# Is the Short Story an Endangered Species?



## Kyle R (Dec 30, 2011)

"Did you know," a friend once told me, "there are less than 1,000 Giant Pandas alive in the world?"

"No, I didn't. Is that true?"

"Yeah." She pouted to make sure I understood how she felt about it, then added, "Isn't that just terrible? They're so beautiful. They're like fluffy cow bears."

Recently I found myself in a conversation with a friend who, by her own admission, is an avid reader. When I asked her for some recommendations, she cited several novels, the majority of which she had discovered on the front displays at the book store. She then asked me if I had any recommendations myself. I mentioned several short stories. She hesitated, then replied, "_short stories?_", as if I had said something absurd, like "I stand on my head when eating my meals, because food tastes better that way."

"Sure," I replied. "You don't like short stories?""

"Well, it's not that, but... I like _real_ books." As if the merits of a Short Story were, literally, nonexistant.

We discussed the issue, and her perspective became clear. Short stories, as she saw them, were smaller, inferior versions of novels, and why would anyone waste the time reading something so insignificant when they can read a full-length book?

To her, the Short Story belonged in the category of Sunday morning comic strips and the smut written in indelible ink inside public restroom stalls. It offered nothing of value -- how could it? -- and was nothing more than a cheap, miniscule imitation of what the skilled writers were doing.

I wondered if her perspective was unique to her alone, or if it was a more widespread opinion. So I asked around. Virtually everyone I spoke to considered the Novel to be the only form of fiction acceptable. Some, even, weren't even aware of other forms.

"Short Story? You mean like, a children's book?"

The rare few that had heard of Short Stories admitted they considered it something amateurs do, like the shaky waddling of a newborn horse trying to walk for the first time. 

_"Oh! You're a writer? What do you write?"
"Short Stories."
"Aww, how cute. You keep at it, don't give up. You'll get there one day!"

_I went looking to the book store for answers. Surely there were Short Story authors thriving somewhere among the Novelists, sapplings bristling on the forest floor between the trunks of the mighty oaks. Short Story collections, I was told by the girl typing away at the computer, could be found "in the... _Anthologies _section?" She spoke the word _anthologies_ with exaggerated slowness and an elevated pitch at the end, as if she found the word foreign.

The anthologies section was slim and sad looking; an emaciated group of dusty books huddled against each other to stave off the cold and loneliness. Their unbroken spines stared at me like the hopeful eyes of abandoned kennel dogs. To one side, the Humor books lay strewn about, their page corners bent and thumbed through, sprawled like happy drunks. On the other side, the glossy red and black Mystery books, posed with their hats pulled down over their eyes, their trenchcoat collars upturned, were being carefully examined by customers with their hands on their chins.

I ended up purchasing two anthologies, leaving a noticable gap. The remaining books slumped morosely against each other.

With my receipt came another, smaller piece of paper. It said,

_You might also like these titles..._ 
_
The Pushcart Prize - Best of the Small Presses
__The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories: The Best Stories of the Year 
The Best American Short Stories

_Well, I thought, at least _somebody_ still acknowledges the value of Short Stories, and the writers who create them, even if the general public seems completely unaware of them at all.

After reading some of the dazzling talents, though, and wondering why I'd never heard of them before, I'm left asking: Is the Shorty Story the literary equivalent of a fluffy cow bear?


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## Dreyga2000 (Dec 30, 2011)

Huh, I never really considered the notion myself. I always assumed there was some hidden vast audience of intellectuals who brought, read, and gossiped about short stories.  Then again I often find myself underestimating the blights of ADD culture. That said this is a very well written and engaging piece. The first sentence caught my eye and the next the I knew I was at the final sentence pondering. So kudos...


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## Sunny (Dec 30, 2011)

Awwww... 

You know, I had never read a short story until I read one on this forum. How odd! I guess I always thought the same thing. Novels where were the goods were at. I know better now and will look for short story books when I'm out. 

Not all people are like that though. My mother, my sister and my friend's mother said they love short stories because they don't have to spend so much time invested in them. They can sit down, enjoy the story under an hour, and love every minute of it. Even my old highschool girlfriend, said she enjoys a short story much more. So, there are people out there that do look for them. 

Have no fear! Short stories will always be in demand, too! ;0)


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## Rustgold (Dec 30, 2011)

Short stories are as appealing as a donkey.  People want full horses, and not small novelette horses.  The facts they consume a truck of feed, produce out a trailer load of fly attracting smelly waste, and falling off can result in broken bones doesn't matter; only a full sized novel will do.

Short stories are like training wheels to a bike, a donkey to a horse; fine for 4 year olds, but not for the 'mature' reader.  And everybody wants to be mature don't they.


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## Sunny (Dec 30, 2011)

Rustgold said:


> Short stories are as appealing as a donkey. People want full horses, and not small novelette horses. The facts they consume a truck of feed, **** out a trailer load of fly attracting smelly waste, and falling off can result in broken bones doesn't matter; only a full sized novel will do.
> 
> Short stories are like training wheels to a bike, a donkey to a horse; fine for 4 year olds, but not for the 'mature' reader. And everybody wants to be mature don't they.



That's odd. I wonder why Readers Digest and other magazines do so well? I wonder why you see them everywhere. Are they not loaded with known brilliant short-stories? I like short-stories, and I don't think I'm a 4-year-old. I think I'm a very mature adult that likes to enjoy a short story, now that I've been introduced to them.


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## philistine (Dec 30, 2011)

Your friend is patently an idiot, if not for dismissing an entire range of literature, but for reading works almost exclusively advertised in book store shop fronts. 

I've experienced this phenomena too, for what it's worth. It seems whenever I mention Chekhov, Leskov, Kuprin, Pushkin, Turgenev, O. Henry, Kipling and their international counterparts, people shoot me an oblivious stare as if I'm lecturing them in Mandarin. 

As for persons looking at the short story as something of a _lesser_ thing to write; well, I have no idea where that's come from. My personal belief is that unlike the novel, short stories require the utmost use of _le mot juste, _the right amount of dialogue, events and much else, as literary estate is scarce.



Rustgold said:


> Short stories are as appealing as a donkey. People want full horses, and not small novelette horses. The facts they consume a truck of feed, **** out a trailer load of fly attracting smelly waste, and falling off can result in broken bones doesn't matter; only a full sized novel will do.
> 
> Short stories are like training wheels to a bike, a donkey to a horse; fine for 4 year olds, but not for the 'mature' reader. And everybody wants to be mature don't they.



Ridiculous.


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## Terry D (Dec 30, 2011)

In many ways we are in a prime age for short stories.  There is an enormous number of on-line magazines (I hate the term e-zine) where the trade is thriving, while the print markets for short fiction seem to be evaporating like rain on hot pavement.  I think -- I hope -- there will always be places to find good short fiction.

Those who look down on the medium probably haven't read much of it.  Writing a good short story is, in many ways, tougher than writing a novel.  The discipline required is far greater.

My wife doesn't care for short fiction even though she is an avid reader.  She likes to be immersed in the story for longer than a short piece offers.  I think she is representative of many folks who choose not to read short stories.  I've always been enthralled with the form, some of the first books I ever read were collections of short stories by Edgar Allen Poe (the father of the form) and Ray Bradbury.

Long live the short story!


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## Jon M (Dec 30, 2011)

It may have to do with the perception that one gets more for their time / money with novels, as opposed to short stories. Personally I love both writing and reading short fiction. It allows me to read it in an evening and move on to something else. Carver is one of my favorites.


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## Rustgold (Dec 30, 2011)

philistine said:


> Ridiculous.



Dear, dear, dear; it looks like my assessment has gone down well.  I consider donkeys useful creatures, but try selling a donkey to the average girl.


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## philistine (Dec 30, 2011)

Rustgold said:


> Dear, dear, dear; it looks like my assessment has gone down well.  I consider donkeys useful creatures, but try selling a donkey to the average girl.





> Monster, assassin of the arts. Little fool; a mixture of depravity and idiocy.



Baudelaire, on the average girl.


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## The Backward OX (Dec 30, 2011)

Rustgold said:


> Short stories are as appealing as a donkey. People want full horses, and not small novelette horses. The facts they consume a truck of feed, **** out a trailer load of fly attracting smelly waste, and falling off can result in broken bones doesn't matter; only a full sized novel will do.
> 
> Short stories are like training wheels to a bike, a donkey to a horse; fine for 4 year olds, but not for the 'mature' reader. And everybody wants to be mature don't they.



Some people might say something similar about motorbikes compared to cars.


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## Tiamat (Dec 31, 2011)

Funny--one of my coworkers told me that he's an avid reader of short stories.  Poe, Bradbury, De Lint, and several others.  If you need evidence of how well short stories thrive, go to Duotrope and look at the vast amount of markets that publish them.


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## Rustgold (Dec 31, 2011)

The Backward OX said:


> Some people might say something similar about motorbikes compared to cars.



From James Dean to Fonzie to Arnie, every cool icon has needed a motorbike for generations.  It's been the biggest fear of fathers for just as long, that their daughters would fall in love with bikes instead of being a good girl in a kitchen.  It's been what every young man has needed to lift his image among the ladies, much to the girl's oldies distress.

Stupid flaming only highlights a lack in knowledge.


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## Rob (Dec 31, 2011)

Short stories aren't dead. Most of the short story authors mentioned in this thread are. How curious.


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## The Backward OX (Dec 31, 2011)

Rustgold said:


> Stupid flaming only highlights a lack in knowledge.



A donkey-lover wouldn't see it as flaming. It all depends on one's perspective.


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## Rustgold (Dec 31, 2011)

The Backward OX said:


> A donkey-lover wouldn't see it as flaming. It all depends on one's perspective.



I'm only glad it's not my name next to that message.

Even if I was a 'donkey lover', I'd hope I didn't lose such sense of reality as to not realise that horse riding is far more appealing to most people than donkey riding (omitting those who wouldn't want to ride either smelly creature).  Of course, one eyed extreme blinkered viewpoints do cause strange reactions in many ways.


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## Walkio (Dec 31, 2011)

As has been said, there are loads of markets accepting short stories. Many of them ezines. It's just that there are very few short story anthologies published compared to novels, which is why they're harder to find in bookshops. But you can find short story compilations (of the best sci-fi, horror etc.). Stephen King has loads of short story collections; Just After Sunset, Skeleton Crew, Four Past Midnight, Full Dark No Stars and Bag of Bones I can think of off the top of my head.

Short stories are not as lucrative as novels; perhaps that's why successful authors tend not to write them? Unless you can get a story published in Glimmertrain or The New Yorker or Electric Literature every week (which is impossible) you're not going to make a great living from short stories. They're more likely a supplementary income or a quick way to reach new readers through magazines with already established readerships.

Of course, many writers first get published through a short story - although the competition is still extremely tough, even for non-paying markets.


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## Bilston Blue (Jan 1, 2012)

Walkio said:


> As has been said, there are loads of markets accepting short stories. Many of them ezines. It's just that there are very few short story anthologies published compared to novels, which is why they're harder to find in bookshops. But you can find short story compilations (of the best sci-fi, horror etc.). Stephen King has loads of short story collections; Just After Sunset, Skeleton Crew, Four Past Midnight, Full Dark No Stars and Bag of Bones I can think of off the top of my head.
> 
> Short stories are not as lucrative as novels; perhaps that's why successful authors tend not to write them? Unless you can get a story published in Glimmertrain or The New Yorker or Electric Literature every week (which is impossible) you're not going to make a great living from short stories. They're more likely a supplementary income or a quick way to reach new readers through magazines with already established readerships.
> 
> Of course, many writers first get published through a short story - although the competition is still extremely tough, even for non-paying markets.




The pedant in me needs to point out that Bag of Bones is a novel, a fine one at that. King's short stories are excellent. I've just read _Big Driver_ from _Full Dark No Stars._ I like that you can dip in and out of short story collections when time doesn't permit you the freedom to read novels, and that it's possible to read a complete story in one sitting. I struggle to comprehend people when they say they read a novel in one sitting, a few hours. Do they skim read it and pick out the important bits like one might when reading an academic paper? 

I'd certainly recommend Glimmer Train for fans of the short story. There are nice touches with it, too. You get a mini-bio from each author and a bookmark unique to each edition with excerpts from the stories written on it. The stories are longer than short stories in the UK market, around six to eight thousand words, and much of the writing is wonderful. There's also an interview with an author in each issue, and a feature whose running title escapes me (something like 'Forgotten Voices') in which each issue highlights the plight of a writer who has fallen foul of the authorities, usually in places where there are restrictions on what one can write or say.

With reference to the question of the thread, I believe the short story is thriving. If you look in the right places there are plenty to find. It won't go the way of the dodo. As for the reaction of Kyle's friend on hearing he reads shorts, it's a fair thing to say that person just doesn't get it, whatever _it _​is.


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## Walkio (Jan 1, 2012)

Bilston Blue said:


> The pedant in me needs to point out that Bag of Bones is a novel, a fine one at that.



Oops, my bad.


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## Olly Buckle (Jan 1, 2012)

Those who dismiss the short story as an inferior version of the novel are missing a trick. Authors sometimes think they will start with something 'easy' like a short story, they are fooling themselves. Not only does it require particular skills to get everything in and retain the form, a bit like painting a miniature rather than a full length portrait, but the form is different. A short usually makes a specific point, with a twist at the end, novels are more inclined to make general observations that are brought together and rounded up at the end. Understanding may be increased by acting on my signature below


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## Walkio (Jan 1, 2012)

Yes, the short story form is actually very tricky to write.


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## The Backward OX (Jan 2, 2012)

Rustgold said:


> Even if I was a 'donkey lover', I'd hope I didn't lose such sense of reality as to not realise that horse riding is far more appealing to most people than donkey riding (omitting those who wouldn't want to ride either smelly creature). Of course, one eyed extreme blinkered viewpoints do cause strange reactions in many ways.



Erm…any creature not possessing binocular vision and missing one eye would turn its head so as to have its one remaining eye facing forward, to compensate, and in such case would in no way benefit from blinkers.


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## kennyc (Jan 2, 2012)

I agree completely. I've personally always enjoyed short stories much more than novels. Grew up on Science Fiction short stories (and novels) and love all variety of short stories -- always buy the annual anthologies and love them. 

That said, the publishers want to make money and they way they make money is to put big prices and big marketing bucks into novels. 

Such is life. 




philistine said:


> Your friend is patently an idiot, if not for dismissing an entire range of literature, but for reading works almost exclusively advertised in book store shop fronts.
> 
> I've experienced this phenomena too, for what it's worth. It seems whenever I mention Chekhov, Leskov, Kuprin, Pushkin, Turgenev, O. Henry, Kipling and their international counterparts, people shoot me an oblivious stare as if I'm lecturing them in Mandarin.
> 
> ...


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## doghouse reilly (Jan 3, 2012)

Back in the days of the "pulps" you could make big money writing short stories - and magazines like "Weird Tales" and "Ellery Queen" are still around.  Still, the big money now is in novels, especially if Hollywood is interested.  But I still like to read - and write - short stories.  As a matter of fact, I'm considering expanding one of mine into a novel.

doghouse reilly


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## Robdemanc (Jan 3, 2012)

I read a book of Stephen Kings short stories.  They were excellent.  But as a general rule I like novel length stories more.


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## Rustgold (Jan 3, 2012)

I wonder if there's a belief that their own likes are the same as the average person's.  Yes, people here may like short stories, and maybe even respect them; but that's not typical out there.  Best sellers don't lie, people like full sized novels.  The quality of novelettes or short stories aren't considered to be of value to the typical reader.

People can scream ridiculous all they like, but it doesn't change the opinion of most people out there.  In the eyes of the public, short stories are like a 'stinky' donkey when you can have a proper horse.  The donkey may be more useful and sensible than a horse, but it's not what most people believe.


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## JosephB (Jan 3, 2012)

Rustgold said:


> In the eyes of the public, short stories are like a 'stinky' donkey when you can have a proper horse.



The only thing "stinky" is your analogy. Your comments suggest the majority dislikes short stories or consider them a lesser form of writing or literature. I would content that most people simply prefer novels as entertainment or are indifferent to short stories.

If you're only concerned about commercial viability -- stick to novels. But the opinion of the majority has nothing to do with quality or what matters to discerning readers. Short stories are a great form of literature and entertainment for people who don't like to be spoon-fed easy reading. The people who dismiss them probably haven't given them a proper chance, or if they have -- they just don't get it -- possibly because short stories often require a deeper level of thought --  and they don't necessarily tie everything up in a neat package. Or they don't provide the means of escape that so many readers are after. There is a market for short stories -- but they will never appeal to the masses who don't want or require anything more than easy entertainment.


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## Olly Buckle (Jan 3, 2012)

If you are thinking commercial, JosephB, remember that Conan Doyle was probably one of the biggest selling authors of English fiction with Sherlock Holmes, which is essentially a series of short stories, get it right and they sell like hot cakes.


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## JosephB (Jan 3, 2012)

Sure. In the late 1800's. 

Short stories were popular in periodicals and in collections up through the 1960's and 70's. Mainstream magazine's don't publish them any more -- and it's extremely difficult to get a collection of short stories published these days -- if you already aren't a successful novel writer. That's the reality today.


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## thinkingaboutit (Jan 3, 2012)

Hope it's not, as I've had to admit to myself that I just don't enjoy working on longer pieces - probably because I don't have the right skill set. I love to read short stories. I find that as I get older, my attention span gets shorter, so maybe that's part of it.


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## kennyc (Jan 3, 2012)

...and one would think that in today's busy world, short stories would be more welcomed than longer stories.....but....


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## JosephB (Jan 3, 2012)

They are for me. I'm a short story fanatic. I love to write them too. I'm betting there are lots of good short story writers out there also who don't pursue them in favor of novels. Too bad.


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## movieman (Jan 4, 2012)

kennyc said:


> ...and one would think that in today's busy world, short stories would be more welcomed than longer stories.....but....



I definitely prefer short novels to long ones these days.

As I see it, the upside of short stories is that you can write them faster than a novel and plenty of magazines will pay a couple of hundred dollars or more if they accept it. The downside is that if you don't get any magazine sales and put it up on Amazon/Smashwords/B&N as an e-book you'll probably be selling it for $0.99 where you get 30%-ish royalties rather than 70%... you need to sell about 10 copies to equal a single novel sale at $3.99.

I largely see short stories as a form of marketing for novels, with the bonus that you might make a decent amount of money if you can sell it to pro magazine.


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## JosephB (Jan 4, 2012)

I would imagine that most people who write short stories and submit them for publication do it for personal satisfaction -- not for the money. Considering the time it takes to write a story, the amount you might get paid by some relatively obscure e-zine or literary mag is peanuts.


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## philistine (Jan 4, 2012)

JosephB said:


> I would imagine that most people who write short stories and submit them for publication do it for *personal satisfaction* -- not for the money. Considering the time it takes to write a story, the amount you might get paid by some relatively obscure e-zine or literary mag is peanuts.



Bingo. I'm in for satisfaction, at least for the time being, and for my short fiction. I have an idea for a novel in the firing kiln, though that'll be a serious endeavour.


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