The Best American Short Stories 2017

by Meg Wolitzer (Editor)

Best-selling author Meg Wolitzer guest edits this year s Best American Short Stories, the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction."

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Literary Fiction, Ebooks, Literature, Short Story Collection

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2017

About the author

Meg Wolitzer is the New York Times–bestselling author of The Interestings, The Uncoupling, The Ten-Year Nap, The Position, The Wife, and Sleepwalking. She is also the author of the young adult novel Belzhar. Wolitzer lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Maxwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I say this when rating any short story collection or anthology, and that is: it's difficult. Because in a collection like this, featuring 20 stories from 20 authors, there are bound to be ones you love and ones you hate and some in between. And this one is no exception. Overall I found this collection to be not as collectively strong and compelling as last year's, but the ones I liked, I really liked. I would say there were 8 standout stories for me, 10 that were average, and 2 I disliked. And as always, I've found a few new-to-me authors to go look up and read stuff from now which is always a joy of reading these collections.

My favorite stories were (top faves in bold—go read these if you can!):
-"Famous Actor" by Jess Walter
-"Last Day on Earth" by Eric Puchner
-"Ugly" by Mary Gordon
-"Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain" by Danielle Evans
-"Campoamor" by Patricia Engel
-"Hog for Sorrow" by Leopoldine Core
-"God's Work" by Kevin Canty
-"Are We Not Men?" by T.C. Boyle

[E8RaH!M · Rating 2 out of 5]

مجموعه داستان‌هایی متوسط و یا ضعیف نسبت به مجموعه‌های سال‌های قبل که اصلا از خواندن داستان‌ها آنچنان لذتی نبردم. داستانهای زیر کمی وضعیت بهتری داشتند:

1- KEVIN CANTY - Gods's Work: داستان پسری به نام سندر که به همراه مادرش- یک مبلغ مذهبیاست- مجلات و کتب مذهبی در منازل مردم میبرد و پیام خداوند را به آنها ابلاغ میکند. پسر تحت تاثیر مادرش است و از طرفی گرفتار فعل و انفعالات دوران بلوغ. در خلال همین سر زدن به خانه ها به دختری بر میخورد آزاد و رها. جدال درونی پسر میان غریزه و عقیده جالب در آمده.

2- SONYA LARSON - Gabe Dove: دختری آسیایی (با همان نگاه غربیها به آسیا، یعنی باریک و چشم بادامی و غیره...) بعد از یک رابطه ی شکست خورده (رابطه با یک دوست پسر غربی) حالا بدنبال یک رابطه ی جدید است اما نگاه مثبتی به مردهای آسیایی ندارد. در طول رابطه و قرارها با پسری به نام گیب داو که مردی است آسیایی الاصل، دختر به مقایسه ی رابطه ی قبل و حال حاضر و مبارزه با پیش برداشتهای درونی خود میپردازد. این داستان به بحث پیش فرضهای نژاد پرستانه میپردازد.

خلاص

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

These collections are highly subjective, but I really connected with editor Meg Wolitzer’s emphasis on stories that feature a “turn” (not a “twist!”) and post-election anxiety. Out of the 20 stories in this collection, I can honestly say there were only about 4 I didn’t jibe with. But there are riches aplenty, including:

“Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain” — a story I erroneously assumed would be Arthurian in nature, but which is a contemporary tale of fear and loss over the course of a color-coded wedding weekend.

“Gabe Dove” — a woman is thrown back into the dating pool and is forced to evaluate her prejudices.

“Let’s Go to the Videotape” — a widowed father and his son make it big on America’s Funniest Home Videos, leading both to lean into social media as a form of grief therapy.

“Gender Studies” — a professor of the titular subject has a one night stand with a Trump supporter.

“Famous Actor” — another one night stand that mixes hilarious film criticism with genuine pathos.

Many others, like “Maidencane,” “A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness,” “Hog for Sorrow,” “Ugly,” “The Midnight Zone,” and “Last Day on Earth” are just as distinct and memorable. My favorite collection since 2012.

[Lis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Jess Walter's story in this so much I wrote him a fan letter about it. He wrote me back. It made my year.

[Anne Earney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that the stories in this year's collection are mostly by women, but the story that stood out most to me was "Telemachus" by Jim Shepard, about a British submarine in WWII. Well, about characters on the submarine, but it's the sub itself that sticks in my memory.

I also enjoyed "Gabe Dove," "Hog for Sorrow," and "Novostroika."

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection, curated by the ever-fabulous Meg Wolitzer, and was especially delighted to see inclusion one of my favorites, Mary Gordon.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking twenty stories out of hundreds seems like a daunting project. That’s why I enjoy reading this annual anthology series. Guest editors do a lot of the hard work. I may not necessarily agree with all of their choices but I know there will be a good number that I enjoy. Meg Wolitzer’s and Heidi Pitlor’s selections were pretty good. There were eleven stories that I rated solid 5 and 4 stars. There weren’t any that I did not like.

My Favorites were:
Maidencane by Chad. B. Anderson – Memories of shared events can be so different for each individual.
Are We Not Men? By T.C. Boyle- This is a futuristic sci-fi story. This was kind of strange and kind of funny when I stopped to think about it.
Campoamor by Patricia Engel – Interesting view of Cuban life.
The Midnight Zone by Lauren Groff – Scary
The Chicane by Amy Helpel – Sad
Let’s Go to the Videotape by Fiona Maazel – This was my favorite - This was sad and heartwarming while posing the question about how real are the relationships when they are with strangers through social media.
Ancient Rome by Kyle McCarthy – Feminist view of the younger generation.
Last Day on Earth by Eric Puchner – Pretty sad coming-of-age story.
Telemachus by Jim Shepard – this was also an absolute favorite – Life aboard a British WWII submarine.
Gender Studies by Curtis Sittenfeld
Famous Actor by Jess Walter

As I made my list I saw that there were a number of familiar names. As always I enjoy the Author’s notes at the back of the book where they provide a bit of information on how the idea for the story took shape or where it came from.

My goal is to catch up on reading this series up to 2021 and maybe go backwards from 1989 when I first discovered the anthologies. Three more years’ worth to go.

[Ginni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm trying to learn more about the structure of short stories. This was a mixed bag, like any collection of writing, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really am a fan of the Best American Short Stories series - it’s nice to read a review of the year’s stories (especially from publications that I otherwise wouldn’t access), I always discover new authors to read, and the changing annual guest editor gives each edition a unique lens. In this case, I don’t think that what pleases or interests me in a short story aligns with what pleases/interests guest editor Meg Wolitzer in a story. While I found something thrilling and had strong positive reactions to the majority of the stories in last year’s collection, most of the stories in this year’s edition left me feeling very “eh.”

My favorite story by far in this edition was “Ugly” by Mary Gordon (published in the Yale Review), a stunning story of aesthetics and identity that I found absolutely heartbreaking. I also very much enjoyed the stories by Lauren Groff (“The Midnight Zone”) and Curtis Sittenfeld (“Gender Studies”), both of which are available online via the New Yorker. (Groff and Sittenfeld are both authors I have read previously and enjoyed). While Sittenfeld’s story (about a one night stand with a Trump supporting van driver) didn’t impact me emotionally, I loved loved loved it intellectually for the reminder that opposing partisans are people too. The story that I disliked the most was T.C. Boyle’s “Are We Not Men?”, which I found to be a trite commentary on gene-editing technology.

The other stories I liked included “Gabe Dove” by Sonya Larson, “Richard York Gave Battle in Vain” by Danielle Evans, “Tally” by Noy Holland, and “Ancient Rome” by Kyle McCarthy.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent so far, dipped in and read Canty's God's Work, Chakrabarti's A Small Sacrifice for Enormous Happiness, Groff's The Midnight Zone, and Holland's Tally. Great stuff...

...Not all stories were 5 star but there was enough of a hit rate to give it 5 overall. Highlights for me were Danielle Evans' 'Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain' which was glorious, The aforementioned Groff - really gripping, Maria Reva's funny, hard to take in account of living in post Soviet Ukraine, Curtiss Sittenfeld's sardonic tale of a Gender Studies tutor's encounter with a Trump supporter, and Jess Walter's fabulous 'Famous Actor'.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a strong collection of writing, bravo to guest editor Meg Wolitzer! What I love most about short stories, especially great ones, is the ability to generate a reaction from the reader in a much smaller framework. It was a joy to discover new authors through this collection as well! Some of my favorites include:

"Gender Studies" - Curtis Sittenfeld
"The Midnight Zone" - Lauren Groff
"Arcadia" - Emma Cline
"Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain" - Danielle Evans
"Gabe Dove" - Sonya Larson
"Famous Actor" - Jess Walter

[Jay C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually been working my way through these for a while now, but finished the last one today. Many great stories in the volume (as is always the case with BASS) but the standout ones for me were Laura Groff’s “The Midnight Zone”, Jess Walter’s “Famous Actor” and my favorite, “Telemachus” by Jim Shephard.oh, and “God’s Work” by Kevin Canty and the Classics Minor in me loved Emma Cline’s “Arcadia.” Read and enjoy!

[Bruno · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maidencane - Chad B. Anderson ★★
Are We Not Men - T. C. Boyle ★★★
God's Work - Kevin Canty ★★★
A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness - Jai Chakrabarti ★★
Arcadia - Emma Cline ★★★★
Hog for Sorrow - Leopoldine Core ★★
Campoamor - Patricia Engel ★★★★
Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain - Danielle Evans ★★
Ugly - Mary Gordon ★★★★
The Midnight Zone - Lauren Groff ★
The Chicane - Amy Hempel ★
Tally - Noy Holland ★
Gabe Dove - Sonya Larson ★
Let's Go to the Videotape - Fiona Maazel ★
Ancient Rome - Kyle McCarthy ★
Last Day on Earth - Eric Puchner ★
Novostroïka - Maria Reva ★★★
Telemachus - Jim Shepard ★
Gender Studies - Curtis Sittenfeld ★★★
Famous Actor - Jess Walter ★★

[danielle; ▵ · Rating 1 out of 5]

An excerpt from the best literature has to offer in 2017:

Her crotch thumped like a big, wet heart.

I repeat:

HER CROTCH THUMPED LIKE A BIG, WET HEART.

So:

MOST OF THESE STORIES ARE UTTER TRASH AND I AM EMBARRASSED FOR THE STATE OF LITERATURE.

It seems MFA programs produce writers who write stories like polished turds, and so I am actually disgusted that I spent money on this collection, but can only blame myself and should have read the introduction before buying it. Because, from the introduction, it is VERY clear that this collection is not for me, but rather for poolside vacationers looking for light reading (the editor goes on about her political beliefs and the SHOCK and HORROR she felt during the last election, which made her almost not want to persevere and read the submissions for this collection, until she realized (with such strength! such insight!) just how much we need literature now more than ever; she also says she loves a story with a twist, which, I don't know, felt hypocritical based on her caught-off-guard-by-the-horrors-of-the-election spiel in some not-so-far-removed way and also childish in a 'oh no, spoilers' way that I do not think should have a place in a writer/editor's judgment of good writing).

That being said, here are stories that were not bad among the trash heap that was this collection and deserve to be called out:

-Maidencane (4)
-God's Work (3.5)
-Tally (4)
-Ancient Rome (3.5)
-The Last Day on Earth (3.5)

[Daryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for this series of anthologies, and I've read more by a number of authors I first learned about in the short story series. This one got off to a slow start for me. I very much liked the opening story by T.C. Boyle ("Are We Not Men?"), though I've been sort of meh about a lot of his stuff. Then I didn't much love anything in the collection until "Ugly" by Mary Gordon, which I liked a lot. Apparently authors in the last half of the alphabet really did the trick for me in 2016, as I dog-eared these stories after that early drought:

- "Ancient Rome" by Kyle McCarthy
- "Last Day on Earth" by Erick Puchner
- "Novostroika" by Maria Reva
- "Gender Studies" by Curtis Sittenfeld
- "Famous Actor" by Jess Walter

None of these made me think "I must go out right away and acquire all of this author's work" but I found these worthwhile or fun. Others in the collection ranged from "pretty good" to "meh" to "well 25 minutes sure did go by while I read that."

[Mary Soderstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

My family always gets me the latest version of this venerable series for Christmas. I always read the selection, but I must say that in recent years I've been disappointed. The stories just didn't speak to me, and I began to wonder if this was due to my changing tastes, the whims of the guest editor or a lack of good stories being published.

But this year, I'm delighted. So far I've read four of them (they're so good that I'm rationing them, one a night) and they have been excellent. This is doubly a surprise because the guest editor is Meg Wolitzer, whose novel The Interestings I found tedious. The problem with it, I think, is that it is too long, but that's another story.

To get back to the stories that Ms. Wolitzer selected here, however: so far they are varied, wonderfully written in several voices, and truly interesting. Looking forward to this evening to read the next.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t my favorite collection in the Best of American Short Stories series. I found that I enjoyed only a few of the stories, which is unusual. Plus, one of the stories...states the capital of Missouri is St. Louis...except it’s not...and, there was no apparent reason why this would be in the story. For those looking for a collection with a modern feminist lean, this might suit you, though none of the stories for me were particularly powerful in the ownership of that feminism...they were actually rather sad stories. The stories outside the feminist lean were much more interesting, but again, I struggled to be moved.

[Will · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really angry about this. I'm angry about this a lot.
I love short stories. I love how they're such a condensed version of craft, how damn good you have to be to fit a compelling, beautiful story into 5-10 pages. People who can write short stories well are good.

But hey, these short stories aren't good. And it's not me saying "I don't like them", that's different. They're just not well written. They lack compelling characters or plot. They're uncomfortable and stilted and boring.
We can do better. I'm outties.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Favs from this one: Lauren's Groff's "The Midnight Zone," Sonya Larson's "Gabe Dove," Mary Gordon's "Ugly" and Maria Reva's "Novostroika."

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I very much appreciated the theme but the stories seemed to me often, for lack of a better word, childish.

[Jen Ifer's Inklings]

I might pick this up at a later date, but I have not enjoyed any of the stories I’ve read so far in this collection.

[Andy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a tradition for me to look forward to reading the annual collection of best American short stories. It exposes me to styles and genres I don't normally read and balances stories from favorite, established authors and new writers that I haven't heard of before. I often end up ordering books from new authors that are introduced to me in this collection. This year I'm ordering books by Danielle Evans after reading "Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain" in the 2017 collection.
The story is told by Rena, who travels the world as a world traveler. She comes to a small town for a wedding themed on Noah's ark,where the bridal party dresses the entire weekend in a color code and the bridge and groom come from fundamentally religious families. Rena is only invited because she had met the groom in Africa years earlier and famously took a photo of him in the midst of their being stranded in a country due to political unrest. The story begins with a patronizing tone from Rena, but as it proceeds the wedding party characters develop depth. The reason for Rena's disdain for fairly tale weddings is revealed in flashbacks to her sister's fairy tale wedding and the sister being shot by the groom shortly after that wedding. The story continues with a drunken hookup, a groom's cold feet and a very nice surprise from the bride at the end.
"Are we not men" by TC Boyle is an example of a story I would not ordinarily read, I so dislike dystopian stories. But this story set in a future where genetic engineering has created pets, grass, and even kids made to order focuses on universal human themes of fidelity, honesty, and loneliness.
"God's Work" has a unique perspective. It is told by a teen age Jehovah's Witness who loves his mom and is true to his faith even when embarrassed by it, even when he longs for the normal life of the other high school students. Things take a turn when his mom go the door of the home of an attractive girl from his high school who would be considered out of his league. But surprisingly, she shows interest in the church, going to church meetings and adapting to the church's modest dress codes. The sad ending makes the boy's Jehovah Witness's life seem enviable.
"Arcadia" is set on an organic farm that is run by a brother and sister and told from the perspective of the sister's live in boyfriend. The sister had essentially been raised by her brother who suggested the boyfriend move in and work on the farm. The sister starts attending community college and tries to develop a normal life in contrast to the anything but normal relationship between brother and sister.
"Hog for Sorrow" paints a realistic perspective from a top tier college drop out who has turned to prostitution, partly for money and partly for an escape from earlier life. The emptiness of the lifestyle and the johns who buy sex is expertly shown.
The ending of "Ugly" is surprising and arguably disappointing. A young HR exec for an growing national company leaves her Manhattan home to go to a branch in a small Midwestern city to fix some personnel issues. Her initial dislike of being away from Manhattan and her boyfriend and being in a provincial town slowly gives way to an appreciation for the town, a new friendship, and a developing taste for "real" furniture and "real" beauty. At the end of the assignment her condescending boyfriend drives to the town to pick her up and allows her to compare the two lifestyles.
"Let's go to the Videotape" starts with a sympathetic portrayal of a single dad raising his son who is still suffering from injuries suffered in the accident that killed the wife and mother. The dad enters a cute videotape of his son in a tv contest and with the videotape's success, the dad seems to slowly lose sight of what had been important in raising his son.
"Novostrokia" is a stark story that uses an apartment building whose heating needs fixed as a way to show the nightmare of living in a bureaucratically corrupt, decaying Communist run Eastern European country of the past.
My second favorite story in this collection was "Gender Studies" about a feminist professor going to a conference to meet with other professors of Gender studies. On the cab ride to the hotel she meets a young, Trump loving man who represents so many things the professor abhors. But a lost license and bad judgment leads to a sexual interlude between the two against the back drop of her conference and feminist study friends. The incident shows more nuance to each character than the stereotypes that start the story
There are other great stories in this collection which I highly recommend

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid collection of stories. They are robust and full of action. There is also a lot of sex, which seems a stark change to some years collections, which are Puritan.

As always, these are graded on a tough curve.

Maidencane by Chad Anderson - 4: An interesting choice to use the second person to tell the story. It works.
God’s Work by Kevin Canty – 5 : Wonderful! So much packed into a little story. Great, complex characters making powerful choices. What else is going on in Clara’s life?
Are We Not Men? by T C Boyle - 4: Fun! A wonderful jab where society seems to be going. Maybe a touch too intricate.
A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness by Jai Chakrabarti - 3.5: A sad and powerful story. Struggled with the first half.
Arcadia by Emma Cline - 3.5: Good, just missed being great. A small something lacking.
Hog for Sorrow by Leopoldine Core - 4.5: Depressing as hell, but very good.
Campoamor by Patricia Engle - 3:5: Another near miss.
Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain by Danielle Evans - 4: The characters are wonderful, but the story takes a couple of leaps that I could not follow.
Ugly by Mary Gordon - 4: Didn't turn out the way I wanted, but I liked it.
The Midnight Zone by Lauren Groff - 3: The writing was overly complex and did not pull me in.
The Chicane by Amy Hempel - 2.5: A miss for me.
Tally by Noy Holland - 2.5: So very short, with little to offer.
Gabe Dove by Sonya Larson - 3: A nice story, but nothing special.
Let's Go to the Videotape by Fiona Maazel - 4: Sad and poignant.
Ancient Rome by Kyle McCarthy - 4: Another story very reflective on the culture today.
Last Day on Earth by Eric Puchner - 3: In the middle I thought it was going to become great, but didn't
Novostroika by Maria Reva - 4: Wonderfully absurd.
Telemachus by Jim Shepard - 3: Interesting circumstances, but a bit ordinary.
Gender Studies by Curtis Sittenfeld - 4: Very timely. Captures 2016 very well.
Famous Actor by Jess Walter - 4.5: Deep and satisfying.

[Raul · Rating 4 out of 5]

For years, reading this series has been one of my year-end rituals. They never disappoint. Not that I like EVERY story: this time it was 11 out of the 19. Heidi Pitlor, the series editor, reminds us that all the stories in this volume were written in 2016 BEFORE we knew Trump would be the US President for the next 4 years, yet the selection of what to include in the 2017 compendium took place AFTER he took office.... and, perhaps as an antidote to this Administration's antithetical attitudes towards non-whites and foreign-born, she revels in the great diversity of people and situations covered by these American short stories. Indeed, when she says "this collection of stories gives voice to something urgent and meaningful," I would add that most are about protagonists undergoing very real, personal experiences, a perfect antidote to all the fakery that Trump has brought to this nation. Perhaps because I am so disgusted with leader who is so focused on himself and can't seem to speak longer than a minute without saying something that is either an outright lie or an exaggeration, I found great relief in the very personal vignettes of (mostly) American life portrayed in this year's volume. [If I say "mostly American" it's because, of the 19 short stories, only 17 take place in this country, there being one story about Cuba, and another about the British Navy during WWII].
.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always find it hard to talk about short stories without talking ABOUT 'short stories.' About how brilliant they are, as a form. About how I always go into them with resistance, thinking about how hard it is to give up the world of one story and find the oomph I need to re-up for the next world, and then how I get lost in that one and don't want to give it up to enter the next....and yet despite that, I always end up loving to read short stories. About how masterfully short stories can be written, the compression of a huge, dynamic world of people captured in essentially a chapter, spring-loaded and fully alive.

This collection was nearly perfect -- there were only two stories I just couldn't get into at all (Telemachus, the submarine story, and Novostroika, which just felt like every other Russian story set in that time period), but the rest were so fantastic. And I never wanted the one I was reading to end, and I struggled to re-up for the world of the next, and then I didn't want it to end, repeat. Ordinarily my short story reading is focused on a collection by a single writer -- Alice Munro, George Saunders, Lorrie Moore -- so this edited collection gave me a second reason to need to re-up for the next story, but the effort was nearly always worth it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good stories. My two favorites ended the collection, one by Curtis Sittenfeld, one by Jess Walter that are both about weird one-night stands. The story by T.C. Boyle dropped references to odd technological, biological, genetic breakthroughs in the future time period of the story like large boulders, over-explainjng which made it feel clunky.

Danielle Evans's story about a bachelorette party weekend feels like something i have endured in my own past. She was one of the few non-bridesmaids invited and remarked on dress color choices the bride made: "you have seven color choices, you don't put a redhead in orange unless you're angry at her." Well put.

[Kenny Chaffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this annual collection and the other's like it (O Henry Awards) and read them religiously. I'm a short story, flash/micro fiction and poetry addict.

My favorites this year were:
Maidencane by Chad B. Anderson
Hog for Sorrow by Leopoldine Core
Campoamor by Patricia Engle
Tally by Now Holland
Gabe Dove by Sonya Larson
and
Novostroika by Maria Reva

I think my favorite was Gabe Dove with its wonderful little bits of humor.
Great Collection this year. Well worth the read!

[Sharon Bakar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I look forward to Best American Stories each year. I very much enjoyed all but two or three of the stories Meg Wolitzer selected - clearly her criteria included strong storytelling, memorable characters, and so much truth it almost hurt.

My favourite story was The Midnight Zone by Lauren Groff in which a mother is stuck with her two small sons in a cabin in the Florida wilds. There's a panther prowling nearby, it's impossible to get a mobile phone signal unless you stand on the roof, and the husband has been called back to the city after one of his tenants dies. What more could go wrong? If one of the classic ways to generate energy for short story is to throw your characters into as much trouble as possible, this story illustrates that beautifully ... but then it goes on to completely surprise us.

I also loved Last Day on Earth by Eric Puchner, Jess Walter's Famous Actor, Mary Gordon's Ugly, and Jim Shepard's Telemachus.

The author notes at the back of the book, in which they explain how the story came to be provide brilliant insights into the creative process.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was like a refreshing balm, to read a group of writers at the top of their game. Not every story was something I loved, but I DID love reading something that showcases beautifully crafted stories. Highlights include T.C. Boyle's "Are We Not Men?", Mary Gordon's "Ugly", Amy Hempel's "The Chicane", and Eric Puchner's "Last Day on Earth." A beautiful collection, a miniature of the times.

[Daniel Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year's edition features some real winners.