Short Story Collections
recommended by short story writers and scholars
Last updated: April 09, 2025
Short stories are works of fiction that are too short to be published as a standalone novel and where the plot and character development are distilled and to the point. Many great novelists—including Leo Tolstoy and Ernest Hemingway—also wrote short stories, and Alice Munro, the Canadian writer, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 for her mastery of the genre. The short story collection The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien is often recommended as one of the best books about the Vietnam War; The Periodic Table by Primo Levi is a beautiful book about Fascist Italy and Auschwitz.
However, short stories were often written for pure entertainment and also played an important part in the evolution of crime (and other genre) fiction. Starting with "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841) by Edgar Allan Poe, many detective stories first appeared in magazines. Agatha Christie wrote some 159 short stories for magazines such as The Sketch; most were subsequently published in 16 short story collections in book form. (If you're looking for her best short story, it's unquestionably "The Witness for the Prosecution," her grandson told us).
Famous short stories for adults recommended on Five Books include "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Leo Tolstoy, and "Diary of a Madman" by Lu Xun.
Funny Short Stories, recommended by Cal Flyn
In the mood for a tall tale that will make you laugh? We’ve rounded up five of the best funny short story collections that will entertain you, surprise you, and maybe even shock you.
The Best 20th-Century Short Stories, recommended by Etgar Keret
The short story form allows for instinctiveness in a way that novels don’t, says Israeli writer Etgar Keret, whose stories have won a number of awards and been translated into dozens of languages. He talks us through some of his favourite short story collections of the 20th century (in English).
The Best American Short Stories, recommended by Jim Shepard
Short stories dive right into the middle of the matter and there’s nothing about them that’s inessential, argues American writer Jim Shepard. He chooses five of his favourite short story collections, from the 1980s through to the 21st century.
The Best Russian Short Stories, recommended by Rosamund Bartlett
In Russia, it’s often fallen to writers to challenge conventions and speak the truth, says the translator and biographer Rosamund Bartlett. She makes a personal selection of some of the most exhilarating Russian short fiction.
The Best Sci-Fi Short Stories, recommended by R.S.A. Garcia
Short stories are at the heart of a thriving science fiction community, where readers, writers and editors move between roles and raise each other up. R.S.A. Garcia, winner of the 2024 Nebula prize for Best Short Story, talks us through her five highlights: short takes on big themes, with community at their heart.
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1
Taipei People
by Pai Hsien-yung -
2
Bamboo Shoots After the Rain: Contemporary Stories by Women Writers of Taiwan
by Ann Carver (editor) & Sung-sheng Yvonne Chang (editor) -
3
Exiles at Home: Stories
by Ch'en Ying-chen -
4
The Taste of Apples
by Huang Chun-ming -
5
Angelwings: Contemporary Queer Fiction from Taiwan
by Fran Martin (translator)
Short Stories from Taiwan, recommended by Sabina Knight
Short Stories from Taiwan, recommended by Sabina Knight
With careful literary crafting, Taiwan’s writers have told the complex story of their country since World War II. Sabina Knight, a professor at Smith College and author of Chinese Literature: A Very Short Introduction, recommends five of her favourite short story collections.
The Best Tales of Soviet Russia, recommended by Robert Chandler
Robert Chandler, one of the best known translators of Russian literature, recommends some of his favourite tales of Soviet Russia. There’s the one about a dog in space and the one about the Soviet café which stocked nothing but champagne and Mars bars…
