As with lyrical poems, we return to the short story time and again for the particular (if hugely varied) effects it can produce for us: a single, unified glimpse into life, which is often accompanied with a singular epiphany, whose meaning rises from the page like a powerful note of music.

Short stories have a wonderful utility in being...short. Unlike most novels or novellas (with key exceptions) they can usually be read in one sitting. At their best, they give the reader an integrated aesthetic experience, taken down in a single gulp like a restorative glass of water after a long drought. It's also worth mentioning that short stories are a truly vital platform for emerging writers to showcase their talent.

Short stories provide the grounds to explore a definitive scale of action or experience. Unlike novels, which must encapsulate a story of some range and breadth, and which usually contain within them many subplots and complementary stories, short fiction burrows into a singular motif and provides readers with a highly memorable and distinctive exclamation point regarding its mood or message.

Within this basic framework, however, the sky is the limit.

Some of the most enduring examples of short fiction include "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, which explores themes of guilt and madness in a chilling tale of murder; "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, which examines the dangers of blind adherence to tradition; and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor, which delves into the complexities of faith, morality, and violence. Much to discover here. Happy reading!