The one where he says he just wants the legs? that’s a great story.
James Thurber wrote some stories that had me laughing on my ass, but I can’t think of any in particular I’ve read in a long time, though.
I love Dahl and Thurber.
I would have mentioned “The Body” by Stephen King if I thought it counted as a short story. I never really got into King, but I like that story/novella, and Dolores Claiborne.
Another I forgot to mention that I have read several times is PG Wodehouse’s “The Great Sermon Handicap.” I’ve forgotten which collection it’s from, but it’s a Jeeves and Bertie, and it’s a ROFL.
Missed edit window: I chose these by category, only to realize there’s a lot of overlap here. “The Mountains of Mourning” and “The Macbeth Murder Mystery” are mysteries as well, and “The Little Black Train”, although fantasy, has an element of SF in it, too.
Now that one I love. And I love the one I’ve forgotten the name of, where he complains to his publisher about them sending him too many copies of his book, and sending copies to old addresses where he hasn’t lived in years.
“The Star” by Arthur C. Clarke
“The final Question” by Isaac Asimov
“To build a fire” by Jack London.
“Heavy Rescue” by Nicolas Montserrat (sp?)
“The nine billion names of God” by Arthur C. Clarke
“Flowers for Algernon”
I would call those essays, or anecdotal pieces. They’re not fiction, but embellished reality. I prefer them to the Thurb’s actual short stories; “The Dog That Bit People” is one of the funniest short pieces anywhere.
My favorite actual short story of his is “The Catbird Seat,” but it’s nowhere near my top ten bestest stories.
A few of my favorites that have not yet been mentioned (I think):
Chekhov, “The Lady with the Little Dog” and “The Bride”
Varlam Shalamov, “A Child’s Drawings”
Penelope Lively, “The Darkness Out There”
Mavis Gallant, “In Youth is Pleasure”
Alice Munro, “Meneseteung”
I had to check and make sure I didn’t write this. Stephen King’s shorts tend to leave out the more tedious aspects of his generally great writing. He is truly a master of the short story.
I also love The Jaunt. Probably one of his creepiest.
