Favorite Short Fiction
- List of the Month
- February 2022 (see all)
- Description
- In honor of February's status as the shortest month of the year, our List of the Month is devoted to Favorite Short Fiction, which can include: individual short stories, anthologies (multiple authors), short story collections (single author), or novellas (100 pages or less). If members are listing one specific story, contained in a larger collection but not published separately, and not available as a separate work page on LibraryThing, the collection can be added, and the specific story can be indicated in the Explanations field. Please only downvote titles if the book does not fit the theme.
1
by Ted Chiang
5,127 members
233 reviews
4.2
Score 34.84
Added 2022-02-09, 12:57 PM
- 10 Members
- lorax, karenb, anglemark, charl08, KatyBee, johnlrice, timetunnel, ManWithAnAgenda, SDanielson, sqr3cls3
2
12,132 members
268 reviews
4.1
Score 29
Added 2022-02-11, 07:11 PM
- 9 Members
- charl08, terran, CarltonC, ahef1963, steller0707, sqr3cls3, Tosta, monicamargolis, -Pia-,Tess_W
- Explanations
- Tess_W : It is 208 pages in length.sqr3cls3: Is it possible to remove a thumbs down given for a misunderstanding? This is a collection of short stories, not one of her novels, so page numbers shouldn't apply.
3
- 8 Members
- rosalita, Tess_W, ahef1963, AbigailAdams26, dianeham, jkonecki, steller0707, Sofyyyy21
- Explanations
- AbigailAdams26: Just a lovely holiday tale, about love and the true nature of giving and receiving gifts.
5
15,736 members
251 reviews
4.1
Score 22.1
Added 2022-02-10, 03:43 PM
6
4,077 members
98 reviews
4.1
Score 21.66
Added 2022-02-08, 04:51 PM
- 6 Members
- rosalita, mstrust, sturlington, steller0707, MarianBengal, Sofyyyy21
- Explanations
- sturlington: I decided to list those stories that have remained with me all my life, in this case, the title story.
7
3,824 members
185 reviews
4
Score 20.23
Added 2022-02-09, 02:42 PM
- 6 Members
- madhatter22, KatyBee, johnlrice, dianeham, Radtosan, steller0707
8
5,534 members
149 reviews
4
Score 19.48
Added 2022-02-09, 03:43 PM
9
- 6 Members
- terran, elenchus, souloftherose, KatyBee, Brandy1411, MarianBengal
- Explanations
- elenchus: Each of the first 4 novellas in the Murderbot Diaries describes a self-contained story arc, and they're great fun, but it's the overarching discovery of SecUnit that compels me to read the next installment.
11
- 5 Members
- hipdeep, sturlington, madhatter22, tina1969, sdkennedy
- Explanations
- sturlington: I think this collection represents the epitome of King's short stories, a great mix of weird, trippy, scary, moody, and wtf.
12
15
5,944 members
120 reviews
3.8
Score 12.77
Added 2022-02-08, 07:42 PM
- 4 Members
- hipdeep, CarltonC, elenchus, ManWithAnAgenda
- Explanations
- elenchus: One of the original examples of linked stories in my reading life, and still a favourite.
16
1,449 members
50 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 12.6
Added 2022-02-11, 10:08 AM
- 4 Members
- Euryale, rarm, johnlrice, ManWithAnAgenda
17
395 members
4 reviews
4
Score 11.54
Added 2022-02-11, 11:06 AM
- 4 Members
- Euryale, rarm, Heather39, MarianBengal
18
2,877 members
99 reviews
3.9
Score 11.36
Added 2022-02-08, 03:35 PM
- 3 Members
- mstrust, AbigailAdams26, -Pia-
- Explanations
- AbigailAdams26: A story that makes me both weep and laugh.
20
2,628 members
121 reviews
3.8
Score 9.5
Added 2022-02-09, 08:37 AM
21
4,191 members
130 reviews
3.9
Score 9.02
Added 2022-02-09, 12:10 PM
23
2,368 members
31 reviews
3.9
Score 8.54
Added 2022-02-10, 07:37 PM
- 3 Members
- lorax, ManWithAnAgenda, MarianBengal
25
by Lucia Berlin
1,767 members
60 reviews
4.2
Score 8.03
Added 2022-02-09, 08:39 AM
- 3 Members
- charl08, Capybara_99, vwinsloe
27
28
388 members
½ 3.5
Score 8
Added 2022-02-08, 08:24 PM
31
by Tim O'Brien
14,395 members
393 reviews
4.2
Score 7.04
Added 2022-02-09, 09:40 AM
- 2 Members
- susanbooks, Tess_W
- Explanations
- Tess_W: Favorites: On the Rainy River and The Lives of the Dead
32
by Miranda July
3,059 members
94 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 7.04
Added 2022-02-09, 06:08 PM
- 2 Members
- EerierIdyllMeme, -Pia-
34
828 members
21 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 7.04
Added 2022-02-08, 04:43 PM
35
by Alice Munro
121 members
3 reviews
4.1
Score 7.04
Added 2022-02-23, 10:31 PM
- 2 Members
- cornerhouse, c_why
36
by Jacob Grimm
14,451 members
111 reviews
4.2
Score 6.91
Added 2022-02-08, 03:44 PM
- 3 Members
- mstrust, merrystar, AbigailAdams26,
- Explanations
- AbigailAdams26: I have loved fairy-tales since I was a young girl, and have read the complete Grimm many times through.
43
by Jean Giono
1,804 members
45 reviews
4.1
Score 6.73
Added 2022-02-09, 09:07 AM
- 2 Members
- EMS_24, perennialreader
- Explanations
- perennialreader: You can change your part of the world with a simple but repeated action.
44
45
511 members
16 reviews
4.1
Score 6.68
Added 2022-02-23, 06:04 PM
- 2 Members
- cornerhouse, Morphidae
- Explanations
- Morphidae: When I picked this collection up, I wasn't expecting much. I had read one other book by Butler, Kindred, and thought it was "okay." Then I was blown away by these stories. I don't know if it was the mood I was in or if they really were that good - ever been too afraid to reread something because you're afraid it wasn't as good as you thought it was? Yeah, that's me. However, it's been seven years. It's time...
46
48
by Tom Hanks
1,996 members
95 reviews
½ 3.5
Score 6.19
Added 2022-02-09, 04:09 AM
- 2 Members
- msjudy, TheReadingReindeer
- Explanations
- TheReadingReindeer: Collection of short stories on various themes, but all including a typewriter.
49
50
- 2 Members
- AbigailAdams26, dianeham
- Explanations
- AbigailAdams26: Specific story: "Wilderness Tips." A haunting tale I have never forgotten.
51
964 members
28 reviews
4
Score 6.04
Added 2022-02-27, 11:15 AM
52
511 members
6 reviews
4.1
Score 6.04
Added 2022-02-09, 09:08 PM
- 2 Members
- madhatter22, loulourevisited
53
- 2 Members
- brewergirl, sturlington
- Explanations
- sturlington: An altogether wonderful collection of haunting and melancholy stories. An elegy for the world.
54
by Ron Rash
273 members
12 reviews
4.1
Score 5.87
Added 2022-02-08, 10:19 PM
- 2 Members
- mrswebster, sqr3cls3
55
56
1,474 members
34 reviews
3.9
Score 5.71
Added 2022-02-10, 03:42 PM
57
241 members
23 reviews
4.2
Score 5.71
Added 2022-02-09, 09:51 PM
- 2 Members
- Aquila, paradoxosalpha
- Explanations
- paradoxosalpha: Imaginative tales featuring moral dilemmas of characters in transformed worlds, along with rich veins of emotion.
58
59
3,643 members
93 reviews
4
Score 5.66
Added 2022-02-08, 07:42 PM
- 2 Members
- brewergirl, elenchus
- Explanations
- elenchus: It's not commonly remarked, but this collection is linked by a character (The Tall Man in the Blue Suit) who mostly stays in the wings, if he appears in the story at all. But the original collection was subtitled, "Or, The Adventures of James Harris". Following the thread of this suit through the stories adds another dimension to each tale.
60
67
76
407 members
5 reviews
3.9
Score 4
Added 2022-02-08, 07:45 PM
81
by Mark Haddon
327 members
16 reviews
4.1
Score 4
Added 2022-02-09, 04:23 AM
- Member
- TheReadingReindeer
- Explanations
- TheReadingReindeer: I really enjoyed this collection of short stories and found them well written.
84
199 members
4 reviews
½ 4.5
Score 4
Added 2022-02-09, 09:39 PM
- Member
- paradoxosalpha
- Explanations
- paradoxosalpha: The best short fiction by a master of lapidary dark fantasy
87
105 members
1 review
½ 4.4
Score 4
Added 2022-02-09, 08:58 AM
- Member
- perennialreader
- Explanations
- perennialreader: These protagonists are, for the most part, outsiders looking in at more traditional families and their celebrations. My favorite is Silver Packages.
96
6 members
Score 4
Added 2022-02-08, 07:00 PM
- Member
- tardis
- Explanations
- tardis: On Spec is a fine magazine of short (and mostly Canadian) spec fic, poetry, etc. This collection contains some of my favourite stories, including the eponymous Casserole Diplomacy. Full disclosure: I was art director for them for 5 years and the eds are all good friends.
97
