Modern Short Stories

In the past 50 years, the American short story has changed dramatically. New voices, forms, and mixtures of genres have brought this unique US genre a thrilling burst of energy. This rich anthology celebrates this avalanche of talent. Beginning in 1970, it culls together a half century of powerful American short stories from all genres, including - for the first time in a literary anthology - science fiction, horror, and fantasy.

A terrifying, thrilling collection of must-listen horror stories chock-full of nightmarish supernatural beings and the murderously disturbed that are sure to keep you up all night long.

Every city has a story. Some will chill you long after the last page. From the neon glow of Las Vegas to the haunted tunnels beneath New York, America hides dark secrets in every skyline. This gripping anthology dives into 50 terrifying urban legends, each rooted in real locations, whispered folklore, and chilling mysteries that refuse to stay buried. 👻 Inside, you’ll discover: • Ghostly apparitions roaming iconic landmarks • Cursed objects and sinister doppelgängers • Unexplainable creatures lurking in lakes and alleyways • Vanished souls who demand to be remembered • ...

After the loss of her mother, a woman returns to the San Fernando Valley only to uncover a haunting secret about her childhood friend. A visiting professor at a charming but strange California liberal arts college must face her past in order to protect her son. A sister, lost in the woods, confronts the dangerous truth about her brother, her stepmother, and herself. Rose's dog Wolfie has died, and three seductive women offer to help return him to her. But only if she will pay the price.

Mysterious, funny, insightful, and heartbreaking, these are tales of expatriates and exiles, wise children and straying saints. They compose a secret history, both intimate and panoramic, of modern times, and offer a kaleidoscopic impression of the world within a world that is Paris.

Step back into Baker Street with a Sherlock Holmes who feels as sharp and readable as if he were written today. This refreshed edition of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes presents Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tales in clean, contemporary typography and carefully clarified language, preserving every twist, deduction, and dry joke. Archaic phrasing and cluttered layouts have been gently updated, making Holmes’s brilliance and Watson’s narration instantly accessible for modern readers and new fans alike. Set against the fog-bound streets and drawing rooms of Victorian London, these stories...

Suki, an invisible wallflower drowning in a sea of influencers, despises the social media god, Eros. When he singles her out for his live audience, a desperate need to be seen awakens within her—as well as a powerful, forbidden desire to submit for all to see.

The prestigious annual story anthology, featuring prize-winning stories by a diverse and exciting array of writers, including Wendell Berry, Alice Hoffman, Dave Eggers, Ling Ma, Lori Ostlund, and Anthony Marra. Continuing a century-long tradition of cutting-edge literary excellence, this year's...

Are you ready to learn Latin American Spanish through modern, engaging short stories instead of outdated textbooks and stiff dialogues? This book offers a fresh, practical approach designed for real learners who want real results—and content that feels useful from day one. Inside you’ll find 27 contemporary short stories filled with everyday vocabulary, natural conversation, and relatable situations—digital nomads living abroad, content creators on the road, tech-savvy travelers, remote workers adapting to life across Latin America, and more.

"Haunted Realms Short Ghost Stories" is an anthology that brings together over fifty tales of terror, each one a unique exploration of the supernatural. The stories in this collection span a wide range of settings and scenarios, from haunted forests and abandoned buildings to modern urban legends involving social media and technology. The authors, Lars Lexis and Sebs Svekis, have masterfully crafted each narrative to evoke a sense of dread and suspense, capturing the essence of classic ghost stories while infusing them with modern elements. The collection begins with "The Whispering Shadows...

Are you bored with bedtime stories about princes and princesses, gnomes, wizards, and dragons? Do you want something more realistic, closer to our time? Do you also need bedtime stories to make sense, teach a moral lesson, and raise interesting topics? Everything you need is here! A Collection of Fantastic Short Bedtime Stories for kids contains 10 five-minute fantasy stories that you can read aloud to your child before going to bed. No princesses here–these stories are about space, other planets, aliens, artificial intelligence, robots, cloning, portals, and modern technologies. There ...

A Collection of Short Tales is an anthology of unique stories that will capture one's imagination. Characters that you might cheer or jeer for are woven into these stories. Maybe... just maybe you will get lost within a tale and emerge a new person. Or maybe... just maybe you will have a good laugh. Either way dive into this compilation of distinctive stories and have fun.

Rediscover the magic and menace of Grimms Fairy Tales in a fresh edition crafted for today’s readers. This Adapted for Modern Readers version keeps the original plots, moods, and morals intact while refining archaic phrasing, cleaning up inconsistent punctuation, and presenting clear, contemporary typography. Enjoy smooth, consistent formatting on every device, lightly clarified language that never talks down to you, and a reading experience that lets the stories shine without distraction. Rooted in the oral traditions of nineteenth-century Europe, these timeless tales explore justice, ...

Ten nights. Ten legends. Ten reasons you’ll never sleep easy again. Urban legends aren’t just stories whispered around the fire—they’re warnings. And in this chilling collection, those warnings come to life. From the shadowed ruins of Staten Island where Cropsey waits for the brave, to the isolated woodland cabin stalked by The Rake, to the fog-choked streets where Spring-Heeled Jack leaps into nightmares—these are the tales we swore were only make-believe. Until they started answering back. Inside Campfire Lies: 10 Urban Legends That Won’t Stay Dead, you’ll discover: Hook-...

You found the book. Or maybe…it found you. Inside this volume are stories no one should read—yet they exist, waiting for someone to turn the page. A girl finds her reflection smiling back without her. A birthday party has one extra guest no one invited. A viral slime recipe starts changing kids into something else. A father keeps working for his family, even after death. Each tale in Inkbound is sharper than the last, pulling you deeper into the curse that binds them. At first, they seem like fiction—urban legends, school rumors, creepy YouTube stories. But then they start to echo ...

Are you brave enough to enter a world where the line between reality and nightmare is impossibly thin? The Horror Files beckons you into a realm where legends stir from the past, and every corner hides a terror waiting to strike. This is no ordinary collection, it's a descent into darkness, where fear takes on many faces, and no secret stays buried for long. Ancient myths claw their way into the present. Unsolved mysteries evolve into chilling realities. Brutal horrors of today collide with the restless whispers of forgotten legends. With 18 heart-pounding stories, The Horror Files will ...

Get four fast-paced druid urban fantasy novels in a boxed set featuring magic, mystery, Celtic mythology, and non-stop paranormal action! Reluctant druid, and sole apprentice of the last living master druid on Earth. Heir to Fionn MacCumhaill’s legacy. Hunted and feared by the Fae, and cursed with Cú Chulainn’s ríastrad. All he wants is to live in his junkyard in peace...but the gods have other plans for the young druid apprentice!

Featured in the Netflix series Love, Death & Robots Bestselling author Ken Liu selects his multiple award-winning stories for a groundbreaking collection—including a brand-new piece exclusive to this volume. With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu...

From ghosts hiding in parking structures to the stranger who sits behind you on empty buses, Urban Myths People Wish Were Fake dives into the nightmares hiding between modern lights and concrete walls. This chilling anthology transforms brand-new, original urban legends into terrifying short stories—each inspired by the strange rumors we hear but hope never come true. Inside these pages, you’ll encounter: • Apps that reveal things you were never meant to see • Shadows that follow you home from grocery stores • Elevators that stop on “secret floors” • Roads that don’t exist...

The Ultimate Modern Classics Collection: Volume One is the first instalment in our classics collection focusing on the most important and iconic novels, stories, and poems of the 20th century. Featuring 22 essential modern classics from Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Herman Hesse, Agatha Christie, Virigna Woolf, and many more, and read by a cast of incredible narrators including David Rintoul, Robert G. Slade, Karen Cass, Nathan Osgood, amongst others, this is an essential addition to your library.