The Best Small Fictions: 2019 Anthology

Most people don’t imagine short stories as limited in length as the majority of the pieces in The Best Small Fictions 2019 could possibly be compelling. But, this collection of arresting and beautiful small fictions, some under two hundred words, proves that the right image, the proper turn of phrase, the gut-punch of a startling line of dialogue can make even the shortest work a joy and a jolt to read.

Known writers like Ann Beattie, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Lydia Davis grace these pages with their stark and sensational prose. Alongside them, relatively unknown writers Vi Khi Nao, Pedro Ponce, and Erik Wennermark drop equally devastating words onto the page.

What editors Askew and Leslie have managed to accomplish is nothing short of extraordinary in that they have compiled a collection of work that is as moving individually as it is as a whole. These works, from flash to micro to hybrid fiction, illustrate what is exciting and revolutionary about the short story form.

If you’re interested in seeing what modern writers are up to in their attempts to reform and invert the short story genre, or if you just want an engrossing collection of short pieces to read in the stolen minutes of your day. The Best Small Fictions 2019 is the book for you.