What is the best short story ever written and who is the author? Where can I get a copy?

Answer 1

Well it really depends on what you like because what you think is a best story may not be what I think is a best story.. It's all based on opinion but if you are interested. The Best American Short Stories yearly anthology is a part of the Best American Series published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. Since 1915, the BASS anthology has strived to contain the best short stories by some of the best-known writers in contemporary American literature. Each year, a well-known guest editor organizes the book. I'm sure you could research it and find more info online about this series. Hope this helps :)

Answer 2

In my opinion, that would have to be "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. It can be found in "The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon" (Ivring's book which the story is a part of) wjich you should be able to find (either by that title or more simply "The Sketchbook," another copy may read "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other stories from the Sketchbook") in bookstores and libraries. You can also find it online at Project Guttenberg.

However, as I already said this is my opnion. And that is what this question is really all about, people's opinions of what the best short story is. You could ask a hundred different people and likely get at least twenty different answers (taking repeat answerts into acount). There is absolutely no short story that can be claimed to be the absolute best, but there are hundreds of canidates for that title. Until each and every person can agree on just one, there will remain hundreds of canidates.

Answer 3

Several greats that jump to mind are:
Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
The Rocking-Horse Winner by D. H. Lawrence
Miss Emmeline Takes Off by Walter Brooks
The Wonderful Day by Robert Arthur
The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant
Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
The Lady, or the Tiger? By Frank R. Stockton
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

As well as anything be Edgar Allen Poe, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Robert Louis Stevenson, or Rudyard Kipling

Answer 4

Again, just my opinion, but I love these short stories-
The Yellow Wallpaper- Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Young Goodman Brown- Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Story of an Hour- Kate Chopin
The Lottery- Shirley Jackson
A Jury of Her Peers- Susan Glaspell
The Rocking-Horse Winner
The Long Walk and Rage- Stephen King aka Richard Bachman
Hope you like.

Answer 5

The winner of the 2007 Million Writers Award for best online short story is "Urchins, While Swimming" by Catherynne M. Valente, published in Clarkesword Magazine.
For additional questions or inquiries about the Million Writers Award, contact storySouth editor Jason Sanford at [e-mail].

Answer 6

Depends on your choice, really.

i liked that short story by O Henry in which a child has a fever of 102 and spends the whole day thinking he's about to die, cos at the school in france, they said you couldn't live with a fever of 44 degrees, and he has 102 degrees!

And that story, Truth about Pycraft, by HG wells in which a guy tries to lose weight with an arcane Indian potion, which causes him to lose weight but not excess fat, so he has to wear lead boots as otherwise he would float away like a balloon.

And Saki was a good story writer as well. Oscarwilde wasalso a good writer, but all these are old. what sort of stories do you prefer.

Answer 7

All the choices are good, but I have to go with The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula Le Guin. It's available online. Google it. Pax - C

Answer 8

O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi.
It's a classic.


Any public library will have it.

Answer 9

the Lottery- Shirley Jackson.

Answer 10

for me the best book is invinsible friend by louise arnold...idk
shop online .this book is sooo great i decited to read again .and lots from other authors