NationStates Jolt Archive

I've always had a soft spot for the art of short stories. They're insanely difficult to write - you're limited to around 20,000 words maximum, but in that small space a diligent and talented author can cram philosophy, unexpected twists, humour, impressive characterisation and more. I've read a lot of short stories in my time, but I thought I'd share two of my favourites with you, and ask the Nationstates community what their own favourites are.

My favourite short story of all time is "The Last Question (http://infohost.nmt.edu/~mlindsey/asimov/question.htm)" by Issac Asimov. Genius aside, Asimov was a very minimalist writer. He didn't concern himself with petty details, especially not in his element. While the characters in this are (intentionally) one dimensional, the philisophical implications are profound. I highly recommend that everyone gives it a read. The final line is a classic.

My other favourite short story, that I want to share, is "The Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang. It deals with the difficulty a linguist has in communicating with alien beings, and the philisophical implications of non-linear mindsets. It takes a few readings to fully understand the technical jargon and unusual jumbled up timeline, but once you have it down, you'll look at certain things in a different light. It's also what got me so interested in linguistics. Unfortunately, there's no (legal) online copy of this short story.

So, what're your favourites?

Probably something in a book edited by Marilyn Singer, just cause I know her so I read all of her short story compialations andI remember liking most of the stories. But I don't really remember many other short stories I've read; I'm not a really a short story fan or expert.

I've always had a soft spot for the art of short stories. They're insanely difficult to write - you're limited to around 20,000 words maximum, but in that small space a diligent and talented author can cram philosophy, unexpected twists, humour, impressive characterisation and more. I've read a lot of short stories in my time, but I thought I'd share two of my favourites with you, and ask the Nationstates community what their own favourites are.

My favourite short story of all time is "The Last Question (http://infohost.nmt.edu/~mlindsey/asimov/question.htm)" by Issac Asimov. Genius aside, Asimov was a very minimalist writer. He didn't concern himself with petty details, especially not in his element. While the characters in this are (intentionally) one dimensional, the philisophical implications are profound. I highly recommend that everyone gives it a read. The final line is a classic.

My other favourite short story, that I want to share, is "The Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang. It deals with the difficulty a linguist has in communicating with alien beings, and the philisophical implications of non-linear mindsets. It takes a few readings to fully understand the technical jargon and unusual jumbled up timeline, but once you have it down, you'll look at certain things in a different light. It's also what got me so interested in linguistics. Unfortunately, there's no (legal) online copy of this short story.

So, what're your favourites?
/agree Asimov. Bruce Sterling does a good job, too.

'By The Waters of Babylon' by Stephen Vincent Benét (http://www.cds.caltech.edu/~shane/text/babylon1.html)

A Rose for Emily, by FAULKNER!!!!!!!!!!




THE SOUND AND THE FURY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





(it's an inside joke, don't ask)

"The Region Between" by Harlan Ellison.

Call of Cthulhu.

That'll be three Lovecraft related posts in one night, then. How sad.

'By The Waters of Babylon' by Stephen Vincent Benét (http://www.cds.caltech.edu/~shane/text/babylon1.html)
I enjoyed it, but I saw the twist coming a mile off :)

I don't know what it's called but I read it in this mag. It was a tale, written in first person, about this door-to-door salesman. It was short and very explicit.

I've always had a soft spot for the art of short stories. They're insanely difficult to write - you're limited to around 20,000 words maximum, but in that small space a diligent and talented author can cram philosophy, unexpected twists, humour, impressive characterisation and more. I've read a lot of short stories in my time, but I thought I'd share two of my favourites with you, and ask the Nationstates community what their own favourites are.

My favourite short story of all time is "The Last Question (http://infohost.nmt.edu/~mlindsey/asimov/question.htm)" by Issac Asimov. Genius aside, Asimov was a very minimalist writer.

Well, when he was writing shorts, yes. But the Foundation series, The Caves of Steel, The Stars Like Dust, The Currents of Space, basically his best novels, weren't really minimalist. There was a lot of repetition, and the way he told the stories from the biased and blinkered view of the participants was subtle, was genius of a sort, but wasn't minimalist.

Great short story, though. He tells it from the viewpoint of the technicians, which is what gives the real punch at the end.

Actually, I hate short stories. The first fifty pages of any book I've got to force myself to suspend disbelief, and if the story is over already the whole thing's a bummer. On the other hand, if a book runs much over 500 pages, I stop enjoying being in the alternative universe and start to worry that I'm avoiding the real world.

Short, funny, and with it's fair share of philosophy: In the beginning was the command line. (http://www.cryptonomicon.com/beginning.html) Freely distributed by Stephenson.

Hemingway, particularly "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" and "The Snows of Kilamanjaro"

Almost anything by Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, and Bruce Sterling

"By the Waters of Babylon" was a good enough story, we read it in freshmen English. But I much preferd "The Most Dangerous Game" because it gave me a really good idea...... and now I want to hunt people.......

But my all-time favorite short storys come from, IMHO, the BEST author I have ever had the pleasure to read the writings of, H. P. Lovecraft. As for my favorite storys by him, it would have to be "Shadow Over Innsmouth" "The Thing on the Doorstep" "The Whisperer in the Dark" or "The Rats in the Walls" Oh, or also "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward"

Robert Graves did some great short stories. My favourite would be 'The Shout'. So well-written and imaginative.