A collection of the year's best short stories, selected by celebrated bestselling author Lauren Groff, author of Matrix and The Vaster Wilds, and series editor Heidi Pitlor.

There have never been as many exquisitely built stories in existence than there are now, proclaims guest editor Lauren Groff in her introduction. This abundance led to a volume of robust stories with the nerve to push against narrative expectations. The Best American Short Stories 2024 boasts a collection of twenty stories that buzz with their own strange logic. A man becomes a tourist in his own hometown. An unemployed jeweler sails in an antique slave ship. A therapist decides to call an ex-patient years after their last session. Daring and resonant, the stories in this volume invite in Groff a feeling that both the author and I were simultaneously discovering something together.

The Best American Short Stories 2024 includes JAMEL BRINKLEY - ALEXANDRA CHANG - LAURIE COLWIN - MOLLY DEKTAR - TAISIA KITAISKAIA - DANIEL MASON - JIM SHEPARD - AZAREEN VAN DER VLIET OLOOMI - PAUL YOON - and others

The prestigious annual story anthology, featuring prize-winning stories by Kate DiCamillo, Jess Walter, Dave Eggers, Allegra Goodman, Jai Chakrabarti, Francisco Gonzalez, and more.

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 Amor Towles has brought his own refreshing perspective to the prize, selecting stories by an engaging mix of celebrated names and emerging voices. The winning stories are accompanied by an introduction by Towles, observations from the winning writers on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines that publish short fiction.

THE WINNING STORIES

Roy, Emma Binder
The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz, Michele Mari (translated from the Italian by Brian Robert Moore)
Orphans, Brad Felver
The Home Visit, Morris Collins
The Import, Jai Chakrabarti
Didi, Amber Caron
Serranos, Francisco González
Hiding Spot, Caroline Kim
Junior, Katherine D. Stutzman
My Good Friend, Juliana Leite (translated from the Portuguese by Zoë Perry)
The Castle of Rose Tellin, Kate DiCamillo
Rain, Colin Barrett
Marital Problems, Robin Romm
The Last Grownup, Allegra Goodman
The Honor of Your Presence, Dave Eggers
The Paper Artist, E. K. Ota
The Room-Service Waiter, Tom Crewe
Seeing Through Maps, Madeline ffitch
The Dark, Jess Walter
Mobilization, Allegra Hyde

There is simply no A-Z like the alphabet of fiction writers who have appeared in the pages of The New Yorker in the last hundred years. The book boasts inarguable classics like Salinger's A Perfect Day for Bananafish, Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain, and Shirley Jackson's The Lottery alongside stunners to be rediscovered. Some stories defined a moment or a now-lost world (Isaac Bashevis Singer's The Cafeteria); others showed us a whole new way fiction could sound and feel (The Red Girl, by Jamaica Kincaid).

With this vivid selection, Treisman showcases how our fiction has changed over time, and reminds us that past literary fashions continue to ripple outward in the fiction we love today. What does a Donald Barthelme mean to the craft of short fiction now? What will a Yiyun Li mean to the next generation of readers and writers? This exquisite tour of the form as practiced at its highest level will leap directly into the hearts of readers of all ages, all stripes, and is a beautiful tribute to the magazine's influence on our literary culture over the last century.

An anthology more than half a century in the making, The Last Dangerous Visions is the third and final installment of the legendary science fiction anthology series.

In 1973 celebrated writer and editor Harlan Ellison announced the third and final volume of his unprecedented anthology series, which began with Dangerous Visions and continued with Again, Dangerous Visions. But for reasons undisclosed, The Last Dangerous Visions was never completed.

Now, six years after Ellison's passing, science fiction's most famous unpublished book is here. And with it, the heartbreaking true story of the troubled genius behind it.

Provocative and controversial, socially conscious and politically charged, wildly imaginative yet deeply grounded, the thirty-two never-before-published stories, essays, and poems in The Last Dangerous Visions stand as a testament to Ellison's lifelong pursuit of art, uniting a diverse range of science fiction writers both famous and newly minted, including Max Brooks, Edward Bryant, Cecil Castellucci, James S. A. Corey, Howard Fast, P. C. Hodgell, Dan Simmons, Robert Sheckley, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Mildred Downey Broxon, and Cory Doctorow, among others.

The historic publication of The Last Dangerous Visions completes the long-awaited final chapter in an incredible literary legacy.

An anthology more than half a century in the making, The Last Dangerous Visions is the third and final installment of the legendary science fiction anthology series.

In 1973 celebrated writer and editor Harlan Ellison announced the third and final volume of his unprecedented anthology series, which began with Dangerous Visions and continued with Again, Dangerous Visions. But for reasons undisclosed, The Last Dangerous Visions was never completed.

Now, six years after Ellison's passing, science fiction's most famous unpublished book is here. And with it, the heartbreaking true story of the troubled genius behind it.

Provocative and controversial, socially conscious and politically charged, wildly imaginative yet deeply grounded, the thirty-two never-before-published stories, essays, and poems in The Last Dangerous Visions stand as a testament to Ellison's lifelong pursuit of art, uniting a diverse range of science fiction writers both famous and newly minted, including Max Brooks, Edward Bryant, Cecil Castellucci, James S. A. Corey, Howard Fast, P. C. Hodgell, Dan Simmons, Robert Sheckley, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Mildred Downey Broxon, and Cory Doctorow, among others.

The historic publication of The Last Dangerous Visions completes the long-awaited final chapter in an incredible literary legacy.

SLUTS, the first publication from vulgarian queer publisher DOPAMINE BOOKS, is an exploration of what it means to be sexually promiscuous in contemporary American culture. Featuring personal essays, spilled secrets, fiction, memoir, and experimental works, SLUTS asks writers and readers to investigate the many ways the notion of the slut impacts our inner and outer lives, as a threat or an identity, a punishment or an aspiration, a lifestyle, an aesthetic, a philosophy and rallying cry. From hideous and terrifying first encounters to postapocalyptic polyamory, from unionizing sex workers to backstage tableaux of sex and drugs and rock and roll, SLUTS's stories probe the liberating highs and abject lows of physical abandon. Featuring work from performer Miguel Gutierrez, hailed by the New York Times as an artist of ordered excess; former Nylon magazine editor in chief Gabrielle Korn; award-winning author Brontez Purnell; Whore of New York author Liara Roux; National Book Critics Circle Award winner Jeremy Atherton Lin; and a host of additional artists and writers, SLUTS reveals the knowledges provoked by a dalliance with desire.

Contributors
DL Alvarez, Vera Blossom, Chloe Caldwell, Cristy Road Carrera, Sam Cohen, Tom Cole, Lydia Conklin, jimmy cooper, Lyn Corelle, Jenny Fran Davis, Cyrus Dunham, Hedi El Kholti, Robert Gluck, Miguel Gutierrez, Gary Indiana, Taleen Kali, Cheryl Klein, Gabrielle Korn, Jeremy Atherton Lin, Nate Lippens, Meredith Maran, Carta Monir, Amanda Montell, Carely Moore, Bradford Nordeen, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, Kamala Puligandla, Brontez Purnell, Liara Roux, Andrea Sands, Daviel Shy, Jen Silverman, Anna Joy Springer, Laurie Stone, McKenzie Wark, Zoe Whittall

This is a collection of 105 flash fiction stories published in Ghost Parachute magazine. Ghost Parachute seeks to publish flash fiction that is unapologetically bold. We wish to lose ourselves in fresh and vibrant imagery. We want to read what we've always known but were too afraid to say. We want to read a story unlike any other story we've read before. It's easy to view the world in black and white, so Ghost Parachute paints a streak of gray. Great stories don't ride the popular, easy narrative, and great characters are often impossible to love yet we love them anyway. We aim to unleash the spider behind the rose and dance in the surreal.

Kink is a groundbreaking anthology of literary short fiction exploring love and desire, BDSM, and interests across the sexual spectrum, edited by lauded writers R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell, and featuring a roster of all-star contributors including Alexander Chee, Roxane Gay, Carmen Maria Machado, and more.

A Most-Anticipated book of 2021 as selected by * Marie Claire * O, The Oprah Magazine * Cosmopolitan * Time * The Millions * The Advocate * Autostraddle * Refinery29 * Shape * Town & Country * Book Riot * Literary Hub *

Kink is a dynamic anthology of literary fiction that opens an imaginative door into the world of desire. The stories within this collection portray love, desire, BDSM, and sexual kinks in all their glory with a bold new vision. The collection includes works by renowned fiction writers such as Callum Angus, Alexander Chee, Vanessa Clark, Melissa Febos, Kim Fu, Roxane Gay, Cara Hoffman, Zeyn Joukhadar, Chris Kraus, Carmen Maria Machado, Peter Mountford, Larissa Pham, and Brandon Taylor, with Garth Greenwell and R.O. Kwon as editors.

The stories within explore bondage, power-play, and submissive-dominant relationships; we are taken to private estates, therapists' offices, underground sex clubs, and even a sex theater in early-20th century Paris. While there are whips and chains, sure, the true power of these stories lies in their beautiful, moving dispatches from across the sexual spectrum of interest and desires, as portrayed by some of today's most exciting writers.

It's 1980 and you have three crisp dollar bills in your pocket. You run to the drugstore, or maybe the supermarket, because you know THE RACK will be there, waiting... that black wire rack, tempting you with the latest and best horror paperbacks and their lurid covers.

You spin it slowly, ignoring the grating squeaks that try to warn you of the dangers THE RACK holds. You shiver as you take in the glossy covers: gothic mansions cloaked in fog, bulging eyes on blood-soaked faces, and all the creepy dolls you could ever wish for. You weigh the possibilities, pondering which nightmare to select, the vengeful vampire, the werewolf, demonic children, or perhaps parasitic insects? It doesn't matter because THE RACK will beckon to you long after the last page is turned. THE RACK always contains new tales of terror by today's masters of horror. And THE RACK is never done with you.

The twenty stories you're holding are throwbacks to those golden years of horror, presented to you by today's brightest stars in the genre. Giant spiders, haunted books, swarms of cicadas, killer bears, chemical spills, and so many more chronicles of carnage and camp await you. And did we mention the creepy dolls?

So go ahead...spin THE RACK, if you dare.

But don't say we didn't warn you.

Featuring stories by:

Max Booth III

Christa Carmen

Clay McLeod Chapman

Richard Chizmar

Johnny Compton

Kristin Dearborn

Philip Fracassi

Laurel Hightower

Larry Hinkle

Stephen King

Gwendolyn Kiste

Ronald Malfi

Bridgett Nelson

Candace Nola

Errick Nunnally

Cynthia Pelayo

Rebecca Rowland

Jeff Strand

Steve Van Samson

Mercedes Yardley

The winter solstice is celebrated as a time of joy around the world--yet the long winter nights also summon a darker tradition of ghouls, ghost tales, and horror. This anthology of all-new stories invites you to huddle around the fire and revel in the unholy, the dangerous, the horrific aspects of a time when families and friends come together--for better and for worse.

From the terrifying Austrian Schnabelperchten to the skeletal Welsh Mari Lwyd, by way of ravenous golems, uncanny neighbors, and unwelcome visitors, Christmas and Other Horrors captures the heart and horror of the winter season.

Because the weather outside is frightful, but the fire inside is hungry...

Featuring stories from:

Nadia Bulkin
Terry Dowling
Tananarive Due
Jeffrey Ford
Christopher Golden
Stephen Graham Jones
Glen Hirshberg
Richard Kadrey
Alma Katsu
Cassandra Khaw
John Langan
Josh Malerman
Nick Mamatas
Garth Nix
Benjamin Percy
M. Rickert
Kaaron Warren

This extraordinary anthology brings together the finest works of storytelling from across the globe, showcasing the remarkable talents of renowned authors and emerging voices alike.

From the enchanting tales of love and loss to the gripping narratives of mystery and adventure, this collection spans genres and cultures, offering readers a kaleidoscope of emotions and experiences. Each story is a carefully crafted masterpiece, designed to transport you to different times, places, and states of mind.

Indulge in these short yet powerful narratives that have the ability to inspire, entertain, and resonate with readers of all backgrounds. With every turn of the page, you'll discover the universal truths and timeless artistry that make these stories truly the World's Greatest. This anthology is a literary treasure trove, inviting you to savor the essence of storytelling at its finest.

Four Corners Voices: Stories, Poetry, Essays is a collection of writing published by Four Corners Writers based in Cortez, Colorado. The pieces included (12 short stories, 24 poems, and 13 essays) were gathered through a submission process in the summer of 2024.

The authors represented range from Hawthorne, Maupassant, and Poe, through Henry James, Conrad, Aldous Huxley, and James Joyce, to Hemingway, Katherine Anne Porter, Faulkner, E.B. White, Saroyan, and O'Connor.

The variety in style and subject is enormous, but all these stories have one point in common--the enduring quality of the writing, which places them among the masterpieces of the world's fiction.

In this anthology, everybody is Black.

Filled with epic battles, complicated families, soft kisses, and sharpened blades, Magic in the Melanin is an adult fantasy anthology that showcases Black authors who write magical stories of all kinds. Featuring full-page artwork to accompany your adventure through the pages, this anthology is what fantasy looks like when Blackness is centered and the imaginations of Black creators are unhindered. Dive into these stories and discover countless worlds where magic is truly in the melanin.

The proceeds from this anthology will go to supporting the Melanin Library, an online database of books written by Black authors. Share and support to ensure the library remains a free resource for everyone.

This collection features more than 20 stories and poems celebrating Christmas, including works from esteemed authors such as Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, and Hans Christian Andersen. With favorites such as O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi and L. Frank Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, this elegant leather-bound volume will hold a special place on your bookshelf, sure to be enjoyed during the Christmas season, or at any time of the year.

The complete list of stories included:
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
A Christmas Dream, and How It Came True, Louisa May Alcott
A Kidnapped Santa Claus, L. Frank Baum
A Visit from St. Nicholas, Clement Clarke Moore
Betty's Bright Idea, Harriet Beecher Stowe
Clorinda's Gifts, Lucy Maud Montgomery
Tessa's Surprises, Louisa May Alcott
The Battle of Life, Charles Dickens
The Beggar Boy at Christ's Christmas Tree, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Chimes, Charles Dickens
The Christmas Gift that Came to Rupert: A Story for Little Soldiers, Bret Harte
The Christmas Surprise at Enderly Road, Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Cricket on the Hearth, Charles Dickens
The Fir Tree, Hans Christian Andersen
The First Christmas of New England, Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain, Charles Dickens
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, L. Frank Baum
The Little Match Girl, Hans Christian Andersen
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, E. T. A. Hoffman
The Story of the Other Wise Man, Henry van Dyke
The Three Kings, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tilly's Christmas, Louisa May Alcott

Franz Kafka is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most enigmatic geniuses of European literature. He's been hailed a prophet and a diagnostician, and a century after his death, his unique perspective on the anxieties, injustices, and rapidly shifting belief systems of the modern world continues to speak to our contemporary moment.

From a future society who ask their AI servants to construct a giant tower to reach God; to an apartment search that descends into a comically absurd bureaucratic nightmare; to a population experiencing a wave of unbearable, contagious panic attacks, these ten specially commissioned stories are by turns mind-bending, funny, unsettling and haunting. Inspired by a twentieth-century visionary, they speak powerfully to the strangeness of being alive today.

Shirley Jackson Award Nominee: Best Anthology, Best Short Fiction, 2022

A centaur seeks illicit surgery in an alien bodily modification club.

Two medieval monks react to their transformation and demonic pregnancy in very different ways.

A resourceful trans teen destroys sports bigots through the power of pluckiness...and abundant body horror.

A stellar cathedral crosses galaxies to dump the corpse of God into a star before the mission devolves into a panoply of psychedelic orgies.

A doxxed teen falls victim to violent assault and dishes out some

harrowing retribution of their own.

Over thirty Trans and Gender Nonconforming creators unite to voice their rage, and the rules of conventional Horror go out the f$%&ing window in this collection featuring murderous pleasure-bots; proselytizing zombies; acid-filled alien cops;

science run amok; sorcerers, ghouls, cannibals...and that barely scratches the grave-dirt.

Edited by award-winning author and anthologist Lindy Ryan and with contributions from masters of horror like Josh Malerman, Eric LaRocca, and Clay McLeod Chapman, this horrific anthology will chill you to the bone.

From New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box, Josh Malerman, comes a story of a dark Christmas past in Children Aren't the Only Ones Who Know Where the Presents Are Hidden.

From national bestselling author Rachel Harrison, in Thaw, a couple spends their first Christmas together in a cabin--but are they alone, or does something else watch them from the tree line?

New York Times bestselling authors Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon's Wintry Blue sets an innocent child on the road with a strange and monstrous creature.

From the Bram Stoker Award-winning screenwriter of Netflix's Haunting of Bly Manor and The Fall of the House of Usher, in Jamie Flanagan's Bruiser, something sinister stalks the chilling hallways of a nursing home at night.

Author of Such a Pretty Smile, Kristi DeMeester, tells a tale of Eggnog a Christmas party, an overfriendly female coworker, and an angry wife are the recipe for a deadly cocktail party.

Plus stories by Nat Cassidy, Darcy Coates, Clay McLeod Chapman, Tim Waggoner, and many more, with an introduction by George C. Romero and art by renowned British horror artist Mister Sam Shearon.