The World's Shortest Stories

I am a big fan of "micro-fiction" and this collection of 55-word stories was a real treat. An example:

Lost by Nancy Ruth Nerenberg:

"My kids" she screamed, rifling underneath the clothes racks, where they sometimes hid.

Shoppers stared.

"Help me! They're gone!" she cried.

Someone whispered, "...old lady thinks--"

"Old!" she exploded, "I'm only--"

She froze. Her eyes shifted from face to face, from confusion to shame, then drifted to her own wrinkled hands.

"My...kids," she mumbled.

This is a collection of stories where each one has to be 55 words (or less). They are creative and have a variety of themes. Each page could scary, thought provoking, humorous, sad, etc. Some are definitely better than others, but overall, it was a fun quick read.

I would have liked this collection a lot more if a noticeable number of the stories didn't rely on transphobic gotchas. "Character who you think is a woman turns out to be a man" is a tired trope.

151 stories, each exactly 55 words long. And yet, every story has a setting, a flow, memorable characters. This is a really great book for someone looking to read the shortest of short stories: 55 fiction. Most of the stories are really fabulous, some even intriguing. I'm amazed how the authors could create a whole range of fiction within just 55 words. Definitely a must-read when you are looking for a nice quick read.

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A very fast (probably less than an hour?) read. This is a complication of ultra short (55-word!) stories. Some are sweet, sad, dark, funny, bizarre. Would be a good writing activity to create something compelling in such a short space.

Received in an elephant book swap from my local book club.

i would definetly have to say that i liked this book alot,I was very interested in all the short stories and how they were all different in some way.I pretty much liked all of the short stories. I honestly dont think that i disliked any of the short stories.and i think more people should start to read them if there into very very very short stories.And in this case if you like horror, suspense,love, or murder then you should of course read these stories.Also in some of the stories they are kind of confusing because they are just so short so you have to read the stories very carfully.

How short you ask? You'll be amazed at how short they are. so short they will make you giggle!