M John Harrison “Things That Never Happen”

Elizabeth Hand “Bibliomancy” (4 novellas rather than short stories)

all are GORGEOUSLY written. They move in the range between literary fantasy and weird/horror (literary in the sense that their focus is on relationships and/or psychological states) . Link and Harrison especially may not always be to everyone’s taste, but some of these stories are among the best I’ve read in any genre.

Recently, M. Rickert’s Map of Dreams was damn solid. I recently read a collection of stories by Howard, and you want to talk about the ability to transport you elsewhere instantly–that’s Howard. Two sentences and the temperature is rising and your in a jungle somewhere. I’m a big fan of the late John M. Ford in general, and his collections are definitely worth picking up.

I guess I’ll mention two elephants who I think are at their best as short form writers – Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. No less a giant, Ursula Le Guin is somebody who I think is still schooling people, and her short fiction is where much of her best later work is.

I love Rhys Hughes. The guy did Borges and didn’t embarrass himself, and Zoran Zivkovic never feels like he’s anywhere but he wants to be. Something harmonious about his work.

Also, because no one’s mentioned her yet, has anyone read Amy Hempel? I think her collected stories should be required reading for most writer’s, especially short story writers.

Frank–Hell yeah, Poachers is amazing (as is all of Mr. Franklin’s output) and I’m surprised you didn’t throw some Larry Brown and William Gay in there, too. I’m just starting to read Vachess, but one of the first books of his I read was Born Bad–those are some quick and brutal reads and a Hell of a lot of fun.

Paul–I think it’ll be awhile before I can put together a collection of my stories that I’m happy with, but thanks for the compliment. Like Patti’s picks, you’ve got some great ones in there. I love Hot Water Music, Bukowski is still a a big favorite of mine. And if I can make a suggestion to you, you should try out Hubert Selby’s Song of Silent Snow, great stuff.

Jay–I’m going to have to get you together with my friend Cameron Ashley. The man is an absolute devotee of Ballard’s, but rightfully so. And Swanwick doesn’t even remotely get the props he deserves for his short stuff. And you’re totally cheating by including Watterson in there!

I think J.G Ballard has very interesting body of work in short form. I thin even among current SF/F circles people like a Beagle or Swanwick probably don’t come up as often as they should

If we cheat little, I’m not sure nobody collected work is more fun than a Bill Watterson book, but maybe, just maybe, Ligotti gives him a run.

I really, really fancy the Kyle Minor book. I had never heard of the other writers before but sound pretty good. the collected Keith Rawson will be a hoot, I think. XXX of course

Stan–Once again, Dubus is a big favorite, a true master.

Fanshawe–I was a little disappointed that Kyle’s PWG stuff wasn’t included (PWG is where I first read Kyle’s stories.) but I think In the Devil’s Territory was meant to spotlight his longer fiction.

Eric–I’ve always been a bigger fan of Woolrich’s short fiction as opposed to his novels. He’s the true father of noir in my opinion.

A work of spare beauty and almost religious intensity, this first collection of stories is nothing less than spectacular. Narrated by a recovering alcoholic prone to Valhallan delusions and set primarily in Iowa, it features drifters and dopeheads who have spent their lives on bar stools, ”guilty and frightened, because there was something wrong with us, and we didn’t know what it was.” Denis Johnson conjures a world of bong-water banality that periodically spills over into sublime hallucination. For all its anomie, Jesus’ Son closes on a note of genuine faith and promise. A

Jeffrey Ford and Brian Evenson are amassing the strongest bodies of work out there right now bar genre.