Best Short Story Collections
Tenth of December by George Saunders is the best short story collection of the past twenty years — it won the Story Prize and was widely celebrated as proof that short fiction can be as emotionally complex and formally inventive as any novel. It's best for readers who want to be challenged and moved simultaneously. The tradeoff: What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is the most historically influential collection in American short fiction and the right starting point for readers who want to understand what short stories can do.
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Quick Comparison
| # | Book | Best For | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tenth of December by George Saunders | Greatest Recent Collection | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 | What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver | Most Influential / Most Essential | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 | Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri | Most Accessible Literary Collection | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 | Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout | Best Novel-in-Stories | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 | Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado | Most Original / Most Experimental | Buy on Amazon |
Full Reviews
1. Tenth of December
by George Saunders
Stories about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, told in Saunders's idiosyncratic voice that combines moral seriousness with genuine humor. The title story is one of the greatest short stories in American literature.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want conventional realism — Saunders writes speculative elements into realistic settings.
2. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
by Raymond Carver
Carver's minimalist short fiction defines a genre. Stories about ordinary American people whose lives are coming apart, told in prose stripped of everything inessential.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want resolution — Carver's stories deliberately refuse closure.
3. Interpreter of Maladies
by Jhumpa Lahiri
Stories about Indian and Indian-American characters navigating between cultures. Won the Pulitzer. The most approachable literary story collection — beautiful prose without difficulty.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want formal experimentation — this is accessible, psychologically precise literary fiction.
4. Olive Kitteridge
by Elizabeth Strout
Stories centered on or adjacent to a prickly Maine schoolteacher named Olive Kitteridge. Strout builds a portrait of a difficult woman with extraordinary empathy.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want entirely separate stories — Olive Kitteridge is a novel in linked stories.
5. Her Body and Other Parties
by Carmen Maria Machado
Genre-bending stories about women's bodies, fear, and desire. The opening story 'The Husband Stitch' is one of the most discussed short stories of the past decade.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want realism — Machado writes horror, speculative fiction, and surrealism.
What to Consider Before You Buy
Short stories reward different engagement
Short story collections work best read slowly, one story at a time with time between. Binge-reading a collection reduces impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best short story collection?
Tenth of December for contemporary literary achievement. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love for historical importance.
Our Verdict
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love for the most essential American short fiction. Tenth of December for the best contemporary collection.