Top 10 Short Stories, The - 20th Century

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author? The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature. Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something. Industrialisation and global wars have given man a new dimension as master of a world that he also pillages for his own short-term needs. Whilst many suffer, journalism begins a more widespread examination of why this is and authors begin to write for the plethora of journals and magazines that spring up to deliver broad based entertainment to the masses. In this volume the household names of literature speak for and on behalf of these uncertain and demanding times. 1 - The Top 10 - The 20th Century - An Introduction 2 - Pauls Case by Willa Cather 3 - The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell 4 - Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F Scott Fitzgerald 5 - August Heat by W F Harvey 6 - The Gift Of The Magi by O Henry 7 - The Dead by James Joyce 8 - A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka 9 - Odour of Chrysanthemums by D H Lawrence 10 - To Build a Fire by Jack London 11 - The Color Out of Space by H P Lovecraft