The SF and fantasy threads worked so well, I'm going a little far afield for me this time. Short stories are by no way my favorite form of fiction, but there are several that have severely impacted my life. The following are some of my favorites.
For a Breath I Tarry, Roger Zelazny, originally published in The Last Defender of Camelot
Yesterday Was Monday, Theodore Sturgeon, originally published in the Golden Helix, which is also a particularly creepy work once you realize it was written several years before the structure of DNA was known.
Shatterday, Harlan Ellison, from the eponymous collection.
Chronopolis, J. G. Ballard, from the collection, Chronopolis.
Sand Kings, George R. R. Martin, from Sand Kings.
To Serve Man, Damon Knight.
Yes, I realize several of these have been turned into Outer Limits or Twilight Zone episodes. However, with the exception of To Serve Man, I read the stories first. I just wish they were available in audio format.
Posted by katdog42 (Member # 4773) on :
I absolutely adore a well-written short story, especially if it's SF. Some favorites include:
"Profession" and "Robbie" by Isaac Asimov (actually, most things by Asimov are pretty high on my list. I love his shorts)
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
"America" by OSC
"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Leguin and I second "For a Breath I Tarry" by Zelazny
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
Still one of my all-time favorites: "How We Lost the Moon--A True Story by Frank W. Allen" by Paul J. McAuley.
Posted by Sean Monahan (Member # 9334) on :
Wow. Too many to mention. But just a couple that are probably lesser known:
The Green Leopard Plague by Walter Jon Williams
Melodies of the Heart by Michael F. Flynn
Forms of Things Unknown by C. S. Lewis
Going After Bobo by Susan Palwick
Think Like a Dinosaur by James Patrick Kelly
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas bt LeGuin.
It's very short, but beautiful, and has stayed with me for decades.
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
Stephen King's The Breathing Method is my favorite.
Posted by madvogon (Member # 12938) on :
Some that I forgot:
Gladys' Gregory
Quitter's Inc by Stephen King
The Giftie Gie Us by Timothy Zahn
Posted by Destineer (Member # 821) on :
I've recommended this one a billion times, I feel like: Tony Daniel, "A Dry, Quiet War."
Lucius Shepard has many good ones. "Radiant Green Star" might be the best one I've read by him.
For readers who aren't dissuaded by some nastiness (rape), William Barton's "Heart of Glass" is excellent and intense.
"Scherzo with Tyrannosaur" by Michael Swanwick is a great time travel story.
Two more: Ian MacLeod, "Breathmoss" John Kessel, "Stories for Men"
Posted by Sean Monahan (Member # 9334) on :
"Cilia of Gold" by Stephen Baxter
"Time's Arrow" by Arthur C. Clarke
"Surface Tension" by James Blish
"The Ice" by Steven Popkes
"Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge" "Robots Don't Cry" "Travels With My Cats" by Mike Resnick
"The Price of Oranges" by Nancy Kress
"Scout's Honor" by Terry Bisson
"Who Can Replace a Man?" by Brian Aldiss
"Zima Blue" "Galactic North" by Alastair Reynolds
Posted by Sean Monahan (Member # 9334) on :