Sudden Fiction (Continued): 60 New Short-Short Stories by Robert Shapard (Editor), James Thomas (Editor)

From the Publisher

Remember Sudden Fiction International-that bounty of short-short stories from all over the world? Literary folks loved them. Students carried the book around with them. And people on the run found the length of each story (no more than 2000 words) perfect respites from their busy lives.



Responding to America's love affair with the short-short, editors Shapard and Thomas consulted nearly two-hundred magazines and chose the sixty stories, written in English or translated, that they considered best. Ranging across countries and cultures, the selection includes a number of new stories from the Pacific Rim.



Well-known writers-William Maxwell, Margaret Atwood, Don DeLillo, Mark Richard-join lesser-known writers-Molly Giles, Andrew Lam, Judy Troy-who will be (or should be) better known. Each story revels in its own element of surprise; each, whether traditional or experimental, proves that a tale told quickly offers pleasure long past its telling. Students and lovers of literature take note: this is serious writing that's fun to read.

Publishers Weekly

These short-short stories (approximately 2000 words apiece) compiled by the editors of Sudden Fiction and Sudden Fiction International are fiction in a whirlwind. The authors maintain a fast pace and full, vivid characters and descriptions while keeping the stories masterfully short. It would be difficult to choose the best; all are outstanding in one way or another. There are some translations from Czech, French and Spanish that have the feel of oft-told folktales, and the more bizarre selections are interspersed with poignantly ordinary stories. Thomas McGuane's "War and Peace" is the tale of a friendship that cannot withstand change. A professor and student discuss Roman history from different points of view in "The Liberation of Rome" by Robin Hemley. In "Sundress" by Terese Svoboda, two vagrants set up housekeeping in a vacationing family's house, befriending the entire neighborhood, which much prefers them to the real owners. With contributions by Margaret Atwood, Alice Walker, William Maxwell and many others (those whose names aren't as recognizable certainly deserve notice), the collection is rich and variedperfect for reading in the hammock. (July)

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents