I think we all want to be told a story,” Robert P. Ottone, author of the horror short story collection Wrapped in Plastic and Other Sweet Nothings (JournalStone, 2023) said. “Whether that’s in epistolary form or whatever kinds of trickery the author is playing with us, a good story is a good story, with or without the window dressing. We’ve told stories around the campfire since the beginning of time. The spread of local legend and folklore. The historical value of a people. It’s all through the power of storytelling.” Short story collections come in a variety of shapes, sizes and genres. Some story collections include drabbles (stories of 100 words), while others include flash fiction, which are typically stories written in one thousand words. These books are available in a variety of genres. These books are typically categorized into one genre. My own book of short stories, The Worst Thing You Ever Did (PsychoToxin Press, 2023) is a collection of YA horror stories. There are also collections of science fiction, romance, paranormal and children’s stories as well. Readers and writers alike enjoy short story collections for both entertainment and instruction. Wills reads these books both as a writer and a reader. “I write a lot of short stories, so these collections influence me quite a bit,” he said. “I pay attention to the way they flow, the emotions they evoke, and the pacing, so I can try to make my own stories just a little better with each new one.” As you read a short story collection, you may come across a story you don’t particularly enjoy. The best thing about these books, is that you can skip over a story without feeling bad that you’re missing out on the rest of the book. There are still other stories to read. There is no rule saying you must read every single story in these books. I have often skipped a story or two if they are not to my liking. Some short story collections include art. I am currently reading Jon Richter’s Dark Fiction (Independently Published, 2023) and the accompanying illustrations by David T. Wilby really add better imagery and creativity to the stories. Short story collections can be a great diversion, as well as an entertaining way to pass the time. Whether you have them as ebooks on your reader to read in the car or as a cure for boredom on a rainy day, these books can serve as entertaining reading and provide short doses of adventure and escape. 85
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