5 Short Stories You Should Read This Month
May is #ShortStoryMonth. And why not. Seems a perfect way to follow the #NationalPoetryMonth of April. Also, with the weather what it is in May, short stories are perfect little “snacks” to digest outside during a little pick-me-up from office indoor weather. Below is a list of five of my very favorite scifi-y short stories. (I’ve included free links for all that are online, too, so get comfy under a tree and read these for free! And if you enjoy these stories, buy some of their books too and support writers writing stuff you like.)
- Paycheck by Philip K. Dick
- Sea Oak by George Saunders
- Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
- The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick (which is significantly different from the film in interesting ways)
- The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
While I’m at it, a few more good short stories, of the non scifi variety:
- Everything is Green by David Foster Wallace
- Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Letter to a Funeral Parlor by Lydia Davis
(PS-Yes, these are all white people and mostly white men. Yes, that is a problem. So if you have a rec that you think I’d be interested in based on this list, please send it to me! If it isn’t by a white guy, I’ll read it first! And if I enjoy it, I’ll share it. Tweet me ASAP @AngeleOutWest. I’m always looking for more good stories to read and love.)
And a few lists of great short stories to check out:
- American Literature has 100 great short stories here: https://americanliterature.com/100-great-short-stories
- Electric Literature has a short article on innovative contemporary short story writers here: http://electricliterature.com/contemporary-innovators-of-the-short-story-a-reading-list/
- A list put together last year MPRnews.org: http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/05/15/books-short-stories
- And every year, there’s a collection of “best short stories of the year. Here’s a link to 2015’s collection: http://www.amazon.com/Best-American-Short-Stories-2015/dp/0547939418
- And while I have your attention, if you’ve read this far, consider also reading 10-minute plays. They take you almost exactly 10 minutes to read, fancy that. Think of it as a fresh take for your short story fancy. And there’s a collection of them gathered each year too. Here’s 2015’s: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Ten-Minute-Plays
I’ve also got some short stories out there in the world. You can read some of them at my website NamesRedefined.com
Have other recs? I’d love to read them. Leave title, author and links in the comments!
