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📄 Short Stories · United States

Best Short Stories Books from United States

The short story is a distinct art form, not a failed novel. United States has produced some of the most internationally recognised works in short stories, with titles that have appeared on major prize lists and critical surveys worldwide. This page ranks the best short stories from United States by editorial consensus.

#1
Cover of Olive Kitteridge
literary-fiction

Olive Kitteridge

Elizabeth Strout· 2009
★Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score74/100
#2
Cover of A Visit from the Goon Squad
literary-fiction

A Visit from the Goon Squad

Jennifer Egan· 2011
★Pulitzer Prize
Editorial Score68/100
#3
Cover of The Stories of John Cheever
short-stories

The Stories of John Cheever

John Cheever· 1979
★National Book Award
Editorial Score61/100
#4
Cover of The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake
short-stories

The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake

Breece D'J Pancake· 1983
★PEN/Faulkner Award
Editorial Score61/100
#5
Cover of The Collected Stories of Grace Paley
short-stories

The Collected Stories of Grace Paley

Grace Paley· 1999
★PEN/Faulkner Award
Editorial Score58/100
#6
Cover of Ship Fever
short-stories

Ship Fever

Andrea Barrett· 1997
★National Book Award
Editorial Score57/100
#7
A Christmas Carol
literary-fiction

A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens· 1843
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score55/100
#8
Twice-Told Tales
literary-fiction

Twice-Told Tales

Nathaniel Hawthorne· 1800
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score55/100
#9
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe in Five Volumes
literary-fiction

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe in Five Volumes

Edgar Allan Poe· 1903
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score55/100
#10
Tales of Mystery and Imagination [29 stories]
literary-fiction

Tales of Mystery and Imagination [29 stories]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1902
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score55/100
#11
Great American Short Stories
literary-fiction

Great American Short Stories

Wallace Stegner· 1957
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#12
Cover of Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe [21 stories, 34 poems]
literary-fiction

Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe [21 stories, 34 poems]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1940
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#13
Nouvelles histoires extraordinaires (Berenice / Black Cat / Cask of Amontillado / Colloquy of Monos and Una / Conversation of Eiros and Charmi / Devil in the Belfry / Fall of the House of Usher / Four Beasts in One / Hop-Frog / Imp of the Perverse / Island of the Fay / King Pest / Lionizing / Man of the Crowd / Masque of the Red Death / Oval Portrait / Pit and the Pendulum / Power of Words / Shadow / Silence / Some Words with a Mummy / Tell-Tale Heart / William Wilson)
literary-fiction

Nouvelles histoires extraordinaires (Berenice / Black Cat / Cask of Amontillado / Colloquy of Monos and Una / Conversation of Eiros and Charmi / Devil in the Belfry / Fall of the House of Usher / Four Beasts in One / Hop-Frog / Imp of the Perverse / Island of the Fay / King Pest / Lionizing / Man of the Crowd / Masque of the Red Death / Oval Portrait / Pit and the Pendulum / Power of Words / Shadow / Silence / Some Words with a Mummy / Tell-Tale Heart / William Wilson)

Edgar Allan Poe· 1857
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#14
Tales of Mystery and Imagination [46 stories]
literary-fiction

Tales of Mystery and Imagination [46 stories]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1908
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#15
Cover of The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe [67 stories, 52 poems, 4 essays]
literary-fiction

The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe [67 stories, 52 poems, 4 essays]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1938
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#16
Tales of Mystery and Imagination [22 stories]
literary-fiction

Tales of Mystery and Imagination [22 stories]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1985
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#17
Cover of Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe
literary-fiction

Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe· 1967
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score55/100
#18
Cover of Great Short Works of Herman Melville
classic-literature

Great Short Works of Herman Melville

Herman Melville· 1940
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score55/100
#19
Cover of The Stories of John Edgar Wideman
short-stories

The Stories of John Edgar Wideman

John Edgar Wideman· 1993
★PEN/Faulkner Award
Editorial Score54/100
#20
The sketch-book of Geoffrey Crayon, Esq
literary-fiction

The sketch-book of Geoffrey Crayon, Esq

Washington Irving· 1819
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score50/100
#21
The Fall of the House of Usher
literary-fiction

The Fall of the House of Usher

Edgar Allan Poe· 1704
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#22
Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque
literary-fiction

Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque

Edgar Allan Poe· 1840
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#23
Nine Stories
literary-fiction

Nine Stories

J. D. Salinger· 1948
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#24
The Tell-Tale Heart
literary-fiction

The Tell-Tale Heart

Edgar Allan Poe· 1958
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#25
Cover of Night Shift
literary-fiction

Night Shift

Stephen King· 1960
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#26
Cover of Different Seasons
literary-fiction

Different Seasons

Stephen King· 1982
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#27
Piazza Tales
literary-fiction

Piazza Tales

Herman Melville· 1856
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#28
Selected English Short Stories (Nineteenth Century)
literary-fiction

Selected English Short Stories (Nineteenth Century)

Walker, Hugh· 1914
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score50/100
#29
The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales [15 stories]
literary-fiction

The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales [15 stories]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1960
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#30
Cover of Steinbeck
literary-fiction

Steinbeck

John Steinbeck· 1943
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score50/100
#31
Selections From Poe [6 stories, 35 poems]
literary-fiction

Selections From Poe [6 stories, 35 poems]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1907
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#32
Cover of Ten Great Mysteries [10 stories, 5 poems]
literary-fiction

Ten Great Mysteries [10 stories, 5 poems]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1960
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#33
Cover of Tales of Mystery and Terror (Black Cat / Descent into the Maelstrom / Fall of the House of Usher / Hop-Frog / Masque of the Red Death / MS. Found in a Bottle / Oblong Box / Oval Portrait / Pit and the Pendulum / Some Words With a Mummy / Sphinx / Tell-Tale Heart / William Wilson)
literary-fiction

Tales of Mystery and Terror (Black Cat / Descent into the Maelstrom / Fall of the House of Usher / Hop-Frog / Masque of the Red Death / MS. Found in a Bottle / Oblong Box / Oval Portrait / Pit and the Pendulum / Some Words With a Mummy / Sphinx / Tell-Tale Heart / William Wilson)

Edgar Allan Poe· 1967
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#34
Cover of The Works of Edgar Allan Poe [68 stories, 31 poems]
literary-fiction

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe [68 stories, 31 poems]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1985
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#35
Cover of The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe [73 stories, 48 poems]
literary-fiction

The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe [73 stories, 48 poems]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1985
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#36
Cover of The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings
literary-fiction

The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings

Edgar Allan Poe· 1980
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score50/100
#37
Cover of Tales of Mystery and Imagination [25 stories]
literary-fiction

Tales of Mystery and Imagination [25 stories]

Edgar Allan Poe· 1985
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#38
Cover of Billy Budd and Other Tales
classic-literature

Billy Budd and Other Tales

Herman Melville· 1961
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#39
Cover of If It Bleeds
fantasy

If It Bleeds

Stephen King· 2020
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score50/100
#40
Cover of Gwendy's button box
fantasy

Gwendy's button box

Stephen King· 2017
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#41
Cover of The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty
short-stories

The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty

Eudora Welty· 1983
★National Book Award
Editorial Score48/100
#42
Cover of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
literary-fiction

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

F. Scott Fitzgerald· 2007
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
#43
Tales of the Jazz Age
literary-fiction

Tales of the Jazz Age

F. Scott Fitzgerald· 1922
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score45/100
#44
Cover of Four Past Midnight
literary-fiction

Four Past Midnight

Stephen King· 1990
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score45/100
#45
Cover of Everything's Eventual. 14 Dark Tales
literary-fiction

Everything's Eventual. 14 Dark Tales

Stephen King· 2002
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#46
The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories
literary-fiction

The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories

Ernest Hemingway· 1927
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#47
Derniers Contes
literary-fiction

Derniers Contes

Edgar Allan Poe· 2004
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#48
Cover of Great Short Works of Edgar Allan Poe
classic-literature

Great Short Works of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe· 1970
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
#49
You Like It Darker
mystery-thriller

You Like It Darker

Stephen King· 2024
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score45/100
#50
Histoires Extraordinaires (Balloon-Hoax / Descent into the Maelstrom / Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar / Gold-Bug / Ligeia / Mesmeric Revelation / Metzengerstein / Morella / MS. Found in a Bottle / Murders in the Rue Morgue / Mystery of Marie Roget / Purloined Letter / Tale of the Ragged Mountains / Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall)
horror

Histoires Extraordinaires (Balloon-Hoax / Descent into the Maelstrom / Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar / Gold-Bug / Ligeia / Mesmeric Revelation / Metzengerstein / Morella / MS. Found in a Bottle / Murders in the Rue Morgue / Mystery of Marie Roget / Purloined Letter / Tale of the Ragged Mountains / Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall)

Edgar Allan Poe· 1869
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
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