SueK Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Apologies if this has been done before. (I did a quick search and couldn't find a similar topic other than short stories generally). A friend once said to me "oh, short stories, must be really easy to write because you don't need to go into too much detail or give a deep plot or characterisation". How wrong could you be? For me, the short story must contain all of those points written very succinctly to give a feeling that you felt you knew the character or that the plot was totally rounded within the space of a few pages. So, let's have some ideas of who you think a are excellent short story writers. I'll kick off with, Guy du Maupassant and H E Bates (my all time favourite). Du Maupassant is so accomplished at writing short stories that he can wring the heart out of you (ie the Necklace and one about a lonely gentleman who ends his life - can't remember the title, and of course the titillating Boule de Suif;)). With Bates, you get the quitessential English pastoral writer who probably doesn't go in so much for a great plot, rather a sketch of a person wafting in and out of a tapestry that somehow you feel you have entered too. Du Maurier is probably another excellent example with the likes of Don't Look Now and the Birds. I'm a huge fan of the short story genre and can find that a short story of the likes mentioned above can haunt me as much as a larger, fuller plotted book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Notes from the Spec Fic side: Fredric Brown is the author of some of my favourite short stories of all time: there's "Sentry", "Martians, Go Home" and a brilliant one I can't remember the title of which reads suspiciously like the basis for the adorable film Short Circuit. "Sentry" is about a paperback page long, yet it manages to set up and destroy an entire reality and world (well, univese) view. Jerome K. Jerome, better known for his humourous novels, is the author another of my favourites, the nigh-on-sci-fi "The Dancing Partner". I also love Stephen King's short fiction. The collection "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" contains some masterpieces of horror and suspense: "Dolan's Cadillac", "The End of the Whole Mess", "Rainy Season" and "Umney's Last Case" are particularly worthy of a mention. Haven't read any Neil Gaiman stories yet but as I love him as a novelist, graphic and not, I've got very high hopes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 My favourite short story is The Pedestrian, by Ray Bradbury (it is the story Fahrenheit 451 was based on). I was given a photocopy of it in English when I was 11 and I still have it today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I don't read a lot of short stories, but I've loved some of the collections I've read. My favourites have been: People I Wanted To Be by Gina Oscher A Thousand Years of Good Prayers by Yiyun Li The Summer Book and The Winter Book by Tove Jansson Good Evening, Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter-Downes I've got a few more on my wishlist, and hope to get some before my holiday later in the year, as short story collections work really well with holidays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I'm really going to start get interested in short stories, because they're perfect for people with not as much time. It's funny because I'd never read any short stories before I read those that were in the BCF Short Story Competition. However, once I'd read them I realised the appeal that they can have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I love Isaac Bashevis Singer and have his book of collected short stories. He's a Jewish writer and a lot of his stories are small lessons to be learned. I also really enjoyed Chuck Palaniuk's Non-Fiction which is a book of essays he wrote while researching certain books. You can really see where he got inspiration for even the smallest details in his books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I also love Stephen King's short fiction. The collection "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" contains some masterpieces of horror and suspense: "Dolan's Cadillac", "The End of the Whole Mess", "Rainy Season" and "Umney's Last Case" are particularly worthy of a mention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euphorix Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Chekhov. That is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Sarah Salway. I am close to finishing her 'Leading The Dance', I have been reading it in bits and pieces as a treat to myself! I plan on getting more of her work. Her style is very accessible, her stories are quirky and surprising without feeling contrived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Iain M. Banks The State of the Art is a good collection of his short science fiction stories, the titular story being very good indeed (an alien race visiting Earth in 1977 and getting swept up in Star Wars fever!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mysterioso Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Can't beat the short stories of F.Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Stephen Crane. In modern times, Murakami of course and I absolutely love Mick Jackson's 'Ten Sorry Tales'- dark, dark, dark and very funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euphorix Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 But surely Edgar Allan Poe deserves a mention as well. Surely one of the most prolific short story writers ever? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 But surely Edgar Allan Poe deserves a mention as well. Surely one of the most prolific short story writers ever?Please don't hit me:lurker: but, although Poe was undoubtedly prolific, I wouldn't rank him nowhere near as high as the best... I find most of his work rather dull. Don't get me wrong, I love sentences that are more convoluted than the turrets of a gothic cathedral - I just find his convoluted sentences confusing and boring. Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher and Wordsworth's interminable Prelude are responsible, between them, for the total of my boredum-induced naps atop the pages of university coursework. It's like Rossini quipped about Wagner: 'he's got some wonderful moments, but some terrible quarters of an hour'. Admittedly, The Tell-Tale Heart is really good, and the one about beying buried alive (I forget the title) was creepily informative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaraPepparkaka Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Chekhov. That is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 But surely Edgar Allan Poe deserves a mention as well. Surely one of the most prolific short story writers ever? Ooh, yes. I love The Pit and the Pendulum! And I can't believe I forgot to mention Ray Bradbury. His short stories are just terrific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 Ooh, yes. I love The Pit and the Pendulum! And I can't believe I forgot to mention Ray Bradbury. His short stories are just terrific. Yes of course, Ray Bradbury - forgot him - AND now I come to think of it (and I don't know how I left him out) MR James and his wonderful ghost stories. Short and very very scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I'll kick off with, Guy du Maupassant. ... Du Maupassant is so accomplished at writing short stories that he can wring the heart out of you (ie the Necklace and one about a lonely gentleman who ends his life - can't remember the title, and of course the titillating Boule de Suif;)). Ooh - interesting - I have a book of Du Maupassant stories on the bookshelf Du Maurier is probably another excellent example with the likes of Don't Look Now and the Birds. I'm a huge fan of the short story genre and can find that a short story of the likes mentioned above can haunt me as much as a larger, fuller plotted book. I totally agree. There are also some great Sci Fi short stories - Assimov's 'Nightfall One', R A Heinlen's 'By His Bootstraps' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperplane Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Du Maurier is probably another excellent example with the likes of Don't Look Now and the Birds. Another vote for Daphne! I haven't read many short stories but I picked up her 'The Birds and Other Stories' and thoroughly enjoyed them, particularly 'The Apple Tree'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notbryan.ryan Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Votes for F Scott Fitzgerald and Toby Litt from me on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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