A perfect alternative to massive fiction anthologies, this brief, affordable collection of 44 short stories from the past three centuries provides a concise yet comprehensive introduction to the study of fiction. Chronologically organized, the anthology includes classic tales from 19th century authors like Hawthorne, Poe, Jewett, and de Maupassant; 20th century gems by Hawthorne, Irving, Poe, Cather, Hurston, Faulkner, O’Connor, and Richard Wright, among others; and admired stories from contemporary authors like Alice Walker, Jamaica Kincaid, Sherman Alexie, and Jhumpa Lahiri–reflecting a diverse range of writers and styles.

‘’Fiction is a handy anthology that has the best selection of readings that I have seen in an anthology. And all this without being overwhelming!’’-Shazia Ali, Eastfield College, TX

‘’The stories are an excellent group of old and new, of men and women, of canonical chestnuts and the modern multicultural voices we need to hear. The Introduction is a superb addition to the anthology that will help any instructor teach the tales, the critical language of fiction, and how to write about the stories. Finally, the size makes this book easily held in the hand!’’-Michael Chappell, Western Connecticut State University

‘’The book’s greatest feature is that it argues that ethnic, national, and gender diversity are what make the canon of short fiction such a vital part of literature. I love the way this anthology manages to include the best of the best short stories while incorporating the diverse voices that are so important to the genre.’’-Stephen Tuttle, Brigham Young University

R. S. Gwynn has edited several other books, including Drama: A Pocket Anthology; Poetry: A Pocket Anthology; Literature: A Pocket Anthology; Inside Literature: Reading, Responding, Writing (with Steven Zani); The Art of the Short Story (with Dana Gioia); and Contemporary American Poetry: A Pocket Anthology (with April Lindner).  He has also authored five collections of poetry, including No Word of Farewell: Selected Poems, 1970-2000. He has been awarded the Michael Braude Award for verse from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.  Gwynn is University Professor of English and Poet-in-Residence at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Introduction

The Telling of the Tale

The Short Story Genre

Reading and Analyzing Short Fiction

            Plot

            Characterization

            Point of View

            Theme

            Setting

            Style and Symbol

Writing about Short Fiction

Fiction

* indicates stories new to this edition

* Washington Irving (1783-1859)

            Rip Van Winkle

 Nathanel Hawthorne (1804-1864)

            The Minister’s Black Veil

*  Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

            The Cask of Amontillado

Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909)

            A White Heron

Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893)

            Mother Savage

 Kate Chopin  (1851-1904)

            The Story of an Hour

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935)

            The Yellow Wallpaper

Edith Wharton (1862-1937)

            Roman Fever

 Willa Cather (1876-1947)

            Paul’s Case

James Joyce (1882-1941)

            Araby

Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960)

            Sweat

William Faulkner (1897-1962)

            A Rose for Emily

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

            Up in Michigan

Richard Wright (1908-1960)

            The Man Who Was Almost a Man

* Eudora Welty (1909-2001)

            A Memory

John Cheever (1912-1982)

            Reunion

Ralph Ellison (1914-1995)

            A Party Down at the Square

Shirley Jackson (1919-1965)

          The Lottery

Hisaye Yamamoto (B. 1921)

        Seventeen Syllables

Grace Paley (B. 1922-2007)

            Wants

Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964)

            Everything That Rises Must Converge

Richard Yates (1926-1992)

            Doctor Jack-o’-Lantern

Gabriel García Márquez (B. 1928)

            A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

Ursula K. Le Guin

            The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

Chinua Achebe (B. 1930)

            Dead Men’s Path

Alice Munro (B. 1931)

            The Bear Came Over the Mountain

Raymond Carver (1938-1988)

            Cathedral

Joyce Carol Oates (B. 1938)

            Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Margaret Atwood (B. 1939)

            Happy Endings

Bobbie Ann Mason (B. 1940)

            Shiloh

Alice Walker (B. 1944)

            Everyday Use

* Tobias Wolff (B. 1945)

            Hunters in the Snow

* Tim Gautreaux (B. 1947)

            Waiting for the Evening News

Jamaica Kincaid (B. 1949)

            Girl

Dagoberto Gilb (B. 1950)

            Look on the Bright Side

Sandra Cisneros (B. 1954)

            Woman Hollering Creek

Louise Erdrich (B. 1954)

            The Red Convertible

Gish Jen (B. 1955)

            In the American Society

Lorrie Moore (B. 1957)

            How to Become a Writer

* Helen Simpson (B. 1959)

            Diary of an Interesting Year

Sherman Alexie, (B. 1966)

          This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona

* Jhumpa :Lahiri (B. 1967)

            A Temporary Matter

* Susan Perabo (B. 1969)

      The Payoff

Appendix: Stories Listed by Form, Genre, and Theme

Acknowledgments

Index of Critical Terms