If you are so much consumed in your day-to-day life and can’t commit to lengthy novels, short fiction stories can help. You can find a list of them by reading this post until the end. When you are dealing with your busy affairs, short stories can be an excellent source of engagement. These brief fiction stories can quench your thirst for reading without investing a whole lot of time. In this post, you can find a list of the best short fiction stories, both modern and classic. Let’s find out!!
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List Of The Best Short Stories You Can Read In 2021
Below is the list of the most evoking short fiction stories that you can read in your spare time:
1: Godspeed and Perpetua (A. Igoni Barrett – 2013)
‘Godspeed and Perpetua’ tracks the highs and lows of an arranged marriage. The book provides an astute look at family power dynamics, the best short story in Barrett’s series of tales set against a background of Nigeria’s political history. The true strength of Barrett is his ability to characterize a figure like Perpetua, trapped in a disappointing marriage with a rich, older man, jump off the page.
2: The Outing (Lydia Davis – 2010)
The American author who won the International Booker Prize is, among other things, a master of short and very brief stories. She manages to express an entire day and arguably a whole relationship in this piece of micro-fiction – only a few lines long. It is one of the most interesting short fiction stories you can read in your spare time.
3: I Bought a Little City (Donald Barthelme – 1974)
A small town in Texas, Galveston, has been purchased by the narrator of this novel. He claims at first that he’s just gradually changing things, but soon he comes to resemble something more like a despot as events go out of control. It is funny yet outrageous at the same time and was firstly published in the New Yorker. The story is a cautionary tale about ambition and control.
4: A View from the Observatory (Helen Dunmore – 2018)
A View from the Observatory is a threatening story; it shows Dunmore – one of the best modern short fiction story writers in Britain – at the height of her best. Two women look down from the camera obscura of Bristol on the Clifton Suspension Bridge and witness something ominous – though exactly what; it is on the reader to determine by reading it.
5: Going to Meet the Man (James Baldwin – 1965)
Set at the height of the Civil Rights movement in the deep south of America, Baldwin’s popular short story explores ethnic divisions on both sides of the coin without denying their humanity either. It’s also an unfailing look at the horrors of violence and prejudice.
6: The Landlady (Roald Dahl – 1959)
As close to being ‘perfect’ as any short story, Dahl’s most popular adult work is a mystery of macabre murder condensed to a few dozen pages that will always give your neck a wicked chill. You will never book an Airbnb again in much the same way after reading this short fiction story.
7: Private Tuition by Mr. Bose (Anita Desai – 1978)
In the story of one evening in the life of Mr. Bose, a poetry teacher is forced to give Sanskrit lessons to reluctant and mischievous students. It was to supplement his income, domestic harmony, and anarchy clash in the tale.
8: Don’t Look Now (Daphne Du Maurier – 1973)
A couple on vacation to try to overcome the pain of the death of their daughter gets caught up in a sinister sequence of events. ‘Don’t Look Now’ is packed, as you would imagine, with the slow-burning suspense that Daphne Du Maurier was so good at making. It is one of the most evoking short fiction stories you should read.
9: Remember This (Graham Swift – 2014)
A newly married couple, together, share a sweet, happy day. There’s not much else we can disclose here in terms of action, except to say ‘Remember This’ is tragic in the way that a genius short story can be – and Graham Swift’s short story is better than any other.
10: Glittering City (Cyprian Ekwensi – 1966)
One hell of a story, few more unforgettable than Fussy Joe, the musician who has a taste for beautiful young women and causes trouble, but for whom karma is never far away, Nigerian author Ekwensi might spin. ‘Glittering City,’ tiny but perfectly formed, will also take you on an unforgettable trip through Lagos in the 1960s.
11: The Nose (Nikolai Gogol – 1836)
A lot of satirical writing has originated in Russia and Eastern Europe from life under totalitarianism. However, this tale – of a St Petersburg official whose nose decides that he wants to lead a life outside of the face to which he was once attached – is among the best of the best.
12: The Midnight Zone (Lauren Groff – 2016)
The pages of Florida, Lauren Groff’s short story collection from 2016, stalk all manner of creatures. In the heady sun of her adopted state, spiders, snakes, and crocodiles lurk. But it’s the black panther we recall most vividly in ‘The Midnight Zone.’ It’s a story that is as tense as it is beautiful about motherhood, survival, and imagination: the considerable forces of Groff at full tilt.
13: Funny Little Snakes (Tessa Hadley – 2017)
Tessa Hadley is one of the best contemporary masters of the short story genre. This one is a vivid look at family, childhood, and how ‘coming of age’ never really ends, about a young woman trying to bond with her new, oddly-behaved step-daughter. It is one of the funniest short fiction stories that can tickle your senses.
14: In Plain Sight (Mavis Gallant – 1993)
Mavis Gallant’s masterpiece, described as ‘one of the great stories ever written about a writer,’ brings you into the life of a French novelist named Henri Grippes, who, as an artist, many believe is beyond his best. Short stories are always heavy on the plot, but this is a deep, close-up, human look at a character.
15: Alan Bean Plus Four (Tom Hanks – 2017)
Four friends plan to build a rocket and fly it back and forth to the moon. This offbeat story reveals a style of writing that is similar to what we think Hanks himself is like soft, funny, and a little eccentric.
Final Words!
If you are fond of reading short fiction stories, then you should find and read the stories listed in the post. If you like reading our posts, then reaching out to our blog section can help you to find more astonishing posts.
