The Greatest Swedish, Greek, American "Short Stories, Fiction" Books Since 1970
Click to learn how this list is calculated.
This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 305 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.
Genres
The "Short Stories" category encompasses a diverse collection of succinct, fictional narratives that are typically focused on a single theme or a concise plot. Unlike novels, short stories are designed to be read in a single sitting, offering a snapshot of characters' lives, often with a twist or a poignant conclusion that leaves a lasting impression. This genre includes a wide range of styles and subjects, from literary and speculative fiction to mystery and romance, allowing readers to explore a variety of worlds and experiences through the concise and potent medium of the short form. Renowned for their brevity and emotional impact, short stories challenge authors to convey depth and complexity within a limited framework, making every word count and often relying on the power of suggestion and the reader's imagination to complete the picture.
Countries
Date Range
Reading Statistics
Click the button below to see how many of these books you've read!
Download
If you're interested in downloading this list as a CSV file for use in a spreadsheet application, you can easily do so by clicking the button below. Please note that to ensure a manageable file size and faster download, the CSV will include details for only the first 500 books.
Download-
1. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
The book is a collection of linked short stories about a platoon of American soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War. The story is semi-autobiographical, based on the author's experiences in the war. The narrative explores the physical and emotional burdens the soldiers carry during the war, as well as the lingering effects of war on veterans. It delves into themes of bravery, truth, and the fluidity of fact and fiction.
The 259th Greatest Book of All Time -
2. The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever
This collection of short stories provides an intimate look into the lives of individuals living in the American suburbs during the mid-20th century. The narratives often center around themes of love, loss, and the pursuit of the American dream, painting a vivid picture of the human condition. The characters are typically middle-class individuals dealing with personal crises, existential dread, and the often harsh realities of everyday life. The stories are renowned for their ability to capture the essence of post-war America, with all of its beauty, despair, and complexity.
The 291st Greatest Book of All Time -
3. Stories of Ernest Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway
This book is a collection of short stories penned by a renowned 20th-century American author, known for his minimalist and direct style of writing. The stories span a range of themes, including love, war, wilderness, and loss, often drawing from the author's own experiences as a journalist and war correspondent. Each story offers a glimpse into the complexities of human nature and the harsh realities of life, showcasing the author's ability to capture profound emotions and experiences in simple, yet powerful prose.
The 364th Greatest Book of All Time -
4. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The book is a collection of interconnected vignettes that detail the experiences of a Latina girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago. It explores her struggles with her identity, her desire for a better life, and her experiences with poverty and gender roles. The protagonist's observations and experiences weave a vivid picture of life in a Latinx community, and her dreams of a better future give the narrative a sense of hope and resilience.
The 668th Greatest Book of All Time -
5. The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty by Eudora Welty
This collection of short stories provides an insightful look into the human condition through the lens of Southern American life. The narratives, rich in detail and character development, explore a wide range of themes such as love, loss, race, poverty, and the complexities of human relationships. The stories are deeply rooted in the setting of the Southern United States, bringing to life the unique culture, customs, and dialect of the region. The author's masterful storytelling and evocative prose make each story a vivid and memorable exploration of human nature.
The 720th Greatest Book of All Time -
6. Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson
The book is a collection of linked short stories narrated by a young, unnamed protagonist who struggles with drug addiction. The stories are set in various locations across the United States and are filled with surreal and sometimes violent experiences. Despite the bleak circumstances, the narrator seeks moments of beauty and grace, often finding them in unexpected places. The narrative is characterized by its disjointed chronology, hallucinatory descriptions, and dark humor.
The 762nd Greatest Book of All Time -
7. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
This collection of short stories explores the complexities of love through various perspectives. The narratives delve into the lives of everyday people, showcasing their struggles, their desires, and their failures. Love is depicted in its many forms, from passionate and romantic to destructive and obsessive, providing a raw and honest depiction of human relationships. The stories highlight how love can both heal and hurt, uniting and dividing people in unexpected ways.
The 801st Greatest Book of All Time -
8. Where I'm Calling From by Raymond Carver
"Where I'm Calling From" is a collection of 37 short stories that delve into the lives of everyday people dealing with addiction, relationships, and hardship. The stories often depict characters in moments of crisis or reflection, grappling with their personal demons or past mistakes. The author's minimalist style and focus on ordinary life brings a sense of realism and relatability to these narratives, making them a poignant exploration of human struggle and resilience.
The 860th Greatest Book of All Time -
9. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
"Interpreter of Maladies" is a collection of nine short stories, each exploring different aspects of life, love, and identity. The stories are set in both India and America, and the characters often grapple with issues of cultural identity, displacement, and the complexities of relationships. Themes like marital issues, communication breakdowns, and the struggle to fit in are prevalent throughout the stories, offering a poignant and nuanced glimpse into the human experience.
The 876th Greatest Book of All Time -
10. Cathedral by Raymond Carver
"Cathedral" is a collection of twelve short stories that explore the complexities of human relationships and the struggles of everyday life. The characters, often middle-class Americans, grapple with loss, isolation, and the inability to communicate effectively. The title story involves a man who gains insight into his own life when he helps a blind man envision a cathedral. Through these tales, the author highlights the profound moments in ordinary lives, showing the beauty and tragedy in the mundane.
The 884th Greatest Book of All Time -
11. The Stories of Raymond Carver by Raymond Carver
This collection of short stories presents a gritty and realistic view of American life, often focusing on characters struggling with poverty, alcoholism, and failed relationships. The author's minimalist style and use of everyday language create a stark and often bleak portrait of the human condition, while his ability to capture the profound in the mundane lends a sense of depth and complexity to his seemingly simple narratives.
The 1444th Greatest Book of All Time -
12. Sixty Stories by Donald Barthelme
"Sixty Stories" is a collection of short narratives that use unconventional, experimental structures to explore a range of themes. The book is known for its absurdist and postmodern style, and the stories often feature elements of parody, surrealism, and satire. The tales cover a wide array of topics, including art, literature, philosophy, and the human condition, all presented with a unique blend of humor, wit, and intellectual depth.
The 1538th Greatest Book of All Time -
13. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
The book is a collection of 13 interconnected short stories revolving around Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher living in a small town in Maine. Olive is a complex character with a prickly exterior but a deep well of emotion and empathy beneath the surface. Through her interactions and relationships with various town residents, the book explores themes of love, loss, aging, and change, painting a rich portrait of a community and its inhabitants.
The 1684th Greatest Book of All Time -
14. Enormous Changes at the Last Minute by Grace Paley
"Enormous Changes at the Last Minute" is a collection of 17 short stories that delve into the lives of various individuals living in New York City. The narratives explore themes of love, loss, and the complexities of life, often from the perspective of women. The stories are characterized by their distinctive voice, evocative imagery, and a keen sense of observation, providing an intimate look into the human condition.
The 1687th Greatest Book of All Time -
15. Birds of America by Lorrie Moore
"Birds of America" is a collection of twelve short stories that delve into the complexities of human relationships and the struggles of everyday life. The stories feature a variety of characters, including a woman who is dealing with her husband's terminal illness, a couple who are struggling to conceive, and a woman who is trying to come to terms with her brother's suicide. The stories are filled with humor, wit, and poignant observations about life, love, and loss.
The 1705th Greatest Book of All Time -
16. Bad Behavior: Stories by Mary Gaitskill
"Bad Behavior: Stories" is a collection of short stories that delve into the darker, often unexplored aspects of human relationships and behavior. The narrative navigates through the complex world of love, lust, power, and obsession, focusing on characters who are often marginalized or misunderstood. The stories provide a raw, unfiltered view of human nature, exploring themes of sexual deviance, emotional vulnerability, and societal norms.
The 1892nd Greatest Book of All Time -
17. Like Life by Lorrie Moore
"Like Life" is a collection of short stories that explore the nuances of everyday life, delving into the complexities of relationships, love, and loss. The narratives are filled with characters grappling with their past, struggling with their present, and uncertain about their future. The author uses humor and poignant observation to highlight the beauty, pain, and absurdity of human existence, painting a vivid picture of life's many contradictions and ironies.
The 2178th Greatest Book of All Time -
18. The Collected Stories Of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis
The collection is a compendium of short fiction that showcases the author's deftness in capturing the intricacies of human experience through precise, often experimental prose. The stories range from the very brief to the more developed, exploring themes of language, memory, and the often overlooked moments of everyday life. With a unique voice that combines wit, keen observation, and a mastery of form, the author challenges traditional narrative structures, inviting readers to engage with the text on multiple levels and to find meaning in the spaces between the words as much as in the words themselves. The result is a body of work that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant, cementing the author's reputation as a significant figure in contemporary literature.
The 2323rd Greatest Book of All Time -
19. The Stories of Ray Bradbury by Ray Bradbury
This collection of 100 short stories showcases the author's unique blend of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. The tales, which span six decades of the author's career, explore themes of technology, the supernatural, and the human condition. From stories of astronauts exploring alien planets, to tales of small-town America where the extraordinary lurks just beneath the surface, the collection highlights the author's imaginative storytelling and his ability to blend the everyday with the fantastical.
The 2441st Greatest Book of All Time -
20. The Old Forest by Peter Taylor
"The Old Forest" is a collection of short stories set in the American South, primarily in Memphis, Tennessee during the early to mid-20th century. The stories explore themes of social change, class conflict, and personal identity. The title story revolves around a car accident that leads to a young woman's disappearance and the subsequent search for her, revealing the societal tensions and class divisions within the community.
The 2709th Greatest Book of All Time -
21. Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler
"Bloodchild" is a provocative science fiction tale that explores complex themes of symbiosis, love, and power dynamics through the lens of an interdependent relationship between humans and an alien species known as the Tlic. The story is set on a distant planet where humans live as a preserved minority, and the Tlic, who are large insect-like creatures, require human hosts to incubate their young. The narrative follows a young human boy who is chosen to carry the offspring of a Tlic female, leading to a harrowing and intimate bond that challenges his understanding of autonomy, sacrifice, and connection. The novella delves into the intricate and often unsettling negotiations of personal agency and survival in a world where two very different beings are inextricably linked.
The 2881st Greatest Book of All Time -
22. Black Tickets by Jayne Anne Phillips
"Black Tickets" is a collection of short stories that explore the complexities of life through a diverse range of characters and situations. The stories delve into themes such as love, loss, identity, and the human condition. The narratives oscillate between the perspectives of troubled adolescents, middle-aged men and women grappling with life's disappointments, and the elderly reflecting on their past, providing a comprehensive exploration of human experiences.
The 3019th Greatest Book of All Time -
23. Reasons to Live by Amy Hempel
"Reasons to Live" is a collection of short stories that depict various characters grappling with loss, grief, and existential crises. The narratives are filled with dark humor, sharp observations, and profound insights into the human condition. The stories explore themes such as death, suicide, and mental illness, but they also highlight the resilience of the human spirit and the potential for healing and redemption.
The 3174th Greatest Book of All Time -
24. Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado
"Her Body and Other Parties: Stories" is a collection of short stories that weave elements of psychological realism and science fiction to explore the realities of women's lives and the violence inflicted upon their bodies. The narratives range from a woman refusing to let her husband remove a green ribbon from around her neck, to a salesclerk in a mall making a horrifying discovery within the seams of the store's prom dresses. The book centers on women's experiences in their bodies, touching on themes of sexuality, gender, and the dynamics of power.
The 3356th Greatest Book of All Time -
25. The Doctor Stories by William Carlos Williams
"The Doctor Stories" is a collection of short narratives that offer a glimpse into the life and experiences of a physician in the early to mid-20th century. Through a series of vignettes, the book captures the human side of medicine, revealing the challenges, dilemmas, and emotional encounters between the doctor and his patients. Set against the backdrop of the American industrial landscape, the stories delve into themes of life, death, and the complexities of the human condition, all while showcasing the author's poetic sensitivity and deep empathy for the diverse individuals he serves in his medical practice.
The 3362nd Greatest Book of All Time
Reading Statistics
Click the button below to see how many of these books you've read!
Download
If you're interested in downloading this list as a CSV file for use in a spreadsheet application, you can easily do so by clicking the button below. Please note that to ensure a manageable file size and faster download, the CSV will include details for only the first 500 books.
Download