Short story collections

Just After Sunset by King, 20th Century Ghosts by Joe HIll, and anything by Bradbury or Matheson.

Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson is a great one. Also: Stories, ed. Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio, and Gordan Van Gelder's The Very Best of F&SF.

So yeah what are your guys/gals favorite short story/novella collections? (excluding WOTF since I assume everyone here buys and enjoys them )

I really enjoyed the GRR Martin: A RRetrospective. I was lucky enough to get a Subterranean Press hardcover edition with some nice illustrations. He goes from his oldest stuff up until the present and the journey is informative, funny and even charming for writers and would be writers. Definitely at the top of the pile.

Dreamsongs One and Dreamsongs Two from George R.R. Martin rank as my top five collections.

Devils and Demons and the Vampire Sextet, both edited by Marvin Kaye.

Brutally honest? I rarely like more than two or three stories in a short story collection. They're just not my thing; I want more meat on the bone. WotF does better than average, largely because the stories tend longer.

I hate you all and everything you've done.

Hey, now. That may have been over the top, don't you think?

So? Everyone else gets an evil alternate personality, complete with color. Don't come crying to me if you can't do evil properly, that's what I say.

I'm not sure I want to argue with you. It sounds unhealthy.

Smirk.

Besides, it's bedtime.

Hey...

Smirk.

I've read many through the years usually my favorites are those done by my favorite writers.

Lately I've been into Urban Fantasy--in writing as well as reading--and so some of my favorites in the last couple of years have been ones done edited by P. N. Elrod.

"My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding" was one. "Dark Stormy Knight" was another. I have "Hex Appeal" in line to read.

More on that later

I started reading short stories when I was at highschool. There was a magazine in Greece back then that was called -honestly!- Analog, which was probably the first sci-fi magazine in Greece. It was filled with great short stories, by the likes of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, among others, which, incidentally, were nothing at all like the stories we are supposed to turn out for WOTF (the endings were most of the time bleak and dark, there were no try-fail cycles, no insistence in setting and smells), they were mostly stories that explored ideas, which is what I ever loved in science fictions.
Oh, and I also read a lot of great collections of Edgar Allan Poe's (or Edgar Allan Poe-ish) short stories as a kid.

Since then, I never read short stories again, only novels. I also tried to write novels, until a relatively short time ago I started writing short stories in the realization that if I waited to have enough time to write a novel I would never write anything.

This year, after I became immersed in WOTF madness, I've started reading short stories again. What I recently began to realize, after this, is that now short stories tend to be more like short novels than short stories the way that I knew them. I hope that this new knowledge is going to improve my chances WOTF-wise.

By the way, I still haven't read any whole short story anthologies in the recent years. But my favorite short story ever is still Sentry by Fredrick Brown. DF would have probably summarily rejected it; after all, we never even learn the protagonist's name.

Once of my favorites is a collection of children's fantasy shorts by Diana Wynne Jones. It's called Unexpected Magic. Her writing always makes me think of the term 'good old-fashioned fun.'

It's finally later.

I have liked Elrod's anthologies not only because of Jim Butcher's shorter ones were in included but I was introduced to some others. Like a certain 30's vampire good guy who owns a bar. Can't recall the writer but I've read two or three about the vamp and would like more. Most of the stories are Good stuff.

Even though I would love to be included in a UF anthology I think all of Elrod's people are pros. Vast majority are at least.

Oh yes, loved the Strange New World anthologies not just for the obvious reason but because there are some great stories in them. Not all are your typical Star Trek. But even those are well done. Some are sad--which includes the very last story--some are funny--some are strange alright--some are good SF.

Most anthologies I've read have been by one writer. I loved the Issac Asimov stories and a few others--way too many names to list here even if I could recall them all.

But I've noticed there doesn't seem to be very many of the ones written by one writer these days. Jim Butcher has one out and as far as I can find that's it for newer ones. You can still get many of the older ones.

So yeah what are your guys/gals favorite short story/novella collections? (excluding WOTF since I assume everyone here buys and enjoys them )

I really enjoyed the GRR Martin: A RRetrospective. I was lucky enough to get a Subterranean Press hardcover edition with some nice illustrations. He goes from his oldest stuff up until the present and the journey is informative, funny and even charming for writers and would be writers. Definitely at the top of the pile.

Dreamsongs One and Dreamsongs Two from George R.R. Martin rank as my top five collections.

He's more than ASOIAF it's too bad he's likely going to be writing that or the occasional Wild Cards until the seven come to claim him.

I liked the Stephen King short story or novellas collections. Also the "Wastelands" and "The Living Dead" anthologies by JJ Adams, I like the different takes on the subject by some well known and semi-known authors. "The Dying Earth" Anthology edited by GRR Martin was well written by the contributing authors almost across the boards.

I bought a "Oceans of Space: and Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickmans "Treasures of Fantasy" but I haven't had a chance to really read them yet.

I'm reading a short story collection--a UF anthology edited by P.N. Elrod Titled "Hex Appeal".

It has all of the favorite UF writers including the start of a new series by Jim Butcher. I say new series but I'm not sure if it will be books or short stories. Hope it has another noir style story with a certain vampire bar owner.

I also bought JJA's rather large Epic Fantasy anthology, I won't get to it for a while but it's waiting for me.

I came back to add that my muse perked up her head at the cover, A lady, probably of the evening, wearing a minidress is standing on a street corner while leaning against a building. To me--I'm sure some will disagree--her face shows she doesn't belong there. Not you usual hooker. So my muse told me a story, most of it anyway. She is a police officer undercover but it's not a police story it's a relationship story between a husband and wife. A rather short story--right now anyway--with a vampire and magic.

Reading the collected short stories of Arthur C Clarke. The guy was so ahead of his time, it's ridiculous. He was writing about the technological singularity in the 50s.

I should put in a word for 'The Complete Robot' by Asimov. I was quite taken with the way in which a world built in one story is transferred to another. I suppose in one way it is a writer's shorthand that saves the need of world-building in every story, but at the same time it permits a deeper exploration of ideas and characters than an isolated short story framework permits. Non-SF short story authors have done the same, going back to Saki and Chesterton.

I sometimes look upon my characters as my children. I don't really want them consigned to oblivion just because I've finished the story. At the same time I don't want to explore the tedious things that they will do in their future lives as well as the interesting things. A balance is required.

I do agree with George that so many of the earlier science fiction stories that I have read display far greater willingness to explore philosophies and ideas than is fashionable nowadays. In some ways this is reflected in movie trends also. The original Star Wars, for example, contained much food for thought. I couldn't even get past the first twenty minutes of the sixth film, which seemed to me to be nothing but action sequences.

It may be a feature of my age, or upbringing or culture, but I do want to be made to think about issues, not simply entertained. In fact where there is nothing but action there is no entertainment, in my view.

They call the first 2 novels, but they're really collections:

CITY, by Cliff Simak
THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, by Ray Bradbury
NORTHWEST OF EARTH, by C. L. Moore
STAR LIGHT, by Alfie Bester
THE PASSAGE OF THE LIGHT, by Barry Malzberg
THE MASK OF MANANA, by Bob Sheckley

-- Mike

I've always loved the short story form. When they're done perfectly for my taste, they can be like a novel encapsulated. Early on I read collections I don't actually remember...not the editors, authors, or even story titles...except for two stories. They were in different collections, and unfortunately I don't remember who their authors were, but I remember their titles and reading them still. One was Slow Glass and the other was Grandaddy. The latter was about a sentient lily pad and both had a profound influence on the way I approach fiction as a science fiction writer. My goal-intent-dream is to write in a way that makes people think deeply, feel transported to something/somewhere so other that the experience lingers, and leave a slight itch in the back of the brain that screams "What if...." for the rest of the readers' lives. Lofty, I know, but aiming high and all.

One of my favorite collections is by Fredric Brown. Another is Zenna Henderson's The Complete People Stories.

I like short stories too.

A while back I mentioned the Urban Fantasy anthologies by P. N. Elrod But along with Ishmael I like the Robots stories by Isaac Asimov

David Weber has a series of anthologies set in his Honor Harrington universe by different writers. I say short stories but they tend to be more novelette size.

Oh, yeah. I like Asimov's Robots too. Heinlein's stuff, as well. I've always enjoyed the older stories that instill such a sense of awe and wonder, and make me think sort of quietly. I think I tend to write more old school style, though of course with modern scientific ideas. Which may account for a lot of my almost situation, with a number of editors.

I really like this one by Stephen Crane. First time I've read it at some custom essay writing org and it really touched my feelings. So deep and sad story.

I love Stephen Crane. I really do, especially his poems.

But shouldn't someone do something about Melvin? I mean, he's taken spam to a whole new level. He's probably locked up the Three Moderators on some dungeon, but what about the Gator? I mean, he can't have locked up the Gator!

Can he?

I don't know. Kary did check in very briefly last week. I've not seen a Martin or Tina post in several millennia. And Gator thinks we're evil.

Do you suppose they've all gone back to Proxima Centauri and abandoned us?

But was she the real Kary? Maybe it was Melvin, impersonating her? Did she actually offer tequila and brownies, or did people just assume that she would, as Melvin would have us believe?

Oh, look now. Melvin just made us derail this thread completely. Now people would think that we are the spammers.

I'm a big fan of 'Maps in a Mirror: The Short Fiction of Orson Scott Card'. I've got two different Neil Gaiman collections I love, and while I can't list off specific collections Ray Bradbury amazes me whenever I find his work. Those are the authors that stick in my mind.

I've been reading some short story collections from the 80s, namely Interzone, Synergy and Burning Chrome. All excellent, in my opinion.

I've upwards of 150 short story collections. Over the years I do revisit them. I was always struck by how an author could produce a great collection and then come up with an absolute stinker. Some of the best include:
The Green Hills of Earth (Robert Heinlein - from his Future History)
Neutron Star (Larry Niven - Thrints, Bandersnatchi, Puppeteers - Known Space)
The Illustrated Roger Zelazny (enjoyed this also for the illustrations - I've been a fan of Gray Morrow since his work on El Diablo for DC)
All the Traps of earth (Clifford D Simak)
Lost Worlds 1 (Clark Ashton Smith - Zothique, Averoigne and Others)
Metamorphosis and other stories (Franz Kafka - I just like Kafka)
The John W Campbell Memorial Anthology (a good guy well remembered)
Spectrum Volume 1 (edited by Kingsley Amis and Robert Conquest - the introduction to this volume puts the case for well written Science Fiction - given where the genre is, it's still worth a read - I blogged this series as part of my obituary to Robert Conquest: https://tparchie.wordpress.com/2015/08/ ... -conquest/ )

JJ Adams does quality anthologies ranging from high fantasy to the apocalypse.

I've enjoyed two of the Legends fantasy anthology series (I'm not sure if they're the only two) - they contain some very famous names.

I've discovered the Best British Short Stories series this year and they contain some excellent stories (a mix of genres).

Ray Bradbury Stories Volume 1.

The Mammoth Book of Fantasy,

I have loads to get through. A work colleague has just loaned me four more, without realising what a slow reader I am. I already have four library books that will probably last me till the end of the year...

WotF winner Sean Patrick Hazlett (2nd place, Q1, V.33 Adramelech) has an anthology coming out on Oct 6, 2020 called Weird World War III.

Several WotF alumni are included such as Martin Shoemaker, Eric James Stone, Marina J. Lostetter, and Brad R. Torgersen (among other authors).

You can learn more on the WotF podcast featuring Sean.

Posted by: @axeminister

WotF winner Sean Patrick Hazlett (2nd place, Q1, V.33 Adramelech) has an anthology coming out on Oct 6, 2020 called Weird World War III.

I haven't read this yet. Has anyone else? Based on these writers, it should be good.

I haven't managed to read much this year, but I visited a couple of big book shops in Oxford recently and couldn't resist leaving without a handful of short story anthologies...

I started with "New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Colour" and "Best of British Fantasy 2019." They're both excellent so far, although for one story I didn't notice a speculative element. I'll have to revisit.

While visiting a local Mom & Pop bookstore I found a copy titled The Fleet. When I read some of the names I absolutely had to buy it. 

Anne McCaffrey

Jody Lynn Nye

Margaret Weis

Poul Anderson, David Drake, Janet Morris, John Brunner, Bill Fawcett, Robert Sheckley, Steve Perry, E. Gary Cygax.

Each author contributed a story set in the same ongoing conflict against an alien race that thought humans tasted good enough to put on the menu.

What a find.