Best short stories list

[gato]

Meng Lelan asked in the Lu Xun thread about lists of recommended short stories from more recent years. Such lists do exist. See two below for example. The first is a list of more personal choices, the second a list of more widely acknowledged works.

http://www.amazon.cn/%E4%B8%80%E4%B8%AA%E4%BA%BA%E7%9A%84%E6%8E%92%E8%A1%8C%E6%A6%9C/dp/B0011BCPRI

一个人的排行榜(中国优秀短篇小说)

编者:李敬泽

1990——1999

丁天/数学课

王安忆/进江南记

尤凤伟/为兄弟国瑞善后

东西/溺

石舒清/清水里的刀子

艾伟/杀人者王肯

池莉/热也好冷也好活着就好

朱文颖/重瞳

毕飞宇/是谁在深夜说话

红柯/吹牛

陈染/空的窗

迟子建/朋友们来看雪吧

何玉茹/到群众中去

阿来/群蜂飞舞

邹静之/骑马上街的三哥

李洱/喑哑的声音

李冯/十六世纪的卖油郎

张弛/夜行动物馆

周洁茹/你疼吗

徐坤/狗日的足球

阎连科/小镇蝴蝶铁翅膀

棉棉/告诉我通向一个威士忌酒吧的路

魏微/乔治和一本书

2000—2002

叶弥/黄色的故事

陆离/女人的马音

李浩/那支长枪

张万新/马口鱼

李红旗/好多大米

狗子/阿蹦的酒馆

戴来/亮了一下

1977—1989

刘恒/狗日的粮食

汪曾祺/职业

张承志/九座宫殿

陈村/一天

莫言/枯河

http://product.dangdang.com/product.aspx?product_id=9216843

近30年中国短篇小说精粹

作者:雷达

汪曾祺 受 戒

史铁生 我的遥远的清平湾

贾平凹 火 纸

古 华 爬满青藤的木屋

李 锐 瘩}坟

陈建功 丹凤眼

铁凝 哦，香雪

余华 十八岁出门远行

刘震云 塔铺

杨争光 蓝鱼儿

韩少功 马桥人物(两题)

严歌苓 女房东

毕飞宇 哺乳期的女人

徐坤 厨房

邓一光 狼行成双

棉 棉 每个好孩子都有糖吃

阎连科 黑猪毛白猪毛

赵本夫 天下无贼

尤凤伟 一桩案件的几种说法

冯骥才 俗世奇人(两题)

陈忠实 日 子

陈世旭 波湖谣

王 蒙 笑而不答

莫 言 木匠和狗

迟子建 一匹马两个人

苏 童 骑兵

红柯 玫瑰绿洲

飞 花 卖 米

须一瓜 海瓜子，薄壳儿的海瓜子

刘庆邦 麦 子

温亚军 驮水的日子

乔 叶 取暖

石舒清 清水里的刀子

[Meng Lelan]

Thank you, gato, I really appreciate your finding that list. Maybe we can pick out some future short story of the month from that list and see why the story made the list or something like that. I thought that there was some kind of nationally recognized list of best short stories or some literary organization offers prizes/awards to best short stories of the year or decade but I don't know any details on that. For example, is the awarding of the 中国优秀短篇小说 title done by some national committee or group?

[skylee]

I have not read any of the short stories and have only heard of some of the authors (陸離, 賈平凹, 古華, 余華, 閻連科, 王蒙, 蘇童 and 王安憶). I wonder why. The main reason is of course my ignorance. And I don't particularly like short stories. And perhaps they are too new. But then I do read a lot. And I know and have read many of the favourite 100 novels. Perhaps I just keep re-reading what I like ...

But could it be that the writers in #1 are not as famous outside of China? Or that overseas (HK, Taiwan etc) bookstores don't carry their books?

[Meng Lelan]

Those are very good questions, skylee. Actually I don't like novels very much, just short stories, but I think maybe I could tolerate selections from novels....you know, something like how the 语文 textbooks are set up.

[gato]

The reason is probably that most short story writers don't have their own books and have to rely on having their stories being published in literature magazines like 收获, 百花, 人民文学, and 小说月刊, which generally are only sold in the mainland. There are not really any general interest magazines that carry short stories like the New Yorker. Even the New Yorker is veering away from fiction in favor of reporting.

[skylee]

Then where can people read/find these "best" short stories?

[gato]

In the "best short stories" compilation books. Some of the stories are available on the Internet, but many are not. You can probably find the compilations at the HK Public Library.

[chrix]

or if they end up on high school reading-lists

[Meng Lelan]

High school reading lists! That's it! great idea chrix thanks!.... If I get to Beijing this summer I'm going to get to the bookstores and get the whole hard copy set of high school 语文 and then use those to get the short story of the month thread rolling on.