The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction: 50 North American Stories Since 1970

by Lex Williford (Editor), Michael Martone (Editor), Charles Baxter (Contributor)

Selected from a survey of more than five hundred English professors, short story writers, and novelists, this revised and updated second edition features fifty remarkable stories written by a wide spectrum of stylistically and culturally diverse authors.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, School, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Literature

652 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Edan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second edition, which I'm going to be teaching from. Except for a few of the same stories from the last version, this is a totally different book!

***

I didn't read through the first edition quite so exhaustively as I did with this second edition, so it's unfair of me to say which one is better. I didn't like all the stories in this book, but many of them ask some interesting questions regarding structure, character, point of view--that is, they're useful for teaching, and learning.

Some of the stories that really stood out to me this edition were:
-"A Real Doll" by A.M. Homes (A boy fucks his sister's Barbie, who speaks to him and may or may not be alive despite her unwavering dollness--I loved this story!)
-"The Disappeared" by Charles Baxter
-"The Ceiling" by Kevin Brockmeier (A favorite of mine since it first appeared in McSweeneys)
-"We Didn't" by Stuary Dybek (Sigh, so lovely)
-"Stone Animals" by Kelly Link
-"Two Boys" by Rick Moody
-"Caveman in Hedges" by Stacey Richter
-"The Pugilist at Rest" by Thom Jones.
-"Sarah Cole" by Russell Banks, "Marie" by Edward P. Jones, "The School" by Donald Barthelme, "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien, and "The Management of Grief" by Baharati Mukherjee, all of which are also in the first edition.


There are others I enjoyed and admired, but I won't bore you. Perhaps I didn't like this collection more because I'm simply a little sick of reading a handful of stories every day. Also, I lament certain absences; where is Lorrie Moore (!), Alice Munro, Jim Shepard, Aimee Bender, Dan Chaon? Also, they replaced Junot Diaz's "Fiesta 1980" with "Nilda"--not as good, in my opinion, but maybe the former is over-anthologized? I would've switched out "Marie" for a newer Jones story, but now I'm just rambling from the soap box...

My point: This anthology is worth reading, especially in tandem with the first edition. It's useful if paired with a collection of older stories. Otherwise, how will students be introduced to Katherine Mansfield and John Cheever?
Oh Fuck, there are just too many terrific stories to fit into a semester!

[M.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is probably the best deal I've ever gotten. One book, fifty stories by fifty writers. While none of the stories in here blew me away, all of them are very good and they are a good introduction to a lot of great writers that I hope to read more from. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants an easy way to be exposed to a lot of good writing.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you for depressing me over and over again.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with any collection like this, you will love some and there will be others that you don't care for nearly as much.

Unfortunately, there are some in the beginning (it's set up alphabetically by author) that I've forgotten about. So the ones I do remember from the beginning were quite memorable (obviously) and I'll include those in what I think are the 5-star stories (though I've probably missed some as well):

John Barth's "Click," Donald Barthelme's "The School," Raymond Carver's "Errand," Junot Diaz' "Fiesta 1980," Denis Johnson's "Emergency," Edward P. Jones' "Marie," Thom Jones' "Cold Snap," Bharati Mukherjee's "The Management of Grief," and Annie Proulx' "Brokeback Mountain" stand out for me in this thick anthology.

[Kateragan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this anthology and recommend it to anyone who has half a stomach for short stories. One of my favorite stories is "White Angel," it has phrases like "all velvet motherliness." It is a stunning piece of fiction. I also enjoyed "Silver Water" , "Customs of the Country" , "Brokeback Mountain" , "The Things they Carried" , "In the Cemetery where Al Jolson is Buried" , "Rock Springs" , "Tall Tales from the Mekong Delta" , "The Man who Knew Belle Star", "Wild Horses" "Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story." , "This is what it means to say Phoenix Arizona" and the list goes on and on....

[Jacqueline West · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this on one of those bargain racks at Waldenbooks, and man, was it worth the $4.99. For a collection this large, the quality is consistently excellent, and almost all of the modern masters of the short story are represented: Raymond Carver, Lorrie Moore, Alice Munro, Joyce Carol Oates, Sherman Alexie, etc. It would have been well worth the price just for the sake of Annie Proulx's "Brokeback Mountain," Richard Bausch's "The Man Who Knew Belle Starr," and Reginald McKnight's "The Kind of Light That Shines on Texas." Gorgeous, inspiring stuff.

[Reading Through the Lists · Rating 1 out of 5]

Out of the fifty I probably read 15 of these, so perhaps I missed a gem or two, but overall I hated this collection. Literary fiction is not my genre, apparently, as I found most of these stories to be either depressing, creepy, inappropriate, or just boring. And after a few stories they all (to me) started to sound the same. Exceptions were 'The Hermit's Tale' and 'Relief' which I actually rather enjoyed.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

50 short stories. I couldn't get through two of them. However, there were four that were so beautifully written they made my heart ache. I plan on using several of them in the classroom for my students. Two things were great about this book: the fact I didn't stay up until 3am reading and I have a slew of other books I want/need to read written by some of these authors.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of these stories were fantastic. This is not only a collection of entertaining stories but also a collection of instructive stories. I will definitely refer back to this volume often. There were a few duds in my opinion, so I'm curious to know why those stories were selected for the anthology.

[Katie]

I read this bit by bit over 5+ years to figure out how I feel about short stories. A short story compilation can be tough going b/c so many of the stories are just so somber one after another (Not that there's anything wrong with somber writing, but It's A Mood). My favorites were: Saint Marie (Louise Erdrich), Patriotic (Janet Kauffman), You're Ugly Too (Lorrie Moore); Intensive Care (Lee Smith).

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty strong collection of short stories, some of which I had already read in various fiction workshops. It is impossible to collect the best works or to satisfy every reader, but I felt like this collection tries to get a lot of different authors both culturally and aesthetically. I thought the beginning and middle stories were stronger than the last third for whatever reason. If I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be The Caretaker. It is hands down one of the most powerful stories I've ever read. Here are the stories that I particularly liked:

Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story by Russell Banks
The Disappeared by Charles Baxter
Silver Water by Amy Bloom
Caviar by T.C. Boyle
After Rosa Parks by Janet Desaulniers
Nilda by Junot Diaz
The Caretaker by Anthony Doerr
We Didn't by Stuart Dybek
Marie by Edward P. Jones
The Pugilist at Rest by Thom Jones
The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brien
Orientation by Daniel Orozco
Tony's Story by Leslie Marmon Silko

[Liz Mourant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology, at the halfway mark, has already surpassed my expectations held out for a prime cut of anthologized meat! Inside my book, I felt the need to distinguish the very best of stories with underliner and checks as they were stellar examples of craft. Yet, nearly every story inside this book is a winner and a delight to feast one's imagination and desires for fulfilling fiction within. Joyous, but not wholly from joy...often from dailiness, sorrowing, and variegated jousts with the stuff of compelling fiction. Excellent anthology; and there are not that many excellent anthologies around in my opinion...as far too many are simply touting a canon rather than displaying most everything good in the literary arts, whether expected or not.

[Ace · Rating 4 out of 5]

My advanced fiction class used this as a textbook in college; we read various selections and discussed them in class when we weren't work-shopping our peers' stories. As a new writer just beginning to get serious about writing, this collection offered a variety of stories told in different styles that helped me understand individual writers' voices. Though short, these stories are complex; each time I read one, I draw something new from it, something that I overlooked on previous readings.

About half of these stories were assigned during my college class; the other half of the book I willingly (and quickly!) read on my own. This is a great resource for classes as well as readers looking for nuanced and interesting short stories.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories. My only complaint is that i'd read many of the short-stories previously. I can't say i love every story in this collection. This is quite the eclectic group of stories and one out of three stories is incredible.

Some of my favorites in the book:
Richard, Mark: Strays
Kincaid, Jamaica: Girl
Jones, Thom: Cold Snap
Atwood, Margaret: Death by Landscape
Barth, John: Click
Oates, Joyce Carol: Ghost Girl
Hempel, Amy: In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried
O'Brien, Tim: The Things They Carried
Proulx, Annie: Brokeback Mountain
Banks, Russell: Sarah Cole:A Type of Love Story
Johnson, Denis: Emergenc

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes after reading too many novels I find a short-story collection to be just the break I need. I'm always looking for hidden treasures no matter what I read. When there is such a variety of authors and writing styles I know I'm bound to find some real gems. I gave four or five stars to ten of these fifty stories. (That's 10% as compared 38% of fiction and nonfiction books. At least I know I can finish a short story without thinking afterwards that I've wasted a whole lot of time.) My favorites include "The Secret Goldfish," by David Means and "My Shape," by Joan Silver. Note: This review is not meant for people who don't like what I have to say.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably one of the better short story anthologies I've read (still have the Oxford and Ecco anthology left). Starts off incredibly strong, meanders for a bit, gets interesting again, then boring, then great, then really great, and then finishes strong. So, your typical anthology.

Absolute favorites:

"Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story," Russel Banks
"The Hermit's Story," Rick Bass
"The Fireman's Wife," Richard Bausch
"The Disappeared," Charles Baxter
"The Caretaker," Anthony Doerr
"Communist," Richard Ford
"The Kind of Light that Shines in Texas," Reginald McKnight
"The Secret Goldfish," David Means
"Sea Oak," George Saunders

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading a massive collection and being introduced to new authors and read stories that reinforced the ones I already admire. Interesting that while these stories are supposed to cover the 1970s to now that most of these stories were published in the 1990s and 2000s while a few were published in the 1980s and no later. Faves here are the stories by Antonya Nelson, Steve Yarborough, Stacey Richter, Daniel Orozco, Julie Orringer, ZZ Packer, George Saunders, Tim O'Brien (of course), Denis Johnson, AM Homes, Stuart Dybek, Janet Desaulniers, Sandra Cisneros, and Russell Banks.

[Yanina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an epic reading it was for me! And it took me an eternity to finish it. Somehow, more than three stories a day didn't feel right. So the reading went on.
I have a 1999 edition, so it's the first one. And already thinking of finding a second one.

The stories I want to come back to:

"Wild Horses" Rick Bass
"The Prophet from Jupiter" Tony Earley
"Rock Springs" Richard Ford
"Same Place, Same Things" Tim Gautreaux
"Emergency" Denis Johnson
"Marie" Edward P. Jones
"Cold Snap" Thom Jones
"You're Ugly, Too" Lorrie Moore
"Intensive Care" Lee Smith
"First, Body" Melanie Rae Thon

[Morgan Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a bad collection to have if you want to familiarize yourself with contemporary North American literary fiction. It isn't my favorite by a long way, and it includes some disappointingly mediocre stories. But there are one or two, like Sherman Alexie's This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona, or Kate Braverman's Tall Tales From The Mekong Delta which are worth having the book for.

[Komal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this anthology - I love short fiction so this was right up my alley.

Some of these I had already read before and I loved seeing them in this anthology again...the ones I can remember off the top of my head are Barthelme, Diaz, Lahiri, and O'Brien.

I enjoyed seeing Mukherjee and Tan included in here as well.

I think it's great bc it's diverse (it should be it's long!) and really a collection of some of the best pieces out there.

[Stefani Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been filled with many meaningful (and sometimes not) stories. I have enjoyed sharing the information about the author's, their works, and their possible thought processes as they wrote. I am not sure that anthologies are my favorite, but it has most definitely been an interesting ride. I found a few new favorite authors here, Joyce Carol Oates and Melanie Rae Thon. Nice to read if you are looking for something that will have you wondering what the h@#$!

[Adiva Abdulkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this anthology and I always will. My professor had us get this for my first university creative writing class and I felt compelled to buy a copy for myself once the class was over. It's full of great stories that showcase excellent writing skills as well as intriguing themes/metaphors and unique characters. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys writing contemporary stories.

[Marketta Sowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories of literary fiction. Some stories where hard to follow or simply boring, but most where fantastic examples of great short fiction. Perfect for when you need a short read every once in awhile!

[Marion · Rating 2 out of 5]

So-so. Except Thom Jones's "Cold Snap" is - snap - good.

[Emily Gong · Rating 5 out of 5]

My bookshelf companion since high school. Great memories of high school contemporary fiction class - some of my favorite homework and general reading.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite collection of short stories out there. Lorrie Moore. David Leavitt. Kate Braverman. Oh, I could go on. I love coming back to this thing.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using this as a teaching text for my writing workshop. Seems like a solid collection, so far.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was an amazaing collection, I enjoyed every story and the always love the way the charactersin a hsort story are so vivid and intense, they stay with me.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories. I'm still not through it all...

[C.]

I'm not reviewing this really, as I only read one short-story that a student of mine asked me to read so we could talk about it. It was a good story.