Often we
discuss novels here at Enchanted Inkpot, so I thought we might take some space to talk about short
stories we love.
I confess the short
stories I like tend to be odd. One of my favorites is “Sweet Pippet” in Margo Lanagan’s Black
Juice. It’s a love story, told
from the perspective of elephants. I adore the way Lanagan explains almost
nothing. We simply have to puzzle out whom the elephants love and why.
Another of my favorite collections
is Kelly Link’s Pretty Monsters. Like Black Juice, this collection has odd stories, some surreal and
some strange. “The Wrong Grave”, about a guy who decides to dig up poems he left in his girlfriend's grave, is funny in a dark, sad
way. The collection also includes traditional tales with a twist, like “The
Wizards of Perfil”, which features wizards, a tower, and lost children.
Steampunk! – edited by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant is a
wonderful anthology that includes steampunk stories by Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, and M.T. Anderson, among others. If
you’ve liked novels by these authors, you might enjoy their short stories.
When I'm looking for great fantasy stories, short and long, I frequently visit Endicott Studio's "Mythic Fiction for Young Adults" to see what's listed there. For short story collection recommendations, check out the 4th paragraph.
Also, some recommendations from other Inkies:
William Alexander recommends Holly Black’s collection, The
Poison Eaters. In a review for
Magers and Quinn Booksellers (you can read the full review here), he says: “It's like very strong espresso, delicious to sip but
powerful enough to keep you up all night wishing you could breathe comfortably
with blankets pulled over your head.”
Leah Cypress wants to announce
that she has short stories with YA appeal forthcoming and available, in the
anthologies Sword and Sorceress 27 and Two and Twenty Dark Tales, as well as her own free collection Changelings
and Other Stories.
Take a look at her website for more information on these.
Amy Butler Greenfield says: "I don’t often read short stories, but I really enjoyed Willful Impropriety: 13 Tales of Society, Scandal and Romance (ed. Ekaterina Sedia). Almost all the stories have a strong historical fantasy element; some are painful; many are funny. Taken together they’re a fascinating and thought-provoking look at social norms and 'improper' behavior, with a bit of magic thrown in for good measure."
Amy Butler Greenfield says: "I don’t often read short stories, but I really enjoyed Willful Impropriety: 13 Tales of Society, Scandal and Romance (ed. Ekaterina Sedia). Almost all the stories have a strong historical fantasy element; some are painful; many are funny. Taken together they’re a fascinating and thought-provoking look at social norms and 'improper' behavior, with a bit of magic thrown in for good measure."
Dawn Metcalf recommends the Bordertown short stories,
including the latest collection edited by Ellen Kushner and Holly Black. Dawn says, “These were the first
stories I read as a teen that blended fantasy and technology on the border
where our world and Faeland met along the Mad River; where bookstores came with
magic locks, elves jonesed for a cup of coffee, and people rode motorcycles
powered by spellboxes that (sometimes) worked. It was magic remade all over
again and I loved it!”
