Literature is full of talented novelists who can tell stories that last for hundreds and hundreds of pages, but many writers will tell you that it is more difficult to write a short story or an essay than a novel. When a short story is good, when it is really hey, he can pack an incredible punch. This is why it is especially amazing to read that your favorite author tackles the art of the short story or the essay.
Fictional and non-fiction shorts can be read in many different ways. You can go through the whole book at once, just like you would a novel. But you can also take it one piece at a time. You can adapt the stories or essay between work and school and housework. You can read one play a night before going to bed. The possibilities are limitless.
For me, when I really love an author, I want to devour everything they’ve ever written – whether it’s an essay, a short story, a poem, or a note they wrote to their mother when they were eight years old. . It can be incredibly rewarding to read an author’s different forms of writing. You can really see how they develop their voice and their craft, and you can get new perspectives on the novels you love so much.
When it comes to literature, it is absolutely true that you can find great things in small packages. So stop what you’re doing and pick one of these fantastic collections from an author you already know and love.
“Feel Free” by Zadie Smith
Divided into five sections – In the World, In the Public, In the Gallery, On the Shelf and Feel Free – this collection of essays by Zadie Smith asks some pretty important questions (and provides brilliant answers) about the world. in which we live.
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“How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays” by Alexander Chee
If you like Chee’s Edinburgh and Queen of the night, try this collection of essays on how the lessons he learned made him the writer he is today.
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“You mean it, I’ll say it” by Curtis Sittenfeld
You probably know Sittenfeld from his novels, like Eligible and Preperation. So you’ll definitely want to devour this collection of author short stories, filled with daring female characters that you’ll instantly connect with.
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“Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales” by Tamora Pierce
Every Tamora Pierce fan must get their hands on this collection of short stories set in the realm of Tortall. Knights, magic, intrigue: these stories have everything you love about Pierce’s novels.
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“Trigger Warning” by Neil Gaiman
Is there something Neil Gaiman doesn’t write? Novels, screenplays, graphic novels, essays and (of course) short stories. The author’s imaginative style is at its best in this bizarre collection.
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“Paris for one and the other stories” by Jojo Moyes
The author of Me before you offers a delicious dose of short fiction in this dreamy and romantic collection.
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“Unusual land” by Jhumpa Lahiri
Don’t you just want to soak up the beautiful prose of Jhumpa Lahiri? You probably know this Pulitzer Prize-winning author for her novels, including Namesake and Disease Interpreter, but these eight stories are just as emotionally charged.
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‘Stone Mattress: Nine Tales’ by Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood is another one of those writers who can do absolutely anything. She is at her best in this collection of short stories, each as powerful and prescient as her most famous work, The Handmaid’s Tale.
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“What is not yours is not yours” by Helen Oyeyemi
Boy, Snow, Bird and Mr. Fox author Helen Oyeyemi really shines in this collection of imaginative short stories.
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“The Thing Around Your Neck” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Americanah Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s writing comes to life in this fantastic collection of short stories stretching from Nigeria to the United States.
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“The elephant disappears” by Haruki Murakami
As thoughtful and eerie as his novels, this collection of Murakami short stories is sure to give you food for thought.
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Stephen King’s “Full Dark, No Stars”
You know Stephen King from all of his best-selling horror thrillers and novels, but he’s also the master of the short story. These four dark short stories pack all the suspense we love about King, in a shorter format.
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“This is the Story of a Happy Marriage” by Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett mixes literature and memory to share stories from her life. If you’ve read any of Patchett’s novels, you know you can expect astonishing emotional breadth from this book.
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“Little wonder” by Barbara Kingsolver
In this gem of a collection of essays, the author of The Poisonwood Bible explore all of life’s great and small wonders, from the Grand Canyon to its vegetable garden.
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“No Time to Waste: Thinking About What Matters” by Ursula K. Le Guin
In this collection of essays, the late Ursula K. Le Guin covers “Aging, Belief, the State of Literature and the State of the Nation”. Phew, if anyone can tackle all these topics with precision and humor, it’s her.
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“The Origin of Others” by Toni Morrison
Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison reflects on the themes that characterize her work – race, fear, boundaries, and more. – in this exceptional collection of essays.
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“Curiosities: A Collection of Stories” by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovanoff
Young adult writers Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff originally posted these stories for merryfates.com as a way to experience their writing in public “with no hint of going back.” Not only does this book feature those stories, it also has the author’s comments, reviews, and kudos in the margins.
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