Read With MLC: Short Stories

Welcome to May, and the fifth reading prompt for our 2024 Read With MLC reading challenge: read a short story collection. May is actually Short Story Month and reading one is a great way to celebrate this brief but tantalizing literary form. Lauren Groff, guest judge at last year's O. Henry Prize for Short Fiction said of short stories, "They are quick, breathtaking windows into other humans’ souls, which is where the infinite resides, in my personal credo. The story form is infinitely malleable, gorgeously economical, and endlessly surprising." Don't know where to start finding one, or some, to read? We have some ideas below!

These are MLC's staff picks for short stories and short story collections they've enjoyed:

• We love Harry Dresden in our household, even the short-lived TV show, so Side Jobs and Brief Cases by Jim Butcher are natural choices for my favorite short story collections.
  -Kristina Kelly, Public Relations Coordinator
   
• Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" have always stuck with me.
  -Charlie Simpkins, Special Collections Coordinator
  
  
• "My Last Attempt to Explain What Happened to the Lion Tamer" by Brendan Mathews is one of my favorite stories ever. I first found it in the 2010 edition of the annual Best American Short Stories collection, which I try to check out whenever I can.
  -Kristen Hillman, MAGNOLIA Outreach Coordinator
   
• “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” by Alice Munro is a devastating and complex look at infidelity and Alzheimer's Disease that has stayed with me for many, many years.
  -Elisabeth Scott, Reference Librarian
  
  
• “Parker’s Back” by Flannery O’Connor is one of my favorite short stories. It involves tattoos, religion, tractors, marriage, and a lady shrieking about idolatry. I think about it all the time.
  -Tracy Carr, Deputy Director of Library Services
  
  
• "Laughter at the Academy" by Seanan McGuire and "The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan" by Heather Lindsley are two of my favorites from the short story collection The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination.
  -Beth Samson, Continuing Education Coordinator
  
  
• Robert Sheckley's “Ghost V” is my favorite short story ever!! It's story #20 of 52 from the anthology The World Treasury of Science Fiction edited by David G. Hartwell (1989). It’s about two guys who exterminate problem creatures on newly discovered planets: think Ghostbusters, but in space.
  -Colleen Gregg, IT Support Technician
  
  
• "Why I Live at the P.O." is the epitome of Eudora Welty's insightful writing about Mississippi.
  -Alex Brower, Information Services Director
  
  
• I have a type and I love Gene Wolfe. His "The Toy Theater" is the best.
  -Zach Burton, Cataloging Librarian
  

As you can see, there are short stories for every taste imaginable. Many times a favorite author has released their own collection or participated in a collaborative effort with others in a similar genre or around a specific theme. Check your local public library and the Mississippi Library Collection for a world of short story reading possibilities. If you would like a personalized list of suggestions, fill out MLC's BookMatch form and we'll reply back within 24 hours. Until next time, happy reading!

Elisabeth Scott

Reference Librarian