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I’m looking for some recommendations of short story collections.

Hello!

I’m looking for some recommendations of short story collections. I usually read horror themed things but I’m open to anything, so long as it keeps me entertained. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated ?

Sarah #recommend

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69 Answers

Sally

Any by O. Henry. Absolute master of the short story!

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SarahQuestion author

Thank you! I’ll definitely look into him ?

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Sally

Let us know what you think!

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SarahQuestion author

Will do!

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Heather

Here I stand is a collection of short stories by a range of authors in support of freedom and amnesty international which is pretty inspiring. On a completely different note you can’t go wrong with Agatha Christie. Her complete Hercule Poirot short stories are comfort reads for me.

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SarahQuestion author

Ooh both sound good! Thank you ?

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Teresa

Chance Developments by Andrew McCall Smith is a collection of short stories inspired by his interpretation of random photographs of unidentified people. Really a good read!

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SarahQuestion author

That sounds really interesting. Thank you so much ?

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Kate

Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu. Multiple stories made me cry on an airplane. The older couple next to me was confused. Highly recommend it.

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SarahQuestion author

Well, I’ve never had a book make me cry so I’ll have to see if it works ?

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Rachael

LOVED The Paper Menagerie. One of my favorite books I read last year. 5/5 stars!

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Amanda

I highly recommend Children of the New World by Alexander Weinstein. Near future predictions.

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SarahQuestion author

Thank you ?

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Kim

12 mad men. A novel of short stories. Dark and bloody amazingly good

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SarahQuestion author

Sounds like something right up my street ?

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Kim

If you like dark horror you will gobble it up. I loved it immensely

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Sasha

Etger Keret!

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Eleanor

I’m currently reading “The Assimilated Cuban’s Guide to Quantum Santeria” by Carlos Hernández, and it is awesome.

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Carole

Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson

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Ary

Tim O Brien-the things they carried

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Penelope

Ronald Dahl’s short stories are masterpieces. Brilliant twists. Find Lamb to the Slaughter online and read it to get a taste.

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Kim

Ooh yes. I’m envious of people who haven’t read Dahl’s adult stuff yet

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Kim

Have you read Frederick Forsyth’s short story collection, no comebacks? Also twisted in a similar way

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Penelope

Yes, also a long time ago, but they haven’t stuck in quite the same way Dahl’s did. Maybe time for a reread?

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Sherri

The Best of Connie Willis: Award-Winning Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345540662/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kPHHzb0TFT7D9

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Samantha

The Monster’s Corner: Stories Through Inhuman Eyes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VMV3XG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SPHHzbSRMM9Q5

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Holly

Bonnie Jo Campbell. American Salvage. Or, anything by her, really.

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Vanessa

O. Henry, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the compilations done by Michael Connelly of labeled The Best American Short Stories of 1998 (or other years). In The Gloaming was in the 1995 TBASS comp, and it was great.

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Ann

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

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SarahQuestion author

I have no idea what that is but the title is great ?

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Amanda

I love Sedaris. And if you like audiobooks, I highly recommend him as an audiobook.

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Emma

METAPOX is a good thriller themed short story by @Raechel

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Natalie

My Mother She Killed, My Father He Ate Me edited by Kate Bernheimer.

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Ellen

My Date With Satan by Stacey Richter is a favorite! Also Vampires in the Lemon Grove (neither are horror, but both are odd and delightful).

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Howard

No Middle Name by Lee Child…..I’m reading it now.

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Catherine

I keep a paperback of Neil Gaiman stories in my glovebox.

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SarahQuestion author

In case of emergency ?

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Catherine

Sarah Territt With the flashlight, granola bar, and the pepper-spray ?

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Carol

Yes, I was going to recommend Fragile Things, Smoke and Mirrors, and Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

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Catherine

Hemingway’s short stories are better than his novels.

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Sheila

The Discovery Saga Series by Wanda E Brunsetter

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Jean

Alice Munro write fantastic short stories

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Laura

Ted Chiang’s short story is what the movie Arrival was based on. Great collection. Alice Munro, Raymond Carver, Shirley Jackson.

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Jody

Yes to the Ted Chiang!!!

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Kim

Also, not horror but interesting looks at different weirdnesses in the brain and mind – Oliver Sacks The man who mistook his wife for a hat, and An anthropologist from Mars. It’s case studies which read like stories and will have you saying Wow out loud

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Gwendolyn

Twisted by Jeffrey Deaver. Short stories by him. All very good and scary.

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Maryanne

The Mountain and the Vortex by @Stephen.

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Laura

Chekhov’s collections as well.

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Nikki

Goodnight Beautiful Women by Anna Noyes

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Courtney

https://www.amazon.com/Suspense-Short-Stories-Thriller-Mystery-ebook/dp/B06Y3KK9DS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501981537&sr=8-1&keywords=Suspense+short+stories highly recommend this one!!

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Joyce

Raymond Carver

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Carol

A Small Good Thing is one of my favorite short stories

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Joyce

Oh yes., and Cathedral.

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Jodi

Totally not horror, but check out Charles de Lint! Urban Fantasy (some a little scary, some not) – lots of Faerie, Native legends, and just plain old interesting stories – Paper Jack remains a favorite. They all have recurring characters and most take place in a fictional city in Ottowa – and they often branch into his full – length novels, too. I’ve spent many happy hours in Newford! The first one I read was Tapping the Dream Tree.

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Pamela

Ray Bradbury.

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Peg

I like to read The Best American Short Stories each year.

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Peg

https://www.hmhco.com/at-home/featured-shops/popular-series/best-american-series/ba-short-stories

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Miz

the bird eater & seed

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Jen

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LXMZJ3P?ref_=dbs_s_def_awm_dirs_l_2&storeType=ebooks

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LouAnn

Diane Schoemperlen writes wonderful short stories.

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Jody

Stories of Your Life ( the story that the movie Arrival was based on is in here) by Ted Chiang. INCREDIBLE! Mind blowing and life changing!

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Anne

Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout The Accomplished Guest by Ann Beattie Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

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Linda

All These Wonders
Moth Radio’s 20 th Anniversary collection

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Leah

Honeydew by Edith Pearlman, close Range by Annie Proulx, Dear Life by Alice Munro

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Becca

Joyce Carol Oates has a couple of great creepy short story collections.

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Patricia

@Helen – American Housewife

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Kathleen

Any thing by H.P.Lovecraft

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Rachael

Jhumpa Lahiri – The Interpreter of Maladies or Unaccustomed Earth. Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins. The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr.

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Kim

This has turned into the best thread ever

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