Speculative Short Fiction Deserves Love discussion

http://io9.com/18-perfect-short-stori...?

Anything you'd add or remove?
I love "That Only A Mother," and I'm glad Tiptree made the list, though that isn't the story I would have chosen.

But I'd also add Sturgeon's "The Man Who Lost the Sea," which I adore. And I'd probably pick Omelas over "Solitude" for a Le Guin story, though now I want to reread Solitude.

I haven't read all of these, yay! More excellent short stories to put on my reading list! I would also have chosen a different LeGuin. And a different Tiptree. But glad to have them both on the list. Mmmm possibly not a different Tiptree.

I was surprised (even though I haven't read it- another for my list along with most of these) that I Have No Voice and I Must Scream wasn't on there. Maybe it's a novella and too long?

I haven't read most of those, but I have read some. I really liked Kowal's story, although I'd nominate her Wright Brothers time travel one over this one I think.

There are a great number of stories I'd add, for sure.

"A Proper Santa Claus" by Anne McCaffrey, for instance.

"Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov.

I'm sure there's something by John Varley. He's too good not to include.

"Flashcrowd" by Larry Niven.

"With Friends Like These..." by Alan Dean Foster.

"Cleansed and Set in Gold" by Matthew Sturges.

"War 3.01" by Keith Brooke.

I've never read Ballard. Do you have a short story suggestion?

I find the idea of "perfect" in a work of fiction puzzling and whilst I have read and loved some of the stories mentioned I wouldn't say they were "perfect".

Still its good to be reminded of some great stories to reread or in some cases check out for the first time and it was a good mix of older and newer stories.

I would add "The Things" by Peter Watts. Up on Clarkesworld site.

“All You Zombies” by Heinlein deserves to be on this list - right after Asimov’s story. And Keyes’ “Flowers for Algernon,” right up there, too.

I think you could make a strong case for Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" as a perfect short gem.

Looking over all the suggestions here makes me smile. I suppose it's why I'm so quick to put down a book that isn't working for me-- there's more great fiction out there than I can read in my lifetime.

One great thing about the Asimov story is what he couldn't imagine: that only 50 years later, not hundreds, would printouts become unnecessary. It also makes me wonder how language will be structured in the far future, especially when communicating by thought, just American sign language differs in many ways from spoken language. That said, for a readership today, how could that language be expressed in a way that's comprehensible?

If memory serves, the evolution of language gets touched upon in Asimov's Robots series. There robots don't speak telepathically, but communicate in such an abbreviated shorthand that it's unintelligible (and practically unnoticeable) to humans.

I suppose wifi would be the way to describe robot telepathy...?