I am defining “contemporary” as “first published in 1999 or after, by an author who was not, at the time of first publication, dead.”
Why? Because the first story I’ll recommend is Eleanor Arnason’s “The Grammarian’s Five Daughters,” which was published in 1999. I both love it and hate it–by which I mean I enjoyed it greatly upon first reading and think it even better now, but also feel horribly inadequate next to Arnason’s talent, skill, & pith.
Anyway, that’s the idea. Please remember to specify the name of the author if possible, and if you can link to the story online, but don’t I will say write cruel things about you on the bathroom walls.