5 Must Read Short Story Collections
A smorgasbord of short fiction for the discerning reader!
As the gang here at Vigilante Crime are up to our eyeballs in submissions for our first Vigilante Crime Anthology (submission guidelines here—there’s still a handful of slots), I started thinking of crime and pulp short stories I love. As I wrote last week, shorter is better. But sometimes you need a quicker hit than the 180-page novel. Here are some great short story collections and anthologies garnering my highest recommendation:
1. THE BEST OF MANHUNT
After the excellent Black Mask went belly up, the 1950s saw the rise of a digest sized magazine jam-packed with short stories from all the greats of the era. Many stories were hand-picked by Alfred Hitchcock himself for adaptation into episodes of his hit anthology television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Thanks to the folks at indie publishing house Stark House Press, several Best Of collections are available in print and ebook. START HERE.
2. THE BEST AMERICAN NOIR OF THE CENTURY
Vaunted editor Otto Penzler, in coordination with crime god James Ellroy, compiled this fat volume of short noir fiction in 2011. It’s a great sampler of different authors and styles from the 20th century. One side effect of reading this tome is you’ll discover new authors to chase down and read. If you’re like me, anthologies will cause you to spend ever more money. BUY HERE.
3. A CENTURY OF GREAT WESTERN STORIES
Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Elmer Kelton, and more. Westerns aren’t for everyone, but the selection of stories here offers diverse tones and styles sure to snag your attention. The book was edited by John Jakes, the great western author best known for his Civil War saga North & South. BUY HERE.
4. KILLER, COME BACK TO ME: THE CRIME STORIES OF RAY BRADBURY
Hard Case Crime honored the legendary sci-fi, horror, and speculative fiction master by compiling his best crime stories. Some involve sci-fi elements, but this collection proves a master of the form like Bradbury can handle any genre. I recommend the handsome hardcover edition. You’ll see a whole new side of Bradbury. BUY HERE.
5. TEATRO GROTTESCO
Monday’s post had me thinking about Ligotti. The author himself is a mysterious, clinically depressed man with a bleak nihilist and anti-natalist worldview. In other words, he’s legitimately scary. The result is a collection of what is alternately known as cosmic horror and quiet horror. The stories in this book were the only ones I’ve ever read that truly frightened me. The worldview is opposite my own, and I’d describe them as taking place in a world where God is absent. Oddly, there are subtle elements of dark humor as in Office Space meets Twilight Zone. BUY HERE.