | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Occasional: Short story collections have gone out of vogue outside of made for college books.
I'm not sure I grant the premise here. Non-theme anthologies have seen an uptick lately. In fact, both Readercon and Worldcon had panels devoted to examining this phenomenon. Next time you're in B&N, look for anthologies by Ellen Datlow.
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: "The Cambist and Lord Iron," by Abraham
It's a good story, but I'm surprised to see you put it up with the rest of these. Personally, I voted for Chiang's "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" instead. I found that to be a deeply affecting story, and, in the end, Abraham's seemed more like a thinly veiled lesson in market economics than a story.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
My favorite Asimov story is one where they rediscover arithmetic without a computer. The name escapes me at the moment.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
It wouldn't happen there now, but that's because it's shifted quite a bit to the right since I was there. Which is why my daughter isn't there . . .)
![[Angst]](graemlins/angst.gif)
