Louisa Cornell, ladydawgfan, KateS and Kelly Ryan are the winners of Fun Contest Saturday!
Lori Austin's (aka Lori Handeland) An Outlaw in Wonderland has been named one of Publisher Weekly's Best Summer Books of 2013!!
A big CONGRATULATIONS to Goddesses Lori Austin (Lori Handeland) and Sabrina Jeffries for being named as RITA finalists for their historical romances BEAUTY AND THE BOUNTY HUNTER and A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS!
Sign up for our newsletter by filling out the JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER form in the right column of this page!
I suppose I’m dating myself by this title. Those of us who remember the old commercial with the song “Who wears short shorts? We wear short shorts. If you dare wear short shorts, NAIR for short shorts,” are women of a certain age. Show of hands. Who used NAIR?
At any rate, I’m not talking about those kind of short shorts today. (There are NO short shorts in my wardrobe these days. Nooooo!!!) I’m talking about short stories–an art form even older than NAIR.
I read a lot of short stories in college. (English majors have to do that.) I enjoyed quite a few. Poe wrote some great ones–”The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Fall of the House of Usher.” There are some short stories that I will always remember like Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Conner. O. Henry was a fantastic short story writer, which lead to a contest still run in his name for the same. Anyone remember “The Ransom of Red Chief” or “The Gift of the Magi?”
At present, the best short story writer in my book is Stephen King. My favorites are “The Body,” “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” and “Mile 81.”
Short stories are not easy to write. An author has to have just the right tale to tell and he/she needs to make every word count.
Today the short story collection HEX APPEAL, which contains my Phoenix Chronicle short story “There Will be Demons” is available. For those of you who’ve been asking for more Jimmy and Sawyer, they’re both here. However the heroine is Summer, the fairy, instead of Liz Phoenix. Summer can be a very big pain, but she has her reasons, and I’ve always kind of liked her.
To read an excerpt of “There Will be Demons” you can go to:
http://www.lorihandeland.com/hex_appeal_excerpt.php
There are some fantastic authors in this collection–Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Carrie Vaughn and more.
So, tell me, what are your favorite short stories?
I’m giving away three ebooks (Kindle or Nook) of the first book in the Phoenix Chronicles, ANY GIVEN DOOMSDAY, to 3 random posters.
63 Comments on “Who Likes Short Shorts?”
You can track this conversation through its atom feed.
I read Flannery O’Conner’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” in one of my English classes. Also, in the same class and by the same author, “Good Country People” is also a nice story that I remember. In fact, I enjoyed them so much that I ended up keeping the book that both short stories are in. O’Conner was a really good writer.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:50 am.
She really was. I remember the second story as well.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:28 am.
It took me a second time to read “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” for me to appreciate Ms. O’Conner. The first time I just read it and didn’t care to “feel” the short story. The second time I began to appreciate the short story as well as the writer. Reading “Good Country People” helped solidify my admiration and respect for Ms. O’Conner.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:42 pm.
Oh, it would be a tie between Jeffrey Archer and Stephen King. Both are such masters at the short tales…. I have all their short stories books, but my favourites are A Twist in the Tale and Night Shift. Oh, and an honourable mention to Different Seasons.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:51 am.
I didn’t know Archer wrote short stories. Cool.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:28 am.
I adored The Langolieres by Stephen King and then I love Laurell K Hamilton’s collection of short stories called Strange Candy. My favorite in that book is Here be Dragons and A Lust of Cupids.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:25 am.
Also wasn’t aware that Laurell K had written some shorts. I’m slacking.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:29 am.
I took a short story class last year in college and read various short stories but my favorite I can remember is the gift of the Magi. I liked the theme of that story. I also liked reading it enough to make a paper on that story telling what I thought about it along with whatever assignments the teacher assigned us students to do for short stories.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 5:40 am.
Gift of the Magi is classic.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:29 am.
The Most Dangerous Game by R. Connell and The Rocking Horse Winner by Sherwood Anderson come to mind. And La Ultima Oja, that’s right our Spanish teacher made us read O. Henry’s The Last Leaf en espanol.
Thanks for the Nair tune which will be stuck in my head all day.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:07 am.
I remember being really unnerved by The Most Dangerous Game!
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:10 am.
Those are two I remember as well.
And you are very welcome.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:30 am.
I’m not really a short story person. I had to read a lot of them in college, and high school, and always thought they were riddled with too much symbolism and metaphor. If I’m not reading a normal length (or extremely long) novel, I can sometimes be found reading scripts. I will grudgingly read a novella if its by a favorite author, but I rarely seek them out. Give me a 1000 pg tome any day.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:14 am.
I’m not good with really long books. I usually listen to them on tape. Right now it’s Game of Thrones on my ipod.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:31 am.
When I was more than 30 years younger, I read some collections of short stories by a Dutch author (I can’t remember her name). They were gothic stories, of ghosts and fairies and I liked them a lot. They remained locked somewhere in my mind, for two years ago I wrote my own short stories which are pretty much in the spirit of those I read.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 8:09 am.
Sounds good! Love gothics. Miss gothics.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 8:24 am.
HI Lori, congratulations on the new book.
You named my favorites, Oh Henry’s the Ransome of Red Chief, (My dad used to read that to us and every once in a while would look over the book as if to say “You’d all be back within 48 hours.” We’d just grin and try and look angelic) and Poe, though I loved the delightfully Gruesome, Cask of Amontillado or The Telltale Heart.
I find comediennes are wonderful short story tellers, Books by Lewis Black, Steve Martin and Eddie Izzard are particular favorites.
James Herriot’s snapshots are a full book but can be read in pieces, Garrison Kelliors books and lest I forget Mark Twain.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 8:51 am.
Mark Twain has some good ones. The Jumping Frog story comes to mind.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 8:57 am.
Love that cover.
I’m a fan of short stories, and we must have similar taste, because many of those ae my favorites, too.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 9:00 am.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 9:13 am.
Oh, I definitely remember that commercial and now I have the darn jingle stuck in my head….
You definitely got my three favorites with your list. Loved those two from Poe–especially The Fall of the House of Usher. His use of language is phenomenal–there’s nothing like it nowadays. I thought The Gift of the Magi from O Henry was SO thought-provoking. I love Flannery O’Connor, as well.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 9:14 am.
I took an entire semester on Poe in college. Very strange semester.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 9:35 am.
You named the short stories that I have read. Not such a fan of Stephen King, too creepy. I do like Jim Butcher. I totally have that jingle in my head now.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 9:48 am.
My work here is done . . . All will be singing the short, shorts song today.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 9:53 am.
Remember the Norton Anthology of Fiction? Some great short stories in that anthology, but I never got the sexual and violent nuances in them. I made an A in literature, but I don’t know how! I like short stories, especially these days when I don’t have much time to invest in a long novel. I am dying to read Game of Thrones, but the length and complexity holds me back. I feel like I should be on a beach or a mountain cabin before I crack that book. A short story I can do today.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 9:58 am.
Oh, yes!! I’d forgotten the Norton Anthology. Brings back my school days.
Try Game of Thrones on your ipod while you’re running. I’m loving it.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 10:16 am.
great idea!
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 1:57 pm.
Years ago I used to read mystery shorts. I was always impressed with how the writers got that whole plot into so few words. And in the real olden days my mother’s womens magazines always had short stories that I always read. There was one short short that I have never forgotten, about a women who holds a party and the details of her planning reveal her personality which is careful, structured, sensually restrained, and predictably stylish (I remember a few lines where she had to have the throw pillows arranged just so), but who at the end of the party realizes her husband is having a deeply passionate affair with one of the guests who is quite the opposite. Not always HEA in those shorts for women back then!
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 10:12 am.
I think some of those classic short stories probably took as long to write as a book. All the nuances and theme and connection. Not to mention saying a lot with very few words.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 10:17 am.
You’ve reminded me that I used to devour John Cheever short stories.
Fave bit from The Country Husband: Husband waiting on the train platform, a neighboring suburban wife greets him and is babbling about why she has to go into the city again because of some new drapes (blah blah blah). He replies, “Paint the windows black inside and shut up?”
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 12:20 pm.
Yay for short stories! You named some of my favorites, but the top of my list recently for short stories are the sherlock holmes ones by doyle. An added bonus is they are free on project gutenberg, though we do have a hardcopy collection as well
.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 10:23 am.
Oh, hadn’t thought of those! Good suggestion.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 10:39 am.
One of my absolute favorite short stories is No Comebacks by Frederick Forsyth. It was a stellar piece of writing and I loved it, and when the BBC filmed it they were spot on. My next favorite was Forever by Margaret Crumm, they ruined the film adaption with Made in Heaven absolute horrible piece of garbage.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:19 am.
That’s too bad about the film adaption. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what they’re thinking when they do those.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:42 am.
I know I read a ton of them in college (English lit major) but I don’t remember a lot of them now. I do know I have always loved Poe’s short stories. They are the perfect nibble of suspense with a dash of fear.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:31 am.
American lit major here. Hence the list of American writers I suppose. Trying to think of British short stories and getting nothing. I’m sure there are plenty beyond Doyle.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:43 am.
Kipling had some lovely ones in the jungle book and the just so stories
.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:07 pm.
I love short stories! And I’m so glad you wrote one about Summer; she’s a fun character—I’d love to know more about her!
Some of my favorite short stories are by Saki–he really had a way with a twist. The Open Window is a real stand-out. I encourage everyone to read it; it’s laugh out loud hysterical.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:54 am.
Oh, I remember that name. Saki. Looked it up. He was compared to O. Henry. Probably why we read him in the American Lit program. It’s all coming back to me now. A little.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 12:03 pm.
I don’t remember reading many short stories in college. Mostly it was Joyce and Woolf and others that still give me the shivers.
I love short stories, though. They give me an awesome treat when I’m in the middle of writing, and don’t make me feel guilty for taking too much time away from the work.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 12:08 pm.
Short is always good when we’re buried with long.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 1:02 pm.
LOL, I suppose I’m of a certain age, because as soon as I saw that title, my mind went immediately to that jingle! (not that I ever used Nair, but that song is indelibly branded in my head).
As far as actual short stories go, I was never wild about them because they were too short for me. However, I have discovered that novellas are perfect for a session on the elliptical and they are so convenient to get on my e-reader that I actually do read a fair amount of them these days. My favorites have been Courtney Milan’s novellas and the novellas that Ilona Andrews writes.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 12:58 pm.
There are a bunch of jingles from my childhood I sing all the time and my kids always want to know where I heard it. I miss catchy jingles!
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 1:03 pm.
I’ve always enjoyed “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, although it’s pretty depressing, so maybe “enjoyed” is the wrong word!
Since my graduate work is in Spanish, I’m a HUGE fan of Jorge Luis Borges’s short stories. I love “The Garden of Forking Paths” and “The Library of Babel.” I also like Carlos Fuentes’ “Chac Mool” (you can find it in English, but that’s still the title).
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 1:03 pm.
I remember that one too! Did I spend all of my college years reading short stories? No, I remember reading Shakespeare too. And NOT reading Moby Dick at least 3 times.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 1:04 pm.
Yeah, I can count on 1 hand the number of books I didn’t finish for school. Moby Dick is one of them, not surprisingly! Of course, Melville got paid by the word, which explains sooooo much. Wish that were true today!
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 1:09 pm.
Getting paid by the word would explain a lot.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:19 pm.
Yes, I will be humming the jingle all day at work and driving my cube mates crazy. But that’s OK because before you know it, they will be singing it with me.
I can’t pin down a favorite short story. I really didn’t read alot when I was younger and have only started my obsession in the last few years with romance.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 2:30 pm.
Evil laughter.
Short, shorts.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:21 pm.
I love short stories! So many of my favorite ones have been mentioned. I was introduced to Poe in 5th grade when we finished our textbook. I can still remember listening to The Pit and Pendulum with my big earphones and kind of being freaked out. Then, in 8th grade we had this guy come to school, and he performed The Tell-tale Heart. It’s been nearly 25 years, and I can still remember it like yesterday.
Last year I read a collection of stories on the devil, Sympathy for the Devil, with stories By Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Scott Westerfeld (I really liked his version of the devil), and many other authors.
I really like Westerfeld’s story story, Stupid Perfect World (in Love is Hell), where there’s no teen angst, no sleep needed, etc, because it’s all perfectly regulated. Then, this boy and girl have an assignment to do something old-fashion – he sleeps at night, while she stops taking her hormone regulator.
I can only think of one short story that I’ve read that I’ve never liked – Billy Budd.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:12 pm.
Billy Budd. Melville. Hmm.
That devil SS collection sounds right up my alley.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:22 pm.
I liked The Cask of Amontillado.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:14 pm.
That’s a good one.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:23 pm.
One of my favorite Poe tales is Murders in the Rue Morgue. I like just about anything by Poe, but this one sticks out. I remember The Rockinghorse Winner by D. H. Lawrence from my English Lit course in college. It’s about a spendthrift mother and her son, who only wants to make her happy. The Body by Stephen that was made into the movie Stand by Me, is another good one.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:51 pm.
Love all three of those.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:17 pm.
I love short stories! And while I never used Nair, I do remember the commercial. Sadly, I never had the legs for short shorts, even when I was young.
Some of my favorite short stories are “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry and bunches of stories by him and Somerset Maugham and Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne. I also LOVE crime short stories–my parents used to have tons of Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen collections lying around. I can’t even remember all the ones I read.
Oh, but one of my favorite stories of all time is by Ursula LeGuin, and it’s called “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” If you ever get the chance to read it, do. It’s really amazing.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:02 pm.
I will check that LeGuin story out from the title alone!
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:18 pm.
Ooh,she’s another good one. For some reason seeing her name reminded me of Charles de Lint. He has some fascinating fantasy short stories.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:03 pm.
I’m not a big short story reader, never have been. I like longer stories, in some cases, the longer the better. I love getting deep inside the characters!
That being said, fairy tales (Grymm, Andersen, etc) would have to be my favorite type of short story.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:34 pm.
Fairy tales! Excellent suggestion.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:36 pm.
I prefer longer stories, but I do like anthologies.
Did O. Henry write the story about the husband selling his watch to buy his wife barrettes, and the wife cutting and selling her hair to buy her husband a watch fob? I liked that story.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:28 pm.
That was Gift of the Magi. Classic O Henry.
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:36 pm.
I love short stories so there are a lot to mention but….there is one that totally stands out from the pack. In the anthology Bloodlite is a story called A Good Psycho Is Hard To Find by Will Ludwigsen. I don’t suggest reading this story while drinking anything. So darn funny!
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 9:09 pm.