Short Story Compilations

Hi, I'd love to have some recommendations for good compilations of short stories. I'm not looking for your works on Wattpad or your friends stories, that's what the Share Your Story or Undiscovered Gems clubs are for. What I'd really like is recommendations for books that I could read via Kindle or in good old fashioned paperback.

My favourite short story writers are Arthur C Clarke, Larry Niven and Neil Gaiman, but some new recommendations on what people think are great short story writers in any genre are very much welcomed. Thanks in advance, Gav

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My favorite collection lately is Interpreter of Maladies by Jumpha Lahiri... They are literary fiction, no sci-fi elements, but excellently written.

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@RuthMadison - woo hoo, a reply! =]

Sounds like an interesting collection, I'll have to add that to the reading list. The whole reason I started on here was due to reading a collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman, for some reason it really sparked me into action, I guess I was just wondering if anyone else actually liked short story collections and whether they'd had a similar effect on anyone else. Thanks for replying, I was beginning to feel a little lonely. Cheers, Gav

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i like Anne Cassidy not all of her strories are short but still she is awesome so yh read [insert hypnotic eyes here] ^ ^x @TheOrangutan

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@Dreaming_of_tomorrow - what sort of genre does she write in?

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@TheOrangutan mystery suspense... i think...

she wrote looking for jj which was an amazing book ^ ^x

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@Dreaming_of_tomorrow - will have to check that out, thanks for the recommendation. Cheers, Gav

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@TheOrangutan Anytime ^ ^x

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@TheOrangutan

I'm not sure rather your still looking for short stories being as its been a month..... lol but Stephen King's Short Stories are really really good. Some of my favorites is Big Driver, Fair Extension and A Good Marriage.

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@IsadoraFier - I'm always looking for stuff to read =] I've read some of his shorts, but need to read more, thanks for reminding me.

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@TheOrangutan

No problem. I love his work. lol

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Have you read Robert Sheckley or Isaac Asimov? I also like Ray Bradbury, he has hundreds of short stories, both sci-fi and plain old fiction - depending on what you're into. I personally enjoy both :)

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@NucDraconian - I've read a fair bit of Asimov and Bradbury, but Sheckley's a new one on me. Is he SF or a bit of all sorts?

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@TheOrangutan Sheckley is mostly SciFi I belive, at least everything that I read so far. If you're the adventurous type I would also highly recommend Kir Bulychev, if you can find his short stories in English. His stories combine SciFi and humour and are very easy to read. If you're interested Wikipedia has an article with all titles and more info, or just ask :)

If you're not into SciFi, I imagine you've read O. Henry?

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@NucDraconian - can't say I've read O Henry either. Thanks for the recommendations. Sheckley sounds like a good one to add to my reading list. I do like a good SF.

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@TheOrangutan Hmm, I bet you probably have read Dave Sharrock/gr8oldgrumpy's works, but the short story writer I really like outside of WP would have to be Richard Matheson. I picked up the novel of I Am Legend after seeing the movie, and he has some thought provoking short stories. I also recommend Ray Bradbury.

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@GrandmasterSuz98 - aye I've read some of David's work, he's a good writer. I've read I am Legend, but must admit I hadn't twigged that RM had written any short stuff, that's a grand recommendation, thank you. I've read some Bradbury too, another author I need to read more of though. Thanks for the comment =]

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Look for HP Lovecraft, Ambrose Bierce and Algernon Blackwood, they have some great horror collections, and a lot can be found for free!

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@MatthewBiel - I've read bit of Lovecraft and thoroughly enjoyed it, not tried the other two though. Thanks for the recommendations =]

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@TheOrangutan Sure, no problem. I think Bierce is personally my favorite, and I've seen Algernon Blackwwod's "The Willows" at the top of Scariest Stories of All Time Lists, as well as "The Wendigo". Also, William Hope Hodgson and MR James.

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@MatthewBiel - sounds good to me =]

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@TheOrangutan Charles de Lint One of my biggest inspirations. I adore his works. I also adore Neil Gaiman (who doesn't?) and put them in the same category of adoration.

Dreams Underfoot and The Ivory and the Horn

Those two books were a massive inspiration to me, and made me want to write. Those short stories sold me on the idea that short stories were the way to go. He has received many awards, including the 2000 World Fantasy Award for Best Collection for Moonlight and Vines, another set of shorts.

You can get all three of those compilations by finding The Newford Stories

Granted, I am a massive massive fan, but from reading your works, I think you'd enjoy him as well.

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@dreamingthought - aye, I'm a huge Gaiman fan. Not read any de Lint though, will have to check him out and thanks for the suggestion. Gaiman was the reason I started doing shorts. =]

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@TheOrangutan XD I do believe I've suggested him to you before.

I should read more Gaiman, though. hm. Yes, I do believe we've had almost this exact same conversation before.

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@dreamingthought - I suspect we may have done. However this is one of the benefits of having a poor memory, every conversation is new to me =]

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