As director of the Story Prize, which honors an outstanding collection of short fiction each year, Dark (editor, The O. Henry Prize Stories, 1997–2002) has been a tireless advocate for the form. Here he compiles in chronological order the story read at the awards ceremony by each winner, from Edwidge Danticat's "The Dew Breakers" to Elizabeth Strout's "Anything Is Possible," showcasing 14 outstanding American short stories. This "greatest hits" selection focuses on style rather than topicality, ranging widely in setting—the beautifully rendered Cape Town of Anthony Doerr's "Memory Wall," a ravaged Chernobyl in Jim Shepard's "The Zero Meter Diving Team," the Manson Ranch in Claire Vaye Watkins's "Ghosts, Cowboys"—and subject—from Elizabeth McCracken's (literally) haunting tale of grief, "Something Amazing," to a platitude-spouting holographic president in Adam Johnson's "Nirvana," to Rick Bass's tender father-daughter road trip in "How She Remembers It." What each has in common, however, is a deep dedication to craft. This sampler will delight lovers of elegant, accomplished writing. VERDICT Both fans of the genre and those looking for an introduction to the form will relish this anthology, which has something for everyone.—Lisa Peet, Library Journal