Short Stories

Continuing a century-long tradition of cutting-edge literary excellence, this year's edition contains twenty prizewinning stories chosen from the thousands published in magazines over the previous year. Guest editor Lauren Groff has brought her own refreshing perspective to the prize, selecting stories by an engaging mix of celebrated names and emerging voices and including several stories in translation.

In these tales, Lord John vows to avenge a murder, investigates a terrifying "night-hag" on the battlefields of Europe, and discovers treason in His Majesty's ranks.

An old man wakes inside his comatose, completely nonresponsive body. According to his insurance company, in order to return to his life and family, he must pass a test. As if coming out of a coma weren’t enough of a challenge, our patient must also pass the Turing test, i.e., prove he’s human to an AI resuscitation machine. This satirical but heartfelt tale reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut and Ted Chiang asks the question: Can a person articulate the deepest truths he knows to be real?

After a fight with my boyfriend Mark, I still need to leave to speak at a conference. When I see my idol Dr. Eric Young, I can't help but forget about Mark and only have eyes for Dr. Young. He is just a little bit older than me, but he is incredibly good-looking in his tailored suit. Fit and dark and just a little mysterious. I never thought I would get close to him, but when he ends up in my hotel room by accident finding me in a rather compromising position I can not resist his charm or his offer to give me a hand and more. Much, much more.

The book consists of three stories. All of these stories show the problem of women. Women who live in different moods face different types of problems. Sex is the root of all problems. The heroines in all three stories are either murders or similar things. They have their own justifications for each story.

The life of actor, choreographer, and musician Columbus Short has been punctuated with trauma that extends well beyond the plot lines of his previous role on the hit series Scandal. Short has lived many lives packed into one - from a family filled with turmoil to tumultuous love affairs and enough scandals of his own. But somewhere in the middle, Short’s realization that there has to be a better way comes into full view.

A compilation of eleven stories reveals the character and temperament of Texans. In The Last Wolf In Travis County an aged veteran of WWI and WWII thinks wolves have returned to Travis County when his pet goats are attacked. His wife returns from Austin to discover her home in an uproar. In The Fishing Trip two older women venture a road trip to Lake Whitney where they tell stories while fishing and experience a thrilling encounter with a large snake and a big fish. In The Suitcase lives are changed when a young girl insists on buying a certain dilapidated suitcase against her mother’s ...

Edgar-award winning author Dana Stabenow is best known for her Kate Shugak novels, but the unifying protagonist of almost all her writing - be it crime, fantasy, horror, or science fiction - is Alaska. This genre-spanning collection of 16 short stories features familiar characters like Kate and Jim, Liam and Wy, and Bill and Moses, but also ranges farther afield than many listeners will expect.

No one could ask for a better present than a collection of Connie Willis Christmas tales. These are amazing stories, representing all the best of the Connie Willis experience: true Christmas gifts to her many fans. They are full of humor, absurdity, human foibles, tragedy, joy, and hope. They both send up and embrace many of the best Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas newsletter, Secret Santas, office parties, holiday pageants, and Christmas dinners (both elaborate and spare).

S.F. Namora is a literary periodical magazine focusing on genre-based short science fiction stories. Our aim is to satisfy your daily need of science fiction. Short stories are the perfect medium for science fiction. There's something about short-form sci-fi that has the potential to be especially mind-blowing. In just a few pages, the author must set up an entire new world (or a world that is just ever so slightly different than our own), and then deftly twist this new world into some kind of satisfying (or devastating) conclusion. It's no mean feat. Lucky for us, though, some of the ...

In a dry spell with the ladies, Matt finds himself fantasizing about all sorts of things that he never would have before – including getting intimate with men! Out on an annual camping trip with his gay best friend, the sex starved Matt decides to make a little proposition: his tight little straight behind for some experimental pounding – hard and completely raw! Satisfy your fantasy and get this raunchy short story now for FREE with Kindle Unlimited! And for a naughty preview of the book, make sure to Look Inside!

This collection of six exciting Western stories from early in Louis L’Amour’s career begins with “Fork Your Own Broncs”, in which Mac Marcy, who had saved for seven years to run his own small cattle ranch, sees his dream come true, only to have it threatened by Jingle Bob Kenyon. Also contains “Keep Travelin’, Rider”, “McQueen of the Tumbling K”, “Four Card Draw”, “Mistakes Can Kill You”, and “Showdown on the Tumbling T”.

From C. J. Box, the New York Times-bestselling author of the Joe Pickett novels, comes a thrilling book of suspense stories about the Wyoming he knows so well - and the dark deeds and impulses that can be found there. Over the course of eighteen books, C. J. Box has been consistently hailed for his brilliant storytelling and extraordinary skills at creating character, suspense, and a deep sense of place. All of those strengths are in the ten riveting stories - three of them never before published - that make up Shots Fired.

Bane County is an Ongoing Saga . . . Mystery, Suspense, an edge-of-your-seat Thriller with characters you’ll fall in love with. An old-school, heart-pounding, coming-of-age Horror series with 1,000s of 5-Star Reviews. A Bane County Short Story. This 8,000-word Novelette entitled “When Bane Flowers Bloom” takes place within the Bane County Universe. The timeline of the story is set during the third book of the series (First Moon), and it answers many questions and reveals new mysteries spanning all the way back to Book 1 (Forgotten Moon). Prepare yourself, for a twisting turning ...

In Romance: Quickies (Malia's Encounter - 9), Malia is introduced to the world of BDSM by a mysterious army ranger. He captivates her body and senses, but does he have a secret side that leads her into danger? Seven friends living in New York City. One unusual competition. Who can have the most intimate encounters in a month? Ten thousand dollars is on the line... Quickies are bite-sized steamy stories that follow a group of women living in New York City who compete to see who can have the most casual hookups in a month. Which woman will sleep with the most men to win the bet? Will any of ...

Ursula K. Le Guin has enthralled fans with her imagination, clarity, and moral vision. The recipient of numerous literary prizes, including the National Book Award, the Kafka Award, and five Hugo and five Nebula Awards, this renowned writer has created a provocative, ever-evolving universe filled with diverse worlds and rich characters reminiscent of our earthly selves. Now, in The Birthday of the World, this gifted artist returns to these worlds in eight brilliant short works, including a never-before-published novella, each of which probes the essence of humanity.

Two Epic Novels. Three Explosive Shorts. Unforgettable Universes. Prepare for a relentless onslaught of science fiction adventure in this must-have collection. Adventure across water covered planets and the dangerous void of space, follow heroes and rogues as they battle for survival, freedom, and the truth. This collection plunges you into: Underwater Worlds of Deceit: In Submerged, a racer framed for a crime uncovers a conspiracy that could shatter his aquatic world. Desperate Smuggler Run: The crew of the spaceship Sea Rover faces impossible odds in a heart-pounding fight for their lives...

In this romantic and comic story about class, language, and the art of reinvention, “Nebraska Jack" Rigel is about to quit his Latin studies program at the Vatican when he suddenly finds himself face-to-face with the mysterious and ethereal Angelina Amadio, the famous Angel of Rome. Hired to translate the romantic feelings of the unpredictable former TV detective Ronnie Tower, Jack must navigate these two forces of nature in a Rome of late night bars and fancy villas, as he searches for his own role to play.

After the loss of her mother, a woman returns to the San Fernando Valley only to uncover a haunting secret about her childhood friend. A visiting professor at a charming but strange California liberal arts college must face her past in order to protect her son. A sister, lost in the woods, confronts the dangerous truth about her brother, her stepmother, and herself. Rose's dog Wolfie has died, and three seductive women offer to help return him to her. But only if she will pay the price.

To kill people for a living, you have to be ruthless… After an old ally calls and asks for my help with a situation he’s having with some local thugs, I don’t hesitate to step in and help. But the information I discover makes me want to do more than just shut down the operation of a few low-life scum, it makes me want to shut them down. For good. But during my mission, I cross paths with a woman hell bent on revenge and realize I might have just found someone more ruthless than I am. She is certainly crazier. And beautiful. And dangerous in more ways than one. If I could open up and ...