Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 22

Thread: Modern American Short Stories

  1. #1
    Registered User Sveta's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Russia
    Posts
    2

    Question Modern American Short Stories

    Hello!
    I have never read modern American short stories. And I do not know any modern American writer also. Please, could you recommend me any short story by a modern American writer which is worth to be read?
    Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    The Poetic Warrior Dark Muse's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Within the winds
    Posts
    8,905
    Blog Entries
    964
    Stephen King writes a lot of short stories.

    I think one of his best is the Apt Pupil

    That is the only modern author who I know off the top of my head that I have read any short stories from.

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    50
    okokok
    Last edited by ClickForth; 10-31-2008 at 05:23 PM.

  4. #4
    How modern do you want your short stories? Flannery O'Connor and JD Salinger aren't strictly contemporary, but they wrote some brilliant stuff.

  5. #5
    Registered User mmanuelap's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Brazil
    Posts
    132
    Stephen King is quite amazing..
    but this journey, I believe, will lead me to bottomless seas

  6. #6
    Papel-CRAZE! Tersely's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Maryland,USA
    Posts
    145
    Quote Originally Posted by Dark Muse View Post
    Stephen King writes a lot of short stories.

    I think one of his best is the Apt Pupil
    I looove that one. I didnt think it would end how it did.
    If you ever get his book 'Everythings Eventual' Theres a good story called The Man in the Black Suit. There's actually several good stories in there.
    I'd recommend King as a modern writer...I dont really know of any others.

  7. #7
    The Poetic Warrior Dark Muse's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Within the winds
    Posts
    8,905
    Blog Entries
    964
    I enjoy his writing, but in some ways I have a sort of love hate relationship with him, and his short stories for me can be hit and miss, but overall I think he is a really good writer, and I love reading him.

    I have not read Everything is Eventural yet.

    So far I have read, short story wise

    The Night Shift

    Different Seasons

    The Skelenton Crew

    And so not to confuse anyone, those are the names of books which contain several short stories.

    Shawshank Redemption is another excellent short story by Stephen King

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe

  8. #8
    Registered User Sveta's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Russia
    Posts
    2
    Thanks a lot. I'll try to find the books you've mentioned.

    Quote Originally Posted by annakarina View Post
    How modern do you want your short stories? Flannery O'Connor and JD Salinger aren't strictly contemporary, but they wrote some brilliant stuff.
    Oh, I've read some and they are pretty good. It's a pity but in my case I need some stories of last twenty years.

  9. #9
    tea-timing book queen bouquin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    France
    Posts
    1,772
    Try T.C. Boyle. I think his short stories are awesome.

  10. #10
    Tu le connais, lecteur... Kafka's Crow's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    ...the timekept City
    Posts
    847
    Blog Entries
    2
    Joyce Carol Oats writes good short stories.
    "The farther he goes the more good it does me. I don’t want philosophies, tracts, dogmas, creeds, ways out, truths, answers, nothing from the bargain basement. He is the most courageous, remorseless writer going and the more he grinds my nose in the sh1t the more I am grateful to him..."
    -- Harold Pinter on Samuel Beckett

  11. #11
    Registered User Kent Edwins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    N.J.
    Posts
    80
    I like Tobias Wolff alot. This is a story from his compilation "In the Garden of North American Matyrs". It's a dreary setting where reality is obscured by the elements and the characters cease to realize their common humanity. Enjoy "Hunters in the Snow".

    http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/huntsnow.html

  12. #12
    Registered User aeroport's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    2,055
    I was kinda getting into Philip Roth's stories recently. You might give "The Conversion of the Jews" a shot.
    People seem to have mixed feelings about the fiction that is published in The New Yorker, but I've never found it to be bad, so you might give that a shot as well.

  13. #13
    Sometimes.. Igetanotion's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    38
    Quote Originally Posted by Jamesian View Post
    I was kinda getting into Philip Roth's stories recently. You might give "The Conversion of the Jews" a shot.
    People seem to have mixed feelings about the fiction that is published in The New Yorker, but I've never found it to be bad, so you might give that a shot as well.
    OOOOOOHHHH I JUST finished Roth's "The Dying Animal" I really enjoyed it!

    I'd totally try Roth again, he is very interesting to say the least! (At least the Dying Animal was interesting lol)
    "What makes people so impatient is what I can't figure; all the guy had to do was wait."- Cheif, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

  14. #14
    Registered User HotKarl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    60
    Quote Originally Posted by bouquin View Post
    Try T.C. Boyle. I think his short stories are awesome.
    I second Bouquin's recommendation. T.C. Boyle's short fiction is phenomenal.

  15. #15
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    584
    Michael Chabon is a great short story writer (and novelist, too). His collection, A Model World, is pretty hard to beat.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Literature Network Annual Short Story Competition 2007!
    By Scheherazade in forum 2007 Contest Archive
    Replies: 33
    Last Post: 09-09-2007, 09:33 AM
  2. More Mark Twain Short Stories
    By Vronaqueen in forum Book & Author Requests
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 10-23-2003, 03:37 PM
  3. John Galsworthy - Short stories
    By alvinbunk in forum Book & Author Requests
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 04-25-2002, 03:42 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •