SF short stories - recommendations

RWJ · 03-26-2009, 07:51 PM

I have never really likes short stories. Most of the ones I've read were for school, and I stopped taking lit courses as soon as possible. Once or twice I read anthologies at cottages when it was rainy etc.

Fastforward to my getting my Sony, and getting emails from Fictionwise with "specially selected" stories just for me - I bought Hawksbill Station, because it was trivially cheap, and loved it. Short stories are great on a reader, because you can store lots of them without lugging around a huge book, and are a perfect length to read before bed.

So, any recommendations? I have pretty eclectic tastes, and have read almost no short stories but that one, and an Ellison anthology.

CleverClothe · 03-26-2009, 10:53 PM

igorsk · 03-27-2009, 08:22 AM

Jim Baen's Universe has a lot of strories:
www.baens-universe.com

Ralph Sir Edward · 03-27-2009, 09:03 AM

General (mixed author anthologies)

Dangerous Visions - Harlan Ellison

The World Turned Upside Down - Eric Flint - Baen Free Library

Individual Author

The Works of Cornwainer Smith - even the one novel is two novellas, glued together - Baens books (some currently free)

Deathbird Stories - Harlan Ellison

bill_mchale · 03-27-2009, 10:28 AM

Shoot, make sure you check out Project Gutenberg, Feedbooks and Manybooks.net. There is a lot of short SF there.. particularly since a lot of the stuff in the pulps from the 30s-though 60 or so didn't have their copyrights renewed. Check out H. Beam Piper (his novels are worth reading as well).

--
Bill

BenG · 03-28-2009, 07:46 PM

Check out BestScienceFictionStories.com. Each blog entry has a review and lists where the story may be found. Many, if not most, are available somewhere as online texts, which should be easy to convert to your reader's format.

http://bestsciencefictionstories.com/

Fledchen · 03-29-2009, 06:51 AM

I like getting my science fiction short story fix from Escape Pod. It's a podcast, not electronic text, but most of the stories are pretty good, and it is free. Most of the stories are about half an hour long.
http://escapepod.org/

BearMountainBooks · 09-01-2009, 03:30 PM

I second the Baen's Universe and EscapePod. If you like fantasy at all, Fictionwise has one of Jim Hines short stories. I really enjoy most of his work, long and short.

My other favorite source for short fiction is Black Gate -- it's mostly fantasy. They have a downloadable PDF starting with the last issue...Maybe one before that. Black Gate is my favorite magazine.

Another freebie read you might like is online. Beneath Ceaseless Skies. But it's mostly fantasy too, come to think of it.

Maria
Sage: (multiple formats; Amazon or Smashwords--$1.00)
Catch an Honest Thief (Kindle only format: $1.99; a cozy mystery)

bertold · 09-02-2009, 08:20 AM

Arthur C. Clarke's complete short story collection is very
hard to beat. Some of the best SF short stories ever written.

John F · 09-02-2009, 08:53 AM

Maybe some of these:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...highlight=Hugo

BearMountainBooks · 09-02-2009, 11:18 AM

If you want a physical book, you might also try www.AnthologyBuilder.com You grab whatever stories you want and build a book and then have it shipped to you. I know Eric Flint has at least one story out there. I read one by Nancy Fulda that was a mystery/sci/fi (might be too space opera for you, but it was an *excellent* mystery.)

You can search on science fiction or authors, etc.

Kevin Gerard · 09-05-2009, 10:57 AM

Hands down, the best sci-fi short stories I ever read. Ray Bradbury.

BearMountainBooks · 09-05-2009, 05:43 PM

Another really fun place to find short stories (and these are free) is www.towndrunkmag.com

They only put out one or two stories per month, but they focus on humor. My favorite online zine!

(full disclosure: one of my stories has been published in town drunk).

Maria

owlrigh · 09-06-2009, 04:16 AM

Just the other day I came across this particular website, which has reviews of online content, some of which is available for free: The Fix, Short Fiction Review

The Free SF Reader -- Lots here, will keep you occupied.

These are aggregate review blogs of short SF; there are many ezines out there with free content of varying quality, some of which have long gone into hiatus, but which is still available.

kennyc · 09-06-2009, 06:56 AM

Hey thanks everyone for those links. Any more? The Short Story is my favorite form of literature and it seems that ebooks (I'm relatively new to this) are focused (as is the world) more on novels than short story collections which I love such as the annual Years Best Science Fiction from Gardner Dozois -- which seems to be available for Kindle but not in epub wtf??

I also buy the annual general fiction - Best American Short Stories, O Henry Prize stories, Pushcart Prize Stories...but don't seem to find them available either. Guess it's just a market/marketing thing. I was thinking, and think I will start a separate thread on short fiction in general and see about what others have found.

03-26-2009, 07:51 PM	#1
RWJ Zealot Posts: 120 Karma: 170 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: PRS-505	SF short stories - recommendations I have never really likes short stories. Most of the ones I've read were for school, and I stopped taking lit courses as soon as possible. Once or twice I read anthologies at cottages when it was rainy etc. Fastforward to my getting my Sony, and getting emails from Fictionwise with "specially selected" stories just for me - I bought Hawksbill Station, because it was trivially cheap, and loved it. Short stories are great on a reader, because you can store lots of them without lugging around a huge book, and are a perfect length to read before bed. So, any recommendations? I have pretty eclectic tastes, and have read almost no short stories but that one, and an Ellison anthology.

03-27-2009, 08:22 AM	#3
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,443 Karma: 52235 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	Jim Baen's Universe has a lot of strories: www.baens-universe.com __________________ Yet another reverse engineering blog Like to chat? Join #mobileread

03-27-2009, 09:03 AM	#4
Ralph Sir Edward Gentleman & Cynic Posts: 4,834 Karma: 7205202 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: 5 generation native Texan Device: BeBook/Openinkpot, CYbook 3rd gen awaiting RTF software upgrade	General (mixed author anthologies) Dangerous Visions - Harlan Ellison The World Turned Upside Down - Eric Flint - Baen Free Library Individual Author The Works of Cornwainer Smith - even the one novel is two novellas, glued together - Baens books (some currently free) Deathbird Stories - Harlan Ellison __________________ Another proud Tarnover graduate! Remember, no matter what they say, people don't want the truth, just their prejudices reinforced. -RSE

03-28-2009, 07:46 PM	#6
BenG Wizard Posts: 3,191 Karma: 39866013 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: The Triad Device: Paperwhite	Check out BestScienceFictionStories.com. Each blog entry has a review and lists where the story may be found. Many, if not most, are available somewhere as online texts, which should be easy to convert to your reader's format. http://bestsciencefictionstories.com/ __________________ Ben Mockingbird by Walter Tevis

09-02-2009, 11:18 AM	#11
BearMountainBooks Maria Schneider Posts: 1,292 Karma: 14947622 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Near Austin, Texas Device: 3g Kindle Keyboard	If you want a physical book, you might also try www.AnthologyBuilder.com You grab whatever stories you want and build a book and then have it shipped to you. I know Eric Flint has at least one story out there. I read one by Nancy Fulda that was a mystery/sci/fi (might be too space opera for you, but it was an excellent mystery.) You can search on science fiction or authors, etc. __________________ BearMountainBooks Online Store BearMountainBooks on Goodreads Amazon US: Under Witch Moon (urban fantasy series), Executive Lunch (Humor mystery series) Barnes and Noble Sony Bookstore Also available at: Apple, and Kobobooks

03-26-2009, 10:53 PM	#2
CleverClothe Guru Posts: 619 Karma: 493394 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Device: iRex iLiad, Onyx Boox 60	Becoming Elijah by Bob Meads http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook71259.htm Life Hutch by Harlan Ellison http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook353.htm?cache Quarks at Appomattox by Charles L. Harness http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook1738.htm Sandkings by George R. R. Martin (Classic, made into an Outer Limits episode) http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook746.htm?cache Star Child Series by James P. Hogan http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook36735.htm http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook38840.htm http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook38994.htm http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook39085.htm Kirinyaga stories by Mike Resnick (Read in published order) http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook50.htm http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook312.htm Anthologies: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook17842.htm Year's Best SF http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/Series379.htm http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook31490.htm?cache http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook68153.htm

03-27-2009, 10:28 AM	#5
bill_mchale Wizard Posts: 1,399 Karma: 1087654 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Maryland, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch, HPC Evo 4G LTE	Shoot, make sure you check out Project Gutenberg, Feedbooks and Manybooks.net. There is a lot of short SF there.. particularly since a lot of the stuff in the pulps from the 30s-though 60 or so didn't have their copyrights renewed. Check out H. Beam Piper (his novels are worth reading as well). -- Bill

03-29-2009, 06:51 AM	#7
Fledchen Guru Posts: 664 Karma: 84658 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Minnesota, USA Device: PB360+, Sony950, VR Stream, iPod Touch, iPad	I like getting my science fiction short story fix from Escape Pod. It's a podcast, not electronic text, but most of the stories are pretty good, and it is free. Most of the stories are about half an hour long. http://escapepod.org/

09-01-2009, 03:30 PM	#8
BearMountainBooks Maria Schneider Posts: 1,292 Karma: 14947622 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Near Austin, Texas Device: 3g Kindle Keyboard	I second the Baen's Universe and EscapePod. If you like fantasy at all, Fictionwise has one of Jim Hines short stories. I really enjoy most of his work, long and short. My other favorite source for short fiction is Black Gate -- it's mostly fantasy. They have a downloadable PDF starting with the last issue...Maybe one before that. Black Gate is my favorite magazine. Another freebie read you might like is online. Beneath Ceaseless Skies. But it's mostly fantasy too, come to think of it. Maria Sage: (multiple formats; Amazon or Smashwords--$1.00) Catch an Honest Thief (Kindle only format: $1.99; a cozy mystery)

09-02-2009, 08:20 AM	#9
bertold Connoisseur Posts: 79 Karma: 2135 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: iRex iLiad v2	Arthur C. Clarke's complete short story collection is very hard to beat. Some of the best SF short stories ever written.

09-02-2009, 08:53 AM	#10
John F Wizard Posts: 1,729 Karma: 5977713 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo Glo	Maybe some of these: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...highlight=Hugo

09-05-2009, 10:57 AM	#12
Kevin Gerard Kevin Gerard Posts: 54 Karma: 499848 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: San Diego Device: none	The Martian Chronicles Hands down, the best sci-fi short stories I ever read. Ray Bradbury. __________________ Kevin Gerard The Conor and the Crossworlds Series WEBSITE - http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com E-BOOKS - http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Drazian

09-05-2009, 05:43 PM	#13
BearMountainBooks Maria Schneider Posts: 1,292 Karma: 14947622 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Near Austin, Texas Device: 3g Kindle Keyboard	Another really fun place to find short stories (and these are free) is www.towndrunkmag.com They only put out one or two stories per month, but they focus on humor. My favorite online zine! (full disclosure: one of my stories has been published in town drunk). Maria __________________ BearMountainBooks Online Store BearMountainBooks on Goodreads Amazon US: Under Witch Moon (urban fantasy series), Executive Lunch (Humor mystery series) Barnes and Noble Sony Bookstore Also available at: Apple, and Kobobooks

09-06-2009, 04:16 AM	#14
owlrigh Connoisseur Posts: 93 Karma: 26 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: On a yacht, currently in Australia Device: PRS-505, Ipod Touch, Asus EEE PC	Just the other day I came across this particular website, which has reviews of online content, some of which is available for free: The Fix, Short Fiction Review The Free SF Reader -- Lots here, will keep you occupied. These are aggregate review blogs of short SF; there are many ezines out there with free content of varying quality, some of which have long gone into hiatus, but which is still available.

09-06-2009, 06:56 AM	#15
kennyc Priorities! Priorties! Posts: 29,926 Karma: 36862314 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Galaxy SIII; Xoom; Kindle Fire	Hey thanks everyone for those links. Any more? The Short Story is my favorite form of literature and it seems that ebooks (I'm relatively new to this) are focused (as is the world) more on novels than short story collections which I love such as the annual Years Best Science Fiction from Gardner Dozois -- which seems to be available for Kindle but not in epub wtf?? I also buy the annual general fiction - Best American Short Stories, O Henry Prize stories, Pushcart Prize Stories...but don't seem to find them available either. Guess it's just a market/marketing thing. I was thinking, and think I will start a separate thread on short fiction in general and see about what others have found.


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