Short stories can be just as powerful and effective as a novel, but they don't get as much recognition in the literary criticism world. Even so, there are a lot of amazing short stories out there. Some authors have even built careers on writing short fiction, such as Washington Irving ("The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"), Edgar Allan Poe (The Tell Tale Heart and Other Stories), and Guy de Maupassant ("The Necklace"). And you may remember that Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is still one of the most well-known and studied pieces of literature throughout American high schools. Even though short stories are often treated like the novel's annoying kid sister, there are some pretty spectacular short story collections out there. Here are a few of Hooked Bookworm's favorites:
