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Short Stories

Parked motorcycle. - Image courtesy of Craig Sunter (Thanx a Million!)

The How and Why of Stories

Broken heart. - Image courtesy of Dennis Skley.

Unlucky in Love? You're Not Alone

Computer chips with the words text-ures. - Image courtesy of Simon & His Camera.

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The Latest in Short Stories
Stories of Crazy Co-Workers, Blustering Bosses, and Dirty Jobs
These 6 stories explore the crazy co-workers, blustering bosses, and unusual assignments that seem to go hand-in-hand with having a job.
Older couple walking on path. - Image courtesy of Helena.
Stories About the Inevitable (and I Don't Mean Taxes)
Nine short stories explore facets of illness, aging, and mortality.
Library shelves. - Image courtesy of Loughborough University Library.
Bunnies, Murder, and a Star-Crossed Library
In Elizabeth McCracken's short story 'Juliet,' a woman's murder demonstrates the limits to the answers you can find in a library.
Red theater curtain with gold embellishments. - Image courtesy of Craig Hatfield.
The Many Faces of Dear Old Dad
These stories show that being a real father has more to do with making a commitment than with genetics.
Broken heart. - Image courtesy of Dennis Skley.
Unlucky in Love? You're Not Alone
Short stories about lost love and failed relationships.
- Image courtesy of Robert Pernett.
A New Take on the Power of ZIP Codes
In Dave Eggers' short story 'The Alaska of Giants and Gods,' Josie looks for magic in all the wrong places.
- Image courtesy of Paul Joseph.
Back from the Dead to Set Things Straight
In Sheila Heti's short story 'My Life Is a Joke,' a woman comes back from the dead to give an invited speech redeeming her life.
- Image courtesy of Guy Sie.
This Baby Battle Could Stump Even King Solomon
In Raymond Carver's famous short story 'Popular Mechanics,' a man and a woman fight over their baby.
Sleeping Beauty's prince. - Image courtesy of George Q. Harrap & Co.
Sleeping Beauty's Hellish Mother-in-Law
Charles Perrault's 'Sleeping Beauty in the Wood' presents an endearing and believable fairy-tale romance. Too bad Sleeping Beauty's ogre of a mother-in-law wants to eat her.
Snow White's stepmother admiring herself in the mirror. - Image courtesy of Raphael Tuck & Sons.
Folklore's Most Gullible Princess
Three versions of 'Snow White' each offer their own irresistible enticements.
Baby doll. - Image courtesy of dgeert.
Is It Kidnapping If the Baby Isn't Real?
In Ben Jahn's 'Reborn,' the narrator attends a surreal doll convention and decides to take a baby doll for a test-drive.
Bride and groom smiling under umbrellas. - Image courtesy of John Hope.
What Would a Perfect Life Look Like?
In Carrie MacKillop's 'Rainy Wedding,' a mother tells her terminally ill child the story of the life he'll never get a chance to live.
Close-up of boy's eyes. - Image courtesy of Nicolas Fuentes.
Sometimes It's Hard to Tell the Disease from the Cure
In Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie's short story 'Apollo,' social boundaries separate friends irreparably.
Statue of Apollo. - Image courtesy of Alun Salt.
This Son Will Never Please His Parents
Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie's short story 'Apollo' presents a son who seems unable to break free of his overbearing parents.
Cinderella tries on the slipper. - Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Before Disney, 'Cinderella' Had More Gore
Many older versions of the Cinderella fairy tale present a stronger heroine -- and a gorier plot -- than contemporary versions.
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