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All of the writers in this collection seem to have fun with the premise of a mover and a cardboard box’s mysterious contents, creating a worthy showcase for sci-fi and horror fans looking for their next favorite author.
Hughes shows off her skills as an award-winning poet in this well-executed exploration of the emotional impact parental loss can inflict on a young person. Readers will also appreciate the author’s introduction of a nursery rhyme or some folkloric element for each chapter’s epigraph.
Alison skillfully probes the nature of collaboration, influence, and credit in the world of architecture and design, as well as the often gender-confining roles of artists.
Ogawa (The Memory Police), an award-winning novelist both in her native Japan and in the United States, writes with exquisite artistry about the complications of a close-knit household whose members are quietly protective of its wounding secrets, as seen through the eyes of a young girl; the novel is beautifully translated by Snyder.
Belcourt demonstrates the true strength of the story collection format, leveraging his remarkable skill with character and language to deliver a potpourri of memorable and moving short-form works.
Genius narration pairs with an excellent collection to create a must-listen audiobook, particularly for fans of John Hornor Jacobs’s A Lush and Seething Hell and Laird Barron’s The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All.
Koch considers whether humans can understand and protect nature, and her multi-form characters call readers to recognize them, to empathize and preserve. A good volume for ecology collections; also important for students of graphic narrative.
With their energetic narrative and relentless humor, Ryan’s stories are both entertaining and thought-provoking, making this book endlessly quotable and hard to put down. Fans of Ryan’s observational TikTok shorts will enjoy the same irreverent humor in this longer, immersive format.
Adopting yet subtly subverting the prevalent imperialist biases of their day, these popular tales offer a diverting glimpse of the cultural ferment and ambivalence of late colonial Bengal.
King explains in an afterword to the collection that short stories are hard for him to write, but readers will be thrilled by these tales. Some of the stories are darker and more poisonous than others, but they all have that King touch.
Great short story writers encapsulate and distill the experience and emotions of a character in what amounts to a mini-novel. McCorkle demonstrates why she is considered a virtuoso of the form. This new collection will not disappoint her bevy of fans and may introduce some new readers to her flock of followers.
Not all novelists are good short story writers, but Towles excels with this collection. Readers unfamiliar with his novels will love these examples of his shorter fiction and they will be pure catnip to his legions of fans. Highly recommended.
Michigan listeners who know Dearborn may find themselves smiling at the mention of well-known streets and establishments, while those unfamiliar with the area will enjoy Zeineddine’s insight into community, race, and family.
This audio will appeal to listeners seeking moving, melancholy contemporary short stories about hope and heartache. Recommended for fans of Anne Enright, Kevin Barry, and Lauren Groff.
An unforgettable short story collection, with witty and poignant insights and a deeply relatable depiction of women approaching older age with wit and forthrightness.
Taking a cue from classic horror stories such as Poe’s works and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Winterson has crafted an unsettling and thoughtful collection sure to appeal to those seeking an atmospheric, chilling listen.
The fierce genius on display here leaves little doubt that had she lived past 33, Latimer may well have rivaled Virginia Woolf as modernist master and feminist icon. A revelation.
Will appeal to listeners seeking a haunting short story with classical inspiration and unsettling contemporary implications. Recommended for fans of Jennifer Saint, Natalie Haynes, and Claire Heywood.
This complete volume of Leckie’s short stories will be much appreciated by her fans, particularly as the “Imperial Radch” universe is award-winning and popular; the volume’s new story set there should be a welcome addition to that world.
LaRocca (Everything the Darkness Eats) is a viral sensation for all the right reasons, showcasing why extreme horror is so resonant, thought-provoking, and necessary. Suggest to fans of Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica and We Are Here To Hurt Each Other by Paula D. Ashe.
These stories bring enough of a chill factor to raise the hairs on the back of the neck as the ghosts use contemporary methods to scare readers. The tales also open a creaking door to empathy for the dead, the living, and the lonely.
Linked by their surreal nature and strong sense of place, the works in Norris’ss book include both well-developed characters and strong settings. Recommended for most collections.
Watkins expands her grasp with stories that are distinctive yet create an indivisible, propulsive whole, and readers will be hard-pressed to put the book down.
Insightful yet matter of fact, Li’s beautiful and heartbreaking collection about lost lives, connections, and opportunities resonates. A striking addition to any short story collection.
These complicated, layered stories, narrated with heart and empathy, lay bare the challenges of starting life anew. Listeners will look forward to more from the talented Bhanoo.
Atkinson’s many fans will love this collection, and newcomers will be enchanted as well. Showcasing Atkinson’s ingenuity and Joseph’s nuanced narration, this audio is an essential purchase for all libraries.
While the stories work as stand-alone pieces, they also form a beautiful whole. This is a loving portrait of small-town Middle America that resonates well beyond its borders.
Oliver uses subtlety and nuance like a knife. These stories reveal a writer who was willing to explore and stretch, telling honest, bared-open stories of her time and now of ours.
Recommended for fans who are curious about Bishop’s journey as a writer and are interested in reading about the inspiration and motivation behind her stories.
Unger and Cha edit an exceptional selection that clearly shows crime and suspense fiction flourishing still. Mystery lovers will snatch it off the shelf.
This commendable compilation could be considered an octogenarian writer’s valedictory gift to the literary community, who will revel in its thematic originality and stylistic bravura.
Although all of the stories here have been previously published, this is always a much anticipated collection, and readers of SF/F in short form will be glad to have so many standout stories, some already award-winners, in a single volume.
Wolfe (1931–2019) has always been considered one of the most literary of SFF writers; though he hewed closely to genre tropes, he also sent them in directions no one had imagined. This collection picks up where 2009’s The Best of Gene Wolfe left off and will be appreciated most by readers and scholars of the author’s work.
This collection of stories is eerie enough to seep into one’s bones, but listeners looking for truly horrific ghost stories might want to seek out scarier fare. Recommended for those who enjoy gothic literature and detailed settings and are open to ambiguous endings.
Often bittersweet, these stories consistently surprise. Good reading about community, and of special appeal for its insights into the Arab American experience.
This panoramic collection offers something for everyone, with sci-fi and fantasy stories that are both inventive and creative. A solid addition to any SFF collection and a delight for genre fans.
This anthology is perfect for those who’ve enjoyed Indigenous horror authors like Stephen Graham Jones, who provided the book’s introduction, and want to discover more.
Good short stories are complete and satisfying in themselves while leaving open the possibility of a continuing storyline; Hadley’s stories do both very well.
Soweto-born Makhene uses her unique voice to characterize South Africa much as Ben Okri does for Nigeria or NoViolet Bulwayo for Zimbabwe. Her debut collection is necessarily difficult and disturbingly intense, as any stories of life under apartheid must be, but careful reading will unearth kernels of the inherent resilience and humor of her people.
Fans of speculative fiction, The Twilight Zone, and Black Mirror should enjoy. Although listeners can relish this chilling and timely collection one story at a time, some may find that they can’t put this one down.
Fans of unsettling short stories should give Chung’s twisted modern folk tales a listen. These visceral, smart tales, teaching their lessons through suffering, make an impact.
Listeners will likely sympathize and perhaps even root for these monsters not because they are monstrous but because their status as outsiders is universally human.
Full of ambivalent love, modern Southern charm, and contemporary concerns, the stories in this collection are timeless as well as sharply contemporary.
An essential addition to any collection where short stories from around the world are in demand. For lovers of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Lisa Cupolo, and Mai Nardone.
This is an exquisite marriage of writer and narrators. Every collection should include these brilliantly written stories that combine sharp social commentary with truly captivating characters.
Patrons who enjoy the bizarre and fantastical will be enchanted. Share with fans of Christina Henry’s Into the Forest or A.A. Balaskovits’s Strange Folk You’ll Never Meet.
A sometimes harrowing, sometimes gruesome, but always entertaining collection; listeners may want to take care not to listen near a forest! Fans of feminist folklore retellings will find much to love.
Garricks’s Nigeria is a land broken by rapid change, and his characters have been broken psychologically and spiritually by it as well, living lives filled with longing and disappointment and seeking an ever-elusive redemption.
Heiny seems to have a little soft spot for her fellow humans, writing honest stories generous in their portrayal of how all are just trying to connect while protecting themselves and searching for some comfort in a complicated world.
The collection’s wide range of international authors means it has something to offer everyone. Recommended for libraries with strong SFF collections and readers who enjoy short fiction.
Each story in this charming collection flows naturally, conveying how owners and their pets understand and nurture each other. The outstanding audio production brings listeners the same audience intimacy as a well-performed play.
Nkweti’s rich heritage and nuanced writing shines throughout every story in this stunning collection. Share this important work, which details the complexity and diversity of the African diaspora experience, with fans of Lesley Nneka Arimah’s What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky.
There is a reason Saunders is often cited as one of the finest short-story writers working today. Each story in this collection has the potential to be an all-time favorite, and the addition of superstar narrators makes this an essential purchase for all public libraries.
There are a couple of standouts, including the eponymous story about Paul’s attempts to tell his stepdaughter that her father is not returning. Give to those who enjoy quick reads that require deep thought.
As Saba boards her flight, she looks back, wondering if her relatives “might connect with her one more time,” and the need to connect shines throughout this strong collection.
Glose’s superbly and empathetically written book is highly recommended. While the subject matter is inherently heavy, it is compassionately managed by one who understands the journey.
These poignant stories of self-discovery revealing the faces we show to the world, our friends and family, or perhaps no one at all, alternately tug at the heartstrings and tickle the funny bone. An essential purchase.
Experiencing this collection in print would allow readers to more easily savor Chang’s lyrical writing, but listening provides an opportunity to fully dwell within the stories and be carried to the end.
These nine short stories highlighting women’s desires, judgments, obsessions, and frustrations are intriguing, but somewhat uneven. A solid, if nonessential purchase for most libraries.
Moeng, a former Stegner Fellow at Stanford with an MFA from the University of Mississippi, writes with lush, heartfelt intensity that illuminates contemporary Botswana for readers who value complex female characters navigating a rapidly changing world.
With frequent nods to both contemporary and classic ghost-story writers (Daphne Du Maurier, Henry James), the success of these stories lies not just in the well-crafted writing but in the conscious mixing of a shape-shifting old world with an unreliably secure modern world. A masterly recharging of a treasured literary tradition that Murray clearly loves and respects.
For those that enjoyed Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch and Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation, this is a great addition to the genre that might be called “millennial ennui.”