Short Stories for the Semester

School has started back up for high school and college students alike, and many of them (including myself) are bemoaning their lack of free time now that there’s so much work to be done for class. Some people like to binge watch shows or movies on Netflix or listen to endless podcast episodes. My favorite form of escapism is reading – especially science fiction and fantasy. When it comes to Netflix, there’s not much advice I can give except to pace yourself and balance awesome shows with classwork, and I know that’s easier said than done. But if reading is your thing and you find yourself strapped for free time due to school, I have found that short stories go a long way toward allowing you to get in some leisure reading in between assignments. Here are five books of short stories to get you through the semester.

  1. Get in Trouble by Kelly Link. This is a book of weird fiction. All of Link’s stories are just strange enough to be outside the bounds of reality but not so strange that they aren’t relatable. I think that’s what makes them extra weird.
  2. The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu. Ken Liu is also the author of the epic fantasy series The Dandelion Dynasty and translator of Liu Cixin’s epic science fiction series Remembrance of Earth’s Past. However, if you’re super busy with school, I recommend his short science fiction and fantasy stories for a perfect break in your classwork.
  3. Press Start to Play, edited by Daniel H. Wilson. This is a book of video game oriented short stories by a variety of authors, including Ernest Cline, Seanan McGuire, T.C. Boyle, and Andy Weir. This is a good one if your jonesing for books and games.
  4. Shoggoths in Bloom and Other Stories by Elizabeth Bear. As the title indicates, Elizabeth Bear’s collection is Lovecraftian in nature. Like Kelly Link, the stories within are weird and highly readable. Bear also has a special gift for writing beautiful sentences.
  5. Mostly Void, Partially Stars by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. This collection is a bit of a cheat. The chapters within are transcripts of the podcast Welcome to Night Vale with author and actor insight. This is excellent for fans of the show and newbies, but if you haven’t listened to the podcast, give it a shot. Cecil Baldwin has the best voice.

Post by: Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist

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