In his essay, MIKE SMITH discusses the short stories of James Joyce, from the collection Dubliners: ‘Instead of being led, or driven, by authorial enthusiasm this writing told of flawed individuals who failed to rise to traditional heroics…’
PAULINE MASUREL discusses how Ludmilla Petrushevskaya’s collection of Scary Fairy Tales swerves ‘between the realist-expected and the magical-surreal – often involving equally powerful forces such as disease, alcohol, vandalism, war and mental illness.’
In her essay on Bio-Punk, KIRSTY WALTERS talks of the haunting use of science and ethics in this wonderful short story collection: ‘…it opened my mind to a whole new way of thinking…’
We recommend The Inland Sea, a wonderfully wintry short story from K. J. Orr: ‘a truly epic tale of adventure, extreme winter weather and the bonds of brotherhood…’
In her essay, LELA TREDWELL looks at book burnings, burials and elimination: ‘Historically, obliterating books has always been a difficult business. One The Best British Short Stories 2012 knows a thing or two about.’
‘His stories are populated by a wild cast of brigands, adventurers and detectives…’ EMILY CLEAVER recommends Jorge Luis Borges’ short story ‘Death and the Compass’.
In his essay on Jorge Luis Borges’ short story collection The Maker, DANIEL SPINKS discusses ‘the intricate manner in which Borges takes an idea from history, religion, literature or philosophy and plays with it…’
ANUSHREE NANDE looks at ‘The Song’ by Colm Tóibín: ‘A narrative told in limited third person that unfolds not unlike a song. Introductory chords, initial stanzas that slowly build up to the chorus and the repeat of this structure, all of which is building up to the final crescendo…’
‘Opening Bridges is like opening a box of tricks with each story containing a new, magical insight into human nature and the bridges that connect us.’ KIRSTY WALTERS recommends a Global Anthology of Short Stories.
ELLIE WALSH recommends ‘What We Wanted’, a short story by Canadian writer Michael V. Smith: ‘it is a story that shatters sides and boundaries.’
