Anthologies & Collections
Forgotten Realms: Realms of Valor - James Lowder, editor
A Medicine for Melancholy - Ray Bradbury, author
Sol's Children - Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg, editors
The Other Side of the Sky - Arthur C. Clarke, author
Outsiders - Nancy Holder and Nancy Kilpatrick, editors
Dreams Made Flesh - Anne Bishop, author
Vampire Slayers: Stories of Those Who Dare to Take Back the Night - Martin H. Greenburg and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, editors
The Darker Side: Generations of Horror - John Pelan, editor
The Best American Short Stories 2002 - Sue Miller, editor and Katrina Kension, series editor
Lies & Ugliness - Brian Hodge, author
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales - H. P. Lovecraft, author
Wormwood (also published as: His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood) - Poppy Z. Brite, author
A Magic-Lovers Treasury of the Fantastic - Margaret Weis, editor
Eleventh Annual Year's Best Science Fiction - Gardner Dozois, editor
The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF - David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer, editors
The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica - Maxim Jakubowski, editor
Prime Evil - Douglas E. Winter, editor
Book of the Dead - John Skipp and Craig Spector, editors
Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology - Bruce Sterling, editor
Nightmare and Dreamscapes - Stephen King, author
Modern Classics of Fantasy - Gardner Dozois, editor
Skeleton Crew - Stephen King, author
Night Shift - Stephen King, author
I've decided to include the above list of short story collections and anthologies because I think overall, these books are under-rated and disregarded by the general reading public. It is well known that short story collections and anthologies are the worst sellers among books, but it is also well known that these books contain some of the best reading gems available. So I figure, maybe by including a list that I've read, I'll inspire at least a small handful of people to pick one of them up from their local bookstore.
It's also important to note that I read collections and anthologies differently than novels or other books. Rarely do I read these books cover-to-cover, or in order. I skip around, picking and choosing as the mood strikes me. There are some collections and anthologies that have taken me over a year to read, simply because I would only read one or two stories a month, sometimes only because I couldn't decide what novel to read next.
In short, do more to support authors - buy short story publications.
If this page interested you, you might find my Short Story Page interesting as well.
"...The rest, with very little exaggeration, was books. Meant-to-be-picked-up books. Permanently-left-behind books. Uncertain-what-to-do-with books. But books, books. Tall cases lined three walls of the room, filled to and beyond capacity. The overflow had been piled in stacks on the floor. There was little space left for walking, and none whatever for pacing."
- "Franny and Zooey" J.D. Salinger
The list below is anthologies I've purchased within the past two years or so. I haven't included them in the list above because I've completed less than half the stories. I wanted to include them on this page though, because I have enjoyed the stories I've read so far and would recommend these publications.
The Toynbee Convector - Ray Bradbury, author
The Earth Strikes Back: New Tales of Ecological Horror - Richard T. Chizmar, editor
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 18th Annual Collection - Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link, and Gavin J. Grant, editors
Twenty-Second Annual Year's Best Science Fiction - Gardner Dozois, editor
Hot Blood XI: Fatal Attraction - Jeff Gleb and Michael Garrett, editors
The Best of Dreams of Decadence: Vampire Stories and Poems to Keep You Up Till Dawn - Angela Kessler, editor
In the Shadow of the Gargoyle - Nancy Kilpatrick and Thomas S. Roche, editors
The Best American Short Stories 2001 - Barbara Kingsolver, editor and Katrina Kension, series editor
Lost on the Darkside: Voices from the Edge of Horror - John Pelan, editor
Elemental: The Tsunami Relief Anthology: Stories of Science Fiction and Fantasy - Steven Savile and Alethea Kontis, editors
Also check out my Recently Read Books page.
Don't forget my page of Shared Universe reads.
Last Updated: 12-01-2009
