10 contemporary writers who’ll get you hooked on short stories

The ten greatest short story writers of the twenty-first century? Only ten? The century is already fourteen years old. That is enough time to compile a list twice as long as this one. However, we are restricting ourselves to ten because we want your input. Which story writers have blown your mind since the big Y2K? Leave your comments below.

In the meantime, check out these authors if you are not already familiar with their works. They are so good it hurts.

Kevin Barry

Barry is our number one. This Irish writer has two collections, There are Little Kingdoms (2007) and Dark Lies the Island (2012). Both are outstanding. They are hilarious, poignant, bizarre, frightening and inventive. Barry’s prose, his local idiolect, his use of imagery and his peerless dialogue make him a superstar. If you want a sampler, find his story ‘Beer Trip to Llandudno’. If you ever read a better tale of middle-aged male friendship than this, we will buy you a pint.

Sarah Hall

Hall is a prolific novelist but has only released one story collection to date, The Beautiful Indifference (2011). It will blow you away. She is the best writer about the Cumbrian landscape in the North of England that we have encountered. Her stories are enormously empathic. They pack a huge punch whether she is writing about decaying relationships, imminent death or a teenage girl’s love affair with a dog and horse breeding clan. One of our favourite stories, ‘Butcher’s Perfume’, was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story prize in 2010. In 2013 she won the top prize with another gem, “Mrs Fox”.

George Saunders

Saunders’ first collection, CivilWarLand In Bad Decline, came out in 1996. The rest of his work has emerged this century. Pastoralia (2000), In Persuasion Nation (2006) and Tenth of December (2013) have cemented his reputation. He writes weirdly compelling satirical work that is tender, funny and readable. Contrary to the notion that the short story is on its last legs, Tenth of December was shortlisted for the 2014 Folio Prize. It was selected as one of the ten best books of 2013 by the editors of the New York Times Book Review. It reached number two on the New York Times hardback bestseller list. Try ‘Brad Carrigan, American’. You will never look at a TV show or star in quite the same way again.

Wells Tower

Tower’s only book to date is called Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned (2009). It earned him a reputation as one of the foremost up-and-comers in short story land. The book is funny, harsh and diverse. It is great on contemporary America. It is also a good example of how a writer can take influences like Hemingway and twist them into something unique. Check out ‘On The Show’ as a sampler. It is set in a fairground.

Jennifer Egan

Egan’s first collection, Emerald City, came out in 1993. Her second, A Visit from the Goon Squad (2010), brought her the Pulitzer Prize. This set of interlinked narratives follows a group of people connected to the music industry in the USA from the mid twentieth century until the near future. It is about time, memory and how lives are shaped. It is witty, imaginative, brutal and clever. The second story, ‘The Gold Cure’, is a favourite. Check out ‘Great Rock and Roll Pauses’ to see a short story told entirely in PowerPoint.

Kelly Link

Link has stories in many anthologies. Check out Stranger Things Happen (2001), Magic for Beginners (2006) and Pretty Monsters (2008) for the full effect. She is generally classified as a fantasy or slipstream writer. Her work is truly cross-genre. She makes the idea of genre seem like a juvenile marketing scheme. Her stories are magical, devastating and witty. They mix urban realism with a fairytale horror aesthetic. The title story of Magic for Beginners is superb. The zombie story ‘The Hortlak’ is available here as a sampler.

Yiyun Li

Li has two collections: A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (2005) and Gold Boy, Emerald Girl (2010). The first won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. The second was shortlisted for the same prize. She is also a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. A Chinese author living in the US, she writes about modern China in an understated, elegant way. We recommend ‘Kindness’, the opening story of the second collection. It is long but excellent.

Philip Ó Ceallaigh

Ó Ceallaigh is an Irish-born writer based in Bucharest. He is the author of two collections: Notes From A Turkish Whorehouse (2006) and The Pleasant Light of Day (2009). He writes more about men than women. His stories are rarely set in Ireland. He is an editor of short stories as well as a writer. He once told a journalist that if you have something to say and can say it for less, that is the way to go. We agree. Look at ‘Walking Away’ in the Granta Book of the Irish Short Story (2012).

Claire Keegan

Keegan’s first collection, Antarctica, came out in 1999. Her second, Walk The Blue Fields (2007), made everyone pay attention. Keegan has won almost every prize Irish literature offers. She writes about rural Irish life with delicacy and empathy. Try ‘The Forrester’s Daughter’ for a start. You will be back for more.

Adam Marek

The UK’s Adam Marek is the author of Instruction Manual For Swallowing (2007) and The Stone Thrower (2012). He is a writer on the up. He does sci-fi, ghost stories and realistic parent and child tales. His work is quirky and fantastical but never throwaway. Marek’s stories linger. His story ‘Fewer Things’ was shortlisted for the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize in 2010. Check out ‘Tamagotchi’ if you want something more offbeat.

That is our ten. We know there are more who deserve love. If you have recommendations that make even the most hardened short story hater fall in love, let us know below.

One short story collection worth adding to your reading list is Spellbound by Joel Willans — prize-winning stories about men, women and the sweet chaos of romantic pursuit. Compact, sharp and genuinely surprising.

For more literary gems, check out these sci-fi novel opening lines that’ll take your breath away.