Single-author short story collections.
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2,896 books · 2,040 voters · list created July 7th, 2008 by Nicole (votes) .
564 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Nicole 118 books
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aeshaun 94 books
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Comments Showing 1-31 of 31 (31 new)

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message 1: by Petra X (new)

Petra X These look like some interesting books however, the only one I've read is Interpreter of Maladies which I didn't enjoy. I haven't read short stories in living memory so I can't vote on this list, but thanks for asking anyway.


message 2: by Terri (new)

Terri Unaccustomed Earth is on the list twice.


message 3: by Thom (new)

Thom Dunn I put in Stephen Zweig and got "No authors found". Looks like we're just getting started here.


message 4: by juliet/ (new)

juliet/ I haven't read most of these but it's a good list. Some good writers on it. Thanks!


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Thom wrote: "I put in Stephen Zweig and got "No authors found". Looks like we're just getting started here."

If you spell his name "Stefan Zweig" you should get all his major works ...


message 6: by Thom (new)

Thom Dunn Themis-Athena wrote: "Thom wrote: "I put in Stephen Zweig and got "No authors found". Looks like we're just getting started here."

If you spell his name "Stefan Zweig" you should get all his major works ..."


I had in mind "Unsichtbare Sammlung" and "The Sleep Seller" (sp Silberzweig ?)


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) I've already exhausted my 100 permitted entries, so I can't add them myself, but the ISBN nos. of the first one are:

1885586000 - "Invisible Collection" (English version)
3920856252 - "Unsichtbare Sammlung" (German version)

Couldn't find "The Sleep Seller" ... do you mean "Silberne Saiten"? (That's a collection of poetry, though, I think.)


message 8: by Thom (new)

Thom Dunn Themis-Athena wrote: "I've already exhausted my 100 permitted entries, so I can't add them myself, but the ISBN nos. of the first one are:

1885586000 - "Invisible Collection" (English version)
3920856252 - "Unsichtbare..."


Guy can't sleep. Wandering through the night he finds (or dreams) of a below-street-level shop where a mad proprietor charges old people to sleep sitting at a large table. He wakes them periodically to charge them for sleeping. Narrator decides that's where he belongs, but can't find it. Basically, a surreal older man's dream vision. Could it be by Ilse Aichinger ?


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Sorry -- I'm drawing a blank (probably because I'm in a mental year-end twilight zone anyway). Sounds like an inquiry for that What's That Book site! (http://www.whatsthatbook.com)


message 10: by Jc11king (new)

Jc11king Different Seasons is NOT a collection of short stories
It's a collection of 4 NOVELLAS!


message 11: by Trang (new)

Trang Le Any list of best short story collections without Akutagawa would be a mistake. He's the master of short stories.


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Trang wrote: "Any list of best short story collections without Akutagawa would be a mistake. He's the master of short stories."

Anybody can add books to a list on GR, so feel free to do so yourself! It's easy: Just click on the tab "add books to this list," up above next to "all votes," and then add any books you like, either from your own bookshelves or by performing a search in the GR database.


message 13: by Choyang (new)

Choyang any new story


message 14: by Micha (new)

Micha So many great new short stories to read!!!


message 15: by Danm (new)

Danm Choyang wrote: "any new story"

Twisted Sick.


message 16: by [deleted user] (new)

Ender's Game definitely isn't a short story book -- looks like there are a few other novels on here too.


BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Are collections of fairy tales considered to be short stories? Haven't added any, as I wasn't sure...


BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Isn't The Captain's Daughter (currently #402) a novel?


message 19: by Bob (new)

Bob Van Arsdale About a month ago, Bookloving lady wrote:
>> Are collections of fairy tales considered to be short stories?
Good question, I think... Particularly where the fairy tales have been altered or extended by the collector/author/editor's own prose, such as the works of Angela Carter -- eg. "The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories", or "The Old Wives' Fairy Tale Book".

And what about mythology, such as Edith Hamilton's or Thomas Bullfinch's ? Or Hamilton Wright Mabie's "Norse Stories" ? I'm inclined to say that yes, these are types of short stories, but I was a physics and math major with a pathetic background in the humanities... I'd appreciate other opinions.

In a similar vein, what about the "New Journalism" style of Tom Wolfe, eg. "The Kandy-Kolored Tangering-Flake Streamline Baby" and "The Pump House Gang", presented in short story style ? Or Hunter S. Thompson's Gonzo Journalism, such as "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail" ? Should those be considered as types of short stories ? I would welcome any input.


BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Bob wrote: "And what about mythology..."

You're right... Hadn't even thought of that, even though I have several, but most mythological stories come into question as well ...


message 21: by Donna (new)

Donna Davis This is an awesome list, one of my favorites.

The system found and removed one duplicate.


message 22: by Donna (last edited Apr 24, 2016 09:35PM) (new)

Donna Davis The list still looks pretty strong, but I notice that some collections of nonfiction are creeping in. Nicole, do you want those yanked?

Also, I want to advocate for Edward P. Jones's Lost in the City, which I don't think deserves to be buried on page 2. If others think likewise, they should vote for his book if not already done.

The system found and removed 4 duplicates.


message 23: by Lobstergirl (new)

Lobstergirl I deleted two nonfiction books. Yes, Donna, I think you should definitely delete books you are certain are nonfiction.


message 24: by Donna (last edited Jun 05, 2016 09:33AM) (new)

Donna Davis The system found and removed 1 duplicate, and I removed David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day, which classifies as memoir/nonfiction, from #37.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

And from #74, David Sedaris again, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...


message 26: by Donna (new)

Donna Davis Victor wrote: "The Infinite Library and Other Stories"

Victor, if you want to add that collection, you have to do it yourself. Go to the list and click the tab at the top that says "Add Book to this List". All of your own titles should come up, each with a button to add the title to the list. Nobody else will do this for you. Amazon employees don't work on this list; volunteers like me do. And when you drop a title into this comment section, which is intended for technical issues, you summon a volunteer to come and see what the problem is. I can't help you with this one.


message 27: by Elyse (new)

Elyse I removed #1001, Ender's Game. It's a novel.


message 28: by TheJoyousWatcher (new)

TheJoyousWatcher Looking at the first page:

-the Pattaya Youtuber and Morley Roberts books are clearly spammed by bots.

-those Egyptian books all by the same author are obviously being shilled by the same group, looking at a few other short stories lists, they're all there in the exact same order.


Hope those get removed ASAP


message 29: by Lobstergirl (new)

Lobstergirl Removed.


message 31: by Donna (new)

Donna Davis Daniela wrote: "Notes From A Turkish Whorehouse"

Daniela, if you would like this book added to the list, you have to do that yourself. Use the tabs at the top of the list. If the book is already on the list and you believe it should be removed, please tell me what page it is on, and in what way it falls outside the parameters set by the list maker.


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