Showing titles in Short Stories

A lowly government clerk, Akay Akakiyevich, must scrimp and save to purchase a new coat for the cold Russian winter in “The Overcoat”. But after one night of basking in the warmth of his new coat and the respect of his colleagues, Akaky’s one-of-a-kind overcoat is stolen. In his pursuit of justice, Akaky receives no help and is consumed by the loss of his prized possession. In “The Viy”, Gogol recounts a popular folk story in which a monstrous creature, known to Little Russia as the king of gnomes, helps a witch get revenge on a young student who escaped from her trap.

From the “terrifyingly talented” (London Times) author of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG-IN THE NIGHT-TIME and THE PORPOISE, eight mesmerizingly imaginative, deeply-humane stories that use Greek myths and contemporary dystopian narratives to examine mortality, moral choices and the many variants of love.

The short fiction of Colum McCann documents a dizzying cast of characters in exile, loss, love, and displacement. There is the worn boxing champion who steals clothes from a New Orleans laundromat, the rumored survivor of Hiroshima who emigrates to the tranquil coast of Western Ireland, the Irishwoman who journeys through America in search of silence and solitude. But what is found in these stories, and discovered by these characters, is the astonishing poetry and peace found in the mundane: a memory, a scent on the wind, the grace in the curve of a street.

Wolff here returns with fresh revelations - about biding one's time, or experiencing first love, or burying one's mother - that come to a variety of characters in circumstances at once everyday and extraordinary. A retired Marine enrolls in college while her son trains for Iraq. A lawyer takes a difficult deposition. An American in Rome indulges the Gypsy who's picked his pocket.

Such a long life of killing has left plenty of dangerous enemies in its wake. An ancient witch coven, a jealous assassin, and even a demon lord all have old scores to settle. With one last contract to fulfill, Yrlissa hopes to be free from her past and her guild forever so she can disappear with her husband and young daughter. But the past doesn't forget so easily, and neither will a betrayed guild of magical assassins. Yrlissa's only concern is to keep her new family safe, but with enemies closing in on all sides, will they become a distraction she cannot afford?

After her latest life-altering wig switch, Janet slips into leather leggings, quits her job, goes full advance on her barista crush, and makes a career commitment to her bestie, Candace. The follow-through? Not pretty. With guilt and betrayal hanging over her head (not to mention that dangerous, if fetching, wig), Janet must comb out the mess she’s made. And there’s only one way to do it.

In ancient Greece, a skilled marble sculptor has been blessed by a goddess who has given his masterpiece—the most beautiful woman the town has ever seen—the gift of life. After marrying her, he expects Galatea to please him, to be obedience and humility personified. But she has desires of her own and yearns for independence. In a desperate bid by her obsessive husband to keep her under control, Galatea is locked away under the constant supervision of doctors and nurses. But with a daughter to rescue, she is determined to break free, whatever the cost.

Justice does not always come easily, and it comes in many guises. On the seedier side of London, a shopkeeper witnesses a brutal beating in “The Veteran” (read by Patrick Macnee). In a better neighborhood, a famous London auction house is scammed in “The Art of the Matter” (also read by Macnee).

All three volumes of It’s Scary Story Time, bundled into one massive, bone-chilling collection. These 65 tales, woven in a gripping true-story style, will haunt your nights and stalk your dreams!

Join your guide Travis Brown, one of Reddit’s most-upvoted NoSleep horror authors, for a tour of his most chilling tales. Visit different locations in 22 terrifying short stories. When you go looking for monsters, don’t be surprised when they look back.

Every novella by Ursula K. Le Guin, an icon in American literature, collected for the first time - and introduced by the legendary author - in one breathtaking volume. Ursula K. Le Guin has won multiple prizes and accolades, from the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters to the Newbery Honor, Nebula, Hugo, World Fantasy, and PEN/Malamud awards. She has had her work collected over the years but never as a complete retrospective of her longer works.

Untouched by Human Hands consists of 13 stories of beings who dwell on the strange borders of reality. Some of these stories tell of people you know or of events that might happen - but haven't yet. Some will take you to the furthermost reaches of the sky and to planets whose names are unknown this side of Arcturus. And some - perhaps the richest and most memorable of these stories - open into the interior of strange minds to reveal the reflection of ourselves.

With disparate settings such as a Massachusetts farmhouse and the strange volcanic clime of the Enchanted Isles, this six-story anthology features some of Herman Melville’s most exceptional works. Included here is “Bartleby,” the dark tale of a Wall Street clerk who possesses a confounding and disarmingly passive insubordination; and “Benito Cereno,” in which the captain of a whaler boards a tattered Spanish slave ship in South America only to be drawn into an intricately plotted mutiny.

Todos los fuegos el fuego (1966) ofrece ocho muestras rotundas de la plenitud creadora que alcanzan los cuentos de Cortázar. Desde la exasperada metáfora de las relaciones humanas que es "La autopista del sur" hasta la maestría de "El otro cielo", Cortázar vuelve a abrir nuevos caminos con relatos que son referencia obligada para sus lectores y para los amantes del cuento en general. Una fiesta de inteligencia, de pasión y genio.

From leaky pipes to an unconventional romance... Zack, a heartbroken programmer, has been living life on autopilot since his fiancée left him. When his kitchen sink springs a leak, he calls Karlson Plumbing and meets the dynamic duo, Faye and Raye Karlson. The sisters quickly fix the leaky sink, but Zack, drawn to their charm and expertise, finds excuses to keep them around as he discovers more plumbing issues in his old house. Through shared meals, late-night conversations, and plumbing emergencies, Zack forms a deep connection with both sisters that goes beyond friendship. Faye and Raye,...

Como el drama, el relato corto se ajusta al proyecto literario de Chéjov. La presente edición reproduce que la selección de los mejores cuentos que realizó el escritor estadounidense Richard Ford y se los ofrece al oyente hispanoparlante en una formidable traducción castellana.

Forty years ago, Herschel Ruggles, the most legendary player on the Mighty Johns football team at Draven University, disappeared after scoring a record-breaking touchdown. Instead of tossing the ball to the referee after his near-mythical athletic feat or celebrating with the nearly 25,000 spectators in the stands, Ruggles continued running, ball in hand, into a passageway that led deep underneath the field to the Mighty Johns’ locker room - and was never seen again.

Embark on an exhilarating journey into the vibrant worlds of S.E. Smith, where seven captivating series await your exploration. Each story offers a tantalizing glimpse into the lives of the unforgettable characters created by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author S.E. Smith, woven together in a rich tapestry of love, adventure, and magic. Don’t miss this captivating collection of short stories that will transport you to realms beyond imagination!

What does Drew Evans have to say next? Find out in this short story, filled with his sexy charm, unique advice, and hilarious one-liners. Marriage: The final frontier. Steven went first. He was kind of our test subject. Like those monkeys that NASA sent off into space in the '50s, all the while knowing they’d never make it back. And now another poor rocket is ready to launch. But this isn't just any posh New York wedding. You've seen my friends, you've met our families, you know you're in for a treat.

It had been a typical New Year's Eve party. But as midnight approaches, Mr. Satterthwaite - a keen observer of human nature - senses that the real drama of the evening is yet to unfold. And so it proves when a mysterious stranger knocks on the door. Who is this Mr. Quin? Mr. Satterthwaite's new friend is an enigma. He seems to appear and disappear almost like a trick of the light. In fact, the only consistent thing about him is that his presence is always an omen - sometimes good, but sometimes deadly....