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The Best Short Stories Ever Written

"Modern life is a busy affair and sometimes, a short story offers the perfect form. Escape with these groundbreaking works, both classic and modern."
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Going to Meet the Man (James Baldwin)
Going to Meet the Man
1
James Baldwin
I Bought a Little City (Donald Barthelme)
I Bought a Little City
2
Donald Barthelme
The Night Driver (Italo Calvino)
The Night Driver
3
Italo Calvino
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (Raymond Carver)
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
4
Raymond Carver
Désirée's Baby (Kate Chopin)
Désirée's Baby
5
Kate Chopin
The Swimmer (John Cheever)
The Swimmer
6
John Cheever
The Landlady (Roald Dahl)
The Landlady
7
Roald Dahl
The Outing (Lydia Davis)
The Outing
8
Lydia Davis
Private Tuition by Mr. Bose (Anita Desai)
Private Tuition by Mr. Bose
9
Anita Desai
Don't Look Now (Daphne Du Maurier)
Don't Look Now
10
Daphne Du Maurier
A View From the Observatory (Helen Dunmore)
A View From the Observatory
11
Helen Dunmore
In Plain Sight (Mavis Gallant)
In Plain Sight
12
Mavis Gallant
The Nose (Nikolai Gogol)
The Nose
13
Nikolai Gogol
Funny Little Snakes (Tessa Hadley)
Funny Little Snakes
14
Tessa Hadley
Big Two-Hearted River (Ernest Hemingway)
Big Two-Hearted River
15
Ernest Hemingway
The Lottery (Shirley Jackson)
The Lottery
16
Shirley Jackson
The Superstition of Albatross (Daisy Johnson)
The Superstition of Albatross
17
Daisy Johnson
The Largesse of the Sea Maiden (Denis Johnson)
The Largesse of the Sea Maiden
18
Denis Johnson
Araby (James Joyce)
Araby
19
James Joyce
What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish? (Etgar Keret)
What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?
20
Etgar Keret
The Daughters of the Late Colonel (Katherine Mansfield)
The Daughters of the Late Colonel
21
Katherine Mansfield
The Irish Wedding (Elizabeth McCracken)
The Irish Wedding
22
Elizabeth McCracken
A Tree, a Rock, a Cloud (Carson McCullers)
A Tree, a Rock, a Cloud
23
Carson McCullers
"Bettering Myself" by Ottessa Moshfegh
"Bettering Myself" by Ottessa Moshfegh
24
The Elephant (Slawomir Mrozek)
The Elephant
25
Slawomir Mrozek
Runaway (Alice Munro)
Runaway
26
Alice Munro
The Elephant Vanishes (Haruki Murakami)
The Elephant Vanishes
27
Haruki Murakami
Symbols and Signs (Vladimir Nabokov)
Symbols and Signs
28
Vladimir Nabokov
A Horse and Two Goats (R.K.Narayan)
A Horse and Two Goats
29
R.K.Narayan
Over the River and Through the Wood (John O'Hara)
Over the River and Through the Wood
30
John O'Hara
If a Book Is Locked There's Probably a Good Reason for That, Don't You Think (Helen Oyeyemi)
If a Book Is Locked There's Probably a Good Reason for That, Don't You Think
31
Helen Oyeyemi
Trilobites (Breece D'j Pancake)
Trilobites
32
Breece D'j Pancake
A Telephone Call (Dorothy Parker)
A Telephone Call
33
Dorothy Parker
Vampire (Intan Paramaditha)
Vampire
34
Intan Paramaditha
The Yellow Wallpaper (Gilman, Charlotte Perkins)
The Yellow Wallpaper
35
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins
The Tell-Tale Heart (Edgar Allan Poe)
The Tell-Tale Heart
36
Edgar Allan Poe
Vampires in the Lemon Grove (Karen Russell)
Vampires in the Lemon Grove
37
Karen Russell
A Perfect Day for Bananafish (J.D. Salinger)
A Perfect Day for Bananafish
38
J.D. Salinger
The Beholder (Ali Smith)
The Beholder
39
Ali Smith
Moonlit Landscape With Bridge (Zadie Smith)
Moonlit Landscape With Bridge
40
Zadie Smith
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