Coolest American Stories 2023

by Mark Wish, Elizabeth Coffey (Editor), Nancy J. Fagan

America’s most talented storytellers share their most interesting, engaging, unputdownable work in a collection made for story lovers.

Praised early on by numerous award-winning and bestselling authors, COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES 2023 is the second volume of the annual short story anthology whose guiding philosophy is that a collection of widely appealing short stories can make for common ground that could unite rather than divide Americans.

Toward this end, COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES 2023 features a previously uncollected heartbreaking story by Morgan Talty, author of the widely acclaimed Night of the Living Rez; a witty story about growing up fast by widely published crime writer Nikki Dolson; and a candid tale about motherhood in the wake of tragedy by T.E. Wilderson.

And since interesting storytelling―rather than a bunch of publishing credits―matters most to story-hungry readers, COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES 2023 also includes a page-turner about celebrity stalking written by brand new author Georgia Smith; a previously unpublished and sensual story about love versus the American Dream by up-and-coming author Patricia García Luján; and R.C. Goodwin's striking tale about a dying parent's wish―among others in this treasure trove of unputdownable, sharply written, sometimes comic, sometimes frightening, always suspenseful stories loaded with twists and turns.

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2023

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered the ebook because I didn't want to wait for the print copy to arrive. My favorites: "Auras" by Elizabeth P. Glixman...so funny and true with Muffy and Lisa (who can see auras). "The Dog" by Nathan Ailing Long, about a migrant worker, Ray, who takes the bus to his harvesting jobs. What a great ending. "You Don't Have Very Far To Go" by Francisco Uribe was the noirish of all the stories (for me) about a guy whose girlfriend has left but forgot her G-string, which he wears around his neck. And "Attachment" by David Borofka: Francie, bowling, and a plastic flower. Short stories are difficult to get right and these writers got it right. Kudos to editors Mark Wish and Elizabeth Coffey for getting it right, too.

[Mark Wish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't think it was possible for another book of short stories to be as interesting, engaging, and appealing to readers from all walks of life as COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES 2022, but here I am rereading COOLEST 2023, and the stories are more than holding up. Or, to put my admiration of this storytelling in one word: Wow. Congrats to the 13 authors in COOLEST 2023; they gave their all to these stories, and it shows!

[mary rendfleisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coolest American Stories 2023 WOW!!!
Another outstanding job! So sit back and enjoy the read.

[Wil A Emerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading Coolest American Stories 2023 on the night of the editor's launch party in NYC. Appropriate timing for both. Mark Wish and Elizabeth Coffey offer a collection of superbly written human interest stories. From the first page to the last, the reader is engaged in life scenarios, not always pleasant, and many tales of despair. What makes this anthology special is that it reflects a side of life that many don't understand or want to experience. Yet, the telling is so gripping you can't stop reading. Excellent writing, great editing. An emotional collection, insightful and disheartening at the same time. Eye opener for those who never enter the crisis zone.

[David Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another highly readable collection of new short fiction from Mark Wish and Elizabeth Coffey. Many of these stories are the type that would be published in commercial, general audience magazines if those still existed that also published fiction. Standouts include the funny and horrible (in a good way) "Meet and Greet" by Georgia Smith, "A Thin Line Rises" by Morgan Talty; "Views" comes close to being better than excellent, as does "Lucy Lucy Lucy." The biggest standout, for me, is Nathan Alling Long's "The Dog," a moving story written with truly fine control.

[Robert Morgan Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I endorse the entire project of this series, it's emphasis on INTERESTING stories. Stuff actually HAPPENS. Not to say they're overly plot-driven, but that component is what grabs the average reader. These are stories that ask What if? Concept is the highest priority. My fave story in the collection was Francisco Uribe's You Don't Have Very Far to Go but there's plenty here to hold your interest.

[Andy Mozina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of plot-driven stories with sympathetic underdog protagonists. My favorites are "The Only Way" by T. E. Wilderson, "Lucy Lucy Lucy" by Nikki Dolson, "The Dog" by Nathan Alling Long," and "The Brick" by Nancy Fagan.

[Jenny Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good short story collection...like dipping into people's lives for moments of joy and pain. A Thin Line Rises was a particular favorite.

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend!!! This collection really does contain the coolest stories of 2023!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Eric Juneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, I finally found a pretty good collection of short stories. The foreword by the editor is weird--he gives a lot of history of previous editions that have no context to someone like me. And it makes it sound weird, like there's a sordid soap opera history that I walked into accidentally.

But all the stories were good, all worth reading. I don't think I skipped any of them, which I nearly always do. There are a few more editorial mistakes than there would be in a different book (in one story, "Sharleen" becomes "Sharlene"). But that doesn't decrease the entertainment value much.