Credit: Courtesy of publishers
Stylist Loves
Finding novels too long? Here are 8 short story collections to bookmark this year
1 year ago
All products on this page have been selected by the editorial team, however Stylist may make commission on some products purchased through affiliate links in this article
4 min read
From stories that explore the language of therapy to revamped fairytales, here are eight of the best short story collections to pick up this year.
As much as I love a long and detailed novel on a rainy Sunday afternoon, committing to 300 pages of fiction can be a little daunting at times – especially when our lives can be so busy and hectic. However, that doesn’t mean you need to give up on reading altogether, as there are several short story collections to get stuck into – or dip in and out of when the mood arises.
From stories that explore the language of therapy to revamped fairytales with a modern twist, short story collections have been having a moment for the past few years, and 2024 is no different. We’ve rounded up some of our current favourites to bookmark for your reading lists.
Free Therapy by Rebecca Ivory
In this brilliant debut from Rebecca Ivory, Free Therapy explores the inner lives of women and men who are versed in the language of therapy and self-awareness but find themselves unwilling to change their lives. From a waitress who doesn’t have the money to fix her tooth to an older man’s grief emerging during an altercation with a mother driving a 4x4, this collection covers themes on sex, friendship and work and dives into what it means to be human.
Shop Free Therapy by Rebecca Ivory (£16.14, Vintage) at Bookshop
I Meant It Once by Kate Doyle
In this collection, each story captures a moment in early adulthood when many young women are caught in between the nostalgia for the past while trying to forge ahead into the future – breaking free from expectations and finding a way to exist in the world. If you love Ottessa Moshfegh’s writing, this one’s for you.
Shop I Meant It Once by Kate Doyle (£14.24, Little, Brown) at Bookshop
Daddy by Emma Cline
From the bestselling author of The Girls, Emma Cline’s 2021 collection of short stories, Daddy, dives into the subtle intricacies of human behaviour.
“A man travels to his son’s school to deal with the fallout of a violent attack and to make sure his son will not lose his college place. But what exactly has his son done? And who is to blame? A young woman trying to make it in LA, working in a clothes shop while taking acting classes, turns to a riskier way of making money but will be forced to confront the danger of the game she’s playing. And a family coming together for Christmas struggles to skate over the lingering darkness caused by the very ordinary brutality of a troubled husband and father.”
White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link
Think fairytales but with a modern twist. White Cat, Black Dog offers a fresh take on the stories we thought we knew – leaving behind the magical castles and gingerbread cottages. Here, you’ll read about lost students, failing actors and stranded professors looking for love, revenge or simply a sense of purpose in life.
Shop White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link (£9.49, Bloomsbury) from Bookshop
Green Frog by Gina Chung
Exploring Korean American womanhood, bodies and transformation as a means of survival, Green Frog straddles the line between fantasy and reality with stories about a pair of talking dolls helping twins escape their home, a fox demon avenging her sister’s death and a woman re-examining her father’s legacy after his death.
Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi
With new stories as well as previously published pieces, Wole Talabi’s new collection contains 16 short stories set in (or related to) Africa, investigating the changing role of technology in our lives.
“In Lagos, Nigeria, a roadside mechanic volunteers to undergo a procedure that will increase the electrical conductivity of his skin by orders of magnitude. On Mars, a woman races against time and a previously undocumented geological phenomenon to save her brother. In Nairobi, a tech support engineer tries to understand what is happening when an AI system begins malfunctioning in ways that could change the world.”
Shop Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi (£23.75, Astra) from Bookshop
Earth Angel by Madeline Cash
In her debut, Madeline Cash focuses on the digital age and perfectly captures the anxiety of the post-millennial generation in a satirical and witty way. There’s a wide range of themes covered in this collection with stories such as an app that throws a slumber party for a friendless office worker, the longest recorded nosebleed in history and what happens when an Isis recruit, an adolescent beauty queen and a childless millennial walk into a bar.
Shop Earth Angel by Madeline Cash (£13.29, Clash Books) from Bookshop
Bliss Montage by Ling Ma
From a woman who lives with all of her ex-boyfriends to an ancient ritual that might heal you of anything if you bury yourself alive, Ling Ma brings eight tales of people making their way through the madness and reality of our collective experiences: love and loneliness, connection and possession, friendship, motherhood and the idea of home.
Shop Bliss Montage by Ling Ma (£10.44, Text Publishing) from Bookshop
Images: courtesy of publishers
Sign up for our edit of what to buy, see, read and do.
By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy
Thank you!
You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.