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
6,474 members
274 reviews
4.2
Score 38.84
Added 2022-02-09, 12:57 PM
- 11 Members
- lorax, karenb, anglemark, charl08, KatyBee, johnlrice, timetunnel, ManWithAnAgenda, SDanielson, sqr3cls3, KeithChaffee
2
1,431 members
54 reviews
4
Score 30.4
Added 2022-02-09, 12:59 PM
- 8 Members
- TheDivineOomba, Tess_W, ahef1963, ManWithAnAgenda, steller0707, Christilee394, Sofyyyy21, Red-Hawk
3
13,237 members
282 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.
4
by O. Henry
2,622 members
54 reviews
4
Score 27
Added 2022-02-08, 03:36 PM
- 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
6,440 members
162 reviews
4
Score 22.84
Added 2022-02-09, 03:43 PM
6
18,486 members
275 reviews
4.1
Score 22.1
Added 2022-02-10, 03:43 PM
7
4,718 members
110 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.
9
4,528 members
201 reviews
4
Score 20.23
Added 2022-02-09, 02:42 PM
- 6 Members
- madhatter22, KatyBee, johnlrice, dianeham, Radtosan, steller0707
10
- 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
6,552 members
136 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
1,840 members
60 reviews
4.2
Score 12.6
Added 2022-02-11, 10:08 AM
- 4 Members
- Euryale, rarm, johnlrice, ManWithAnAgenda
18
542 members
4 reviews
4
Score 11.54
Added 2022-02-11, 11:06 AM
- 4 Members
- Euryale, rarm, Heather39, MarianBengal
19
3,449 members
122 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.
21
3,723 members
136 reviews
3.8
Score 9.5
Added 2022-02-09, 08:37 AM
22
4,592 members
136 reviews
3.9
Score 9.02
Added 2022-02-09, 12:10 PM
23
2,742 members
40 reviews
3.9
Score 8.54
Added 2022-02-10, 07:37 PM
- 3 Members
- lorax, ManWithAnAgenda, MarianBengal
25
by Lucia Berlin
2,224 members
77 reviews
4.2
Score 8.03
Added 2022-02-09, 08:39 AM
- 3 Members
- charl08, Capybara_99, vwinsloe
27
28
406 members
½ 3.5
Score 8
Added 2022-02-08, 08:24 PM
30
3,972 members
167 reviews
4.1
Score 7.36
Added 2022-02-08, 04:53 PM
- 2 Members
- sturlington, TheLOFT
- Explanations
- sturlington: A story I have read many times and has a different meaning for me each time I read it.
32
by Tim O'Brien
16,491 members
414 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
33
by Miranda July
3,333 members
103 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 7.04
Added 2022-02-09, 06:08 PM
- 2 Members
- EerierIdyllMeme, -Pia-
35
968 members
21 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 7.04
Added 2022-02-08, 04:43 PM
36
899 members
60 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 7.04
Added 2022-02-09, 10:59 AM
37
by Alice Munro
144 members
3 reviews
4.1
Score 7.04
Added 2022-02-23, 10:31 PM
- 2 Members
- cornerhouse, c_why
38
by Jacob Grimm
17,488 members
135 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.
45
by Jean Giono
2,175 members
54 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.
46
47
584 members
19 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...
48
50
by Tom Hanks
2,498 members
114 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.
51
52
- 2 Members
- AbigailAdams26, dianeham
- Explanations
- AbigailAdams26: Specific story: "Wilderness Tips." A haunting tale I have never forgotten.
53
1,174 members
32 reviews
4
Score 6.04
Added 2022-02-27, 11:15 AM
55
531 members
6 reviews
4.2
Score 6.04
Added 2022-02-09, 09:08 PM
- 2 Members
- madhatter22, loulourevisited
56
- 2 Members
- brewergirl, sturlington
- Explanations
- sturlington: An altogether wonderful collection of haunting and melancholy stories. An elegy for the world.
57
929 members
40 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 5.87
Added 2022-02-08, 04:54 PM
- 2 Members
- sturlington, Red-Hawk
- Explanations
- sturlington: I think about this story often and read it at least once a year.
58
by Ron Rash
304 members
13 reviews
4.1
Score 5.87
Added 2022-02-08, 10:19 PM
- 2 Members
- mrswebster, sqr3cls3
59
60
1,623 members
39 reviews
3.9
Score 5.71
Added 2022-02-10, 03:42 PM
61
309 members
27 reviews
4.1
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.
62
63
4,401 members
106 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.
64
72
83
431 members
5 reviews
3.9
Score 4
Added 2022-02-08, 07:45 PM
85
by Mark Haddon
377 members
17 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.
88
206 members
5 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
91
130 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.
100
7 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.