# Favorite short stories **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [May 31, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512 "2026-05-31T18:27:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/81 "2026-06-02T15:45:31Z")
The collections you’re mentioning are nearly all limited to American or British or particular genres or to a single year or were first published decades ago or are restricted to a single POV or type of narrative. That’s not what I’m talking about. I want one that includes as many of the stories mentioned in this thread as possible. A publisher wouldn’t remotely care how many complaints they would be deluged with as long as they sell a lot of volumes. No one would care that your personal absolute favorite wasn’t included as long as many great stories are included. Many of the collections you’ve mentioned include a lot of mediocre stories. If I had come across a collection with many of the stories mentioned in this thread, I would buy in a second. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/82 "2026-06-02T16:40:06Z")
_To Build A Fire_ by Jack London. The imagery it conjured up in my mind was so vivid, I could practically see the dog shrug. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/83 "2026-06-02T16:51:04Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Why doesn’t someone here contact a publisher to persuade them to publish a book called something like _Great Short Stories_? There have been plenty of such anthologies published over the years (though not, obviously, based on this specific thread). They were more popular in the past. Nowadays, relatively few people read and appreciate short stories. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/84 "2026-06-02T17:06:17Z")
Name me one that fulfills all the requirements I gave in post # 81. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/85 "2026-06-02T17:27:40Z")
The new-to-me short stories that I’ve enjoyed over the past couple of years are _Haita the Shepherd_ and _An Inhabitant of Carcosa_ by Ambrose Bierce. Despite his Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, I assumed he was primarily a “wit” since being a wit was in those days and he wrote the Devil’s Dictionary. Until last year I didn’t know that he was one of the grandfathers of cosmic horror since he influenced Chambers who influenced Lovecraft. Both stories are both so unanchored in place that they might as well take place on another planet. Haita is more of a meditative fable, Carcosa being more of a classic horror story, but both have the advantage of being short enough to thoroughly read in a short uncommitted session. I also read his _Chicamauga_, which I didn’t like as much as the first two, but I don’t feel like I wasted my time since it was also very short, and it wasn’t so bad that it felt like a chore to read rather than a pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/86 "2026-06-03T01:41:52Z")
[Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wendell_wagner) [Charter Member](https://boards.straightdope.com/g/Charter_Member) [12h](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/69) > Why doesn’t someone here contact a publisher to persuade them to publish a book called something like _Great Short Stories_? It can include all the stories mentioned in this thread which are out of copyright. It can also include all the ones where the authors (or their estates) are willing to publish their stories for the right payment. If you can get permission for the right ones, it will be the best collection of short stories ever published. First of all, you have exactly as much pull with the major publishing houses as we do, so I think you should show us how it’s done! Secondly, there are lots of anthologies out there that might scratch your itch. Two that come to mind are [Monkey Brain Sushi](https://www.amazon.com/Monkey-Brain-Sushi-Japanese-Fiction/dp/4770028903/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ESHBB37OHZ1H&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GaPrEvmk4WJsynbOMl4kLMUf00bYGUxOsZ12AKCmyCaOrUBiT_N5KP1GrvAbuPljQ05PZk72-x4bdxQDE-KF4g.a0YaUkaQI2HBILtrwAJC0NLMl0tjRmG910KjQonWU7o&dib_tag=se&keywords=monkey+brain+sushi&qid=1780450589&sprefix=monkey+brain+sushi%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-1) and [Fierce Pajamas](https://www.amazon.com/Fierce-Pajamas-Byron-Jennings-audiobook/dp/B00005UPU1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32GMCSI4L6X7T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JNCGFnph0sOA11IRSwjJW5Gknm14fEyrtE98M8Ef3KkKNcZV4QmlCPJGjRbsRPrlriR50vkBxT6J1vI6q4qXebGgX2Pm8Oy_QeLc2xyZWeRBSnmz1M5c8VKSaxECOD6qdrargJcaqP5r1-E-Lb6vvFRJjBXMx8UAupy6Uyi9ARnVtISexhQlq7CzvW6tGP22Ay9DrcEdaK9EzEFHi5e08tLamlWeXVHhu2_Q3tCtGSWgX3VzlIjOtBri2eZggXecE8BsDNRwU5BMGIZ4L_l7dxH54GqC1ZN69nghhiAYqEA.GGQ6LenAbMOEq_0LKNjPmIgtsBrtK50gtebk8sTcu1I&dib_tag=se&keywords=Fierce+Pajamas&qid=1780450652&sprefix=fierce+pajamas%2Caps%2C191&sr=8-1). Both collections have stories with something in common–one is Japanese short stories from the 80s and the other is humorous short stories from _The New Yorker_ from a little later. Both have great variety, though. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/87 "2026-06-03T12:59:01Z")
These may be good, but they don’t satisfy the requirements I gave in post # 81. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/88 "2026-06-04T15:54:55Z")
I am surprised that no one has yet mentioned the works of Fredric Brown. Besides long-form novels, he wrote many, many short stories and could do a better job of telling a story in 2 to 3 pages than I have ever seen from any contemporary author. To top it off, he often crafted a story with an unexpected twist–and still managed to do it with amazing word-efficiency. There was a 2000 release of his collected short science fiction work titled “From These Ashes” that occupies a spot of honor on my bookshelf. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/89 "2026-06-04T16:22:47Z")
I should have mentioned him – I’m a huge Fredric Brown fan. He wrote not only science fiction, but also fantasy and mystery, and his Edgar-winning _The Fabulous Clipjoint_ is one of my favorites. As far as short stories, I still love _Arena_, which has often been copied but no one has ever satisfactorily filmed. I’d love to o it myself. Similar 1950s-era “short story with a twist” authors include Robert Sheckley, William Tenn, Theodore Cogswell, Charles Beaumont, and the great Richard Matheson. All of them wrote short stories that ought to be in any “favorites” list. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/90 "2026-06-05T20:51:17Z")
Thanks. I’ll look some of those up. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/91 "2026-06-06T22:41:46Z")
I hate this question. How can I possibly name only five? However, I have determined that one slot belongs to “The Shoreline at Sunset”, by Ray Bradbury. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/92 "2026-06-07T10:32:39Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Updike wrote some really nice short stories too - maybe “A&P”. Oh! Love that! Flashbacks to being a kid, barefoot in the A&P (when that was legal), with my mom, shopping, and I could see this all happening! ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/93 "2026-06-07T12:44:31Z")
If you’re a fan of Frederick Forsyth (Day of the Jackal, The Dogs of War, etc.), I highly recommend [“No Comebacks,”](https://www.amazon.com/No-Comebacks-Frederick-Forsyth/dp/0099559870?dplnkId=05c0baea-65e8-4807-84c6-36ec8d189ce9&nodl=1) a collection of ten short stories. My favorite is “The Emperor,” a tale about a mild mannered fellow who goes marlin fishing in Australia. HIghly satisfying! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/94 "2026-06-08T11:32:24Z")
The Forsyth story I recommended above – The Careful Man - is in that collection. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/95 "2026-07-14T21:43:32Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Good point. I used to read _Playboy_, and to be honest, it was mostly for the articles, as trite as that sounds. Great short fiction, interesting interviews, items on music and theatre and movies. There was a lot more to it than nude girls in pictorials, though those were nice too. Still, there were no more than 20 pages of those in a magazine that must have been 250 pages. The rest was filled with articles. There was a Braille version of _Playboy_, so someone was reading it for the articles. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/96 "2026-07-14T21:53:42Z")
Oh– And here’s one I just remembered: “His Wife’s Deceased Sister,” by Frank Stockton. It’s a follow-up to “The Lady or the Tiger,” but not in a way anyone would expect. It’s a particular favorite of mine, it’s just been so long since I read it, I didn’t think of it right away. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/97 "2026-07-14T21:55:52Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > There was a Braille version of _Playboy_, As referenced in a Woody Allen joke: “I used to rub the dirty parts.” ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/98 "2026-07-14T22:00:22Z")
I’m serious that there was a Braille _Playboy._ It was very successful, and didn’t have any kind of reproductions of the images. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/99 "2026-07-14T22:02:37Z")
Right. In fact, one of the things that got me reading the articles in _Playboy_ was a blind friend of mine, who quite enjoyed the articles and short fiction, and recommended them to me. Oh, and she was a woman. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512/100 "2026-07-14T22:04:51Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I’m serious that there was a Braille _Playboy._ It was very successful, and didn’t have any kind of reproductions of the images. I’m sure no one her doubts that, but it’s just too good a built-up for adolescent jokes from our many 12 year old male members… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-short-stories/1030512.md?page=6)