Thoughts & Things

Six Classic Short Stories Worth Your Time

As I have been reading a lot more short stories lately, I thought I might share a few of my favourites. These are ones I have recently, as well as ones that are long standing favourites. I avoided including duplicate writers, so some of these stories are authored by folks who have written other excellent short and long fiction as well. I have defined short story in this instance as anything under one hundred pages, and classic as anything prior to 1960. I would also say that I genuinely believe that any writer of short fiction owes it to themselves to read these at least once.

1. The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
This is one of the short stories that made me realise I liked short stories. I first read it when I was only about thirteen or fourteen, and I loved it right away. It has the perfect amount of creepiness, and the symbolism was excellent. Anyone looking to try Poe's work, should try this early on.

2. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
This is one that I actually read in 2016, but I regret not reading it sooner. It's a perfect example of German expressionism, but it also makes excellent use of symbolism in general. The story is fascinating, and the pacing is worth studying.

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
For those who have seen the film with Brad Pitt: forget the film. The film is nothing compared to the short story. For something that span's a man's entire life in a very short amount of space, it is well paced. The humour and emotion here is hard to beat. This is easily one of the highlights of American 20th century classic literature for me, short story or otherwise.

4. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Like the above, this is one of the highlights of 20th century American classic literature for me. The creepy suspense builds up perfectly. Although everything appears idyllic at the beginning, you get the sense that something is wrong early on. Despite this, one is almost afraid to make guesses, even as the reality unfolds. This is well worth a read for anyone looking to learn the best ways to create suspense in a short work.

5. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Exploring mental health issues, and issues of how patients of such issues are treated, this creepy tale of a woman's descent into madness and the wallpaper was ahead of its time. Well thought out and well paced, this story makes a point, but ultimately is an eerie and enthralling read regardless of anything else.

6. Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl
Lamb to the Slaughter is a brilliant piece of work from Roald Dahl. Another dark piece (I have morbid tastes in my short fiction it would seem), it presents a story of the classic perfect crime that television dramas would continue to be inspired by for decades. It is one I first read for school in the ninth grade, but that's because it is one that any writer could stand to learn from, and because (even decades after its release) it still doesn't fail to send shivers down even the most desensitized spines.