Fine Short Stories

[Jack of Hearts]

This reader spends a lot of time digging through the short story forum. Literally going back years, there's a plethora of stories in there to occupy free time...

This question is open to everybody and responses are eagerly anticipated, but this reader is immensely interested to hear from those who've been around for awhile-

what are some of the finest short stories you've read in that forum? Can you link them here or give seachable titles, at least?

Can you give any specific examples of fine short stories posted on LitNet?










J

[DickZ]

Hillwalker and Aunt Shecky have the best stories, in my opinion. I consider hillwalker’s The Brocken Spectre to be exceptional:

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59153

Aunt Shecky has written several great ones, including a superior piece on a young boy who finds a shoebox with mysterious contents in a city dump. See Reply #15 below for a link to her story.

But in general, you're correct in saying you can spend a lot of time digging in that forum. Every great story is obscured by hundreds of, well, not-so-great ones.

[Jack of Hearts]

Thanks, DickZ-

The Broken Spectre was not unnoticed by this reader when it was posted. Not sure about Aunty's, do want to find it... maybe a hunt is in order.

If you think of any other pieces that have been obscured over the years, please return to this thread. It would be great to track them down and read them.






J

[zoolane]

Hill and Steven. Delta and Hawk.

[Delta40]

Steve Hunley is one of my favourite short story writers. The flow of his writing is exceptional at times and I seldom feel bogged down in unnecessary detail. He trusts to the imagination of the reader to form their own impressions and this is a great skill. I have also enjoyed some of Hill's work and recently giggled over Hawk's The Gadget. I find Zoo's work to unique because of her ability to resonate eerie dark tales in tangles of miscontructed sentences. I admire her for that and quite often, she sends chills up my spine.

We must remember that short stories come in every genre so it really is a matter of taste.

[Jack of Hearts]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, you two. Couldn't agree more.

This reader must apologize. When he posted the original thread, he was hoping to get specific examples of exceptional stories that you might've read at some point during your tenure on LitNet. The reason why is that this reader has a renewed interest in short story writing and is delving through the Short Story Forum archive for reading.

So the original post will be amended for clarity, sorry.






J

[Delta40]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, you two. Couldn't agree more.

This reader must apologize. When he posted the original thread, he was hoping to get specific examples of exceptional stories that you might've read at some point during your tenure on LitNet. The reason why is that this reader has a renewed interest in short story writing and is delving through the Short Story Forum archive for reading.

So the original post will be amended for clarity, sorry.






J

Now you're asking alot! It's Saturday morning here and I'm still on my first coffee! lol. I'll have a look for some examples later and post them.

[zoolane]

Thankyou Delta.
I do not time have proprty look but here some. I haven't got round Hawk yet.

Hillwalker
http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59266 Target Practice.
http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59153 Brocken Spectre.

Steven.
http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62936 The Bust.
http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60632 Twenty- First Century Christo.

Delta.
http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62183 Respite.
http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61426 The Tea Lady.

[billl]

I used to read short stories and poems here more frequently a while back. I guess there was a month or two where I was doing it quite a bit more often, for whatever reason. I can't remember many, but it is certainly true, I think, that looking around LitNet is at least as good of an idea as picking up some published collection of short stories in a bookstore--especially considering the price.

I do remember the first short story at this website that taught me that the Short Story Sharing sub-forum was actually an interesting place to spend some reading time now and then, though. It had techniques that paid off just when they were about to seem a flaw, and an overarching constraint that created a genre perfect for internet reading, at least in my case, at least for a little while.

God's Child (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44391)

[Jack of Hearts]

Thanks zoo. A few of those this reader hasn't read yet.

Happy 1,500 billl, and thanks for hitting the mark with that response. That story is from 2009. Time and the ever growing pool of stories has obscured it from view- it may very well be a treasure (this reader will read it very soon) and that's the essence of this thread. Appreciating obscured treasures... and perhaps learning from them.







J

[Delta40]

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63549 Dude Learns A Trade.
by Steve Hunley

It isn't finished yet but the three instalments are gripping reading.

[breathtest]

Just wanted to say that I am also an admirer of Steve Hunley's short stories. I might get time later to post one particular story of his that I really enjoyed. If I can find it.

[Buh4Bee]

Steven Hunley is very good.

[Jack of Hearts]

That work God's Child (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44391) was a concise and effective piece of writing. So much good was done in that one. Thanks for sharing it.

Incidentally, while not a short story, prendrelemick's blog (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/blog.php?b=11648) is something special. This reader spent part of this morning reading the inventory of various sheep pens and loved it, every inch. No idea why.






J

[DickZ]

Hillwalker and Aunt Shecky have the best stories, in my opinion. I consider hillwalker’s The Brocken Spectre to be exceptional:

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59153

Aunt Shecky has written several great ones, including a superior piece on a young boy who finds a shoebox with mysterious contents in a city dump.

Here is the link to Aunt Shecky's masterpiece:

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showpost.php?p=838829&postcount=18

[Jack of Hearts]

This reader thinks Two Sundays (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1065128#post1065128) by DocHeart is a fine recent offering.

DickZ, thanks for posting that. This reader will be working through AuntShecky's story hopefully tomorrow afternoon.







J

[Steven Hunley]

Gee, that was a shot in the arm. At least a dozen or so writers here merit watching. They can write, of that I have no doubt. Talent up the ying-yang is what they have. Like you say, the book store is too damned expensive. And the fact that many of these writers haven't been published yet doesn't detract from their readability one bit. They exercise a kind of freedom here that publishers are afraid to allow. i.e. In subject matter, etc.

For instance, some of my pieces quote popular songs or other pieces of literature already published. This kind of stuff publishers shy away from due to copywrite restraints. Here you can read it and write it without fear.

After all, Van Gough only sold one painting in his lifetime. And no one can deny the fellow could paint!

So here you get to read stuff that's new and fresh and sometimes experimental.

You're reading stuff on, (to quote Maugham) The Razor's Edge!

[Jack of Hearts]

Felt like bumping this thread because there have been some new posters here who posted some very good reads.








J

[Jack of Hearts]

Here's a new one:


The Belfast Warrior by smerdyakov (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65581)

It's hard to believe that this was smerdyakov's first post. It's really a good read.

Also, prendrelemick's blog has new entries- and this reader discovered that there are older ones there too, going back to 2009. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and you can see page numbers. This reader cannot recommend mick's blog enough: read it!






J

[Jack of Hearts]

After careful consideration:


The Lonely by DocHeart (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66014)

This reader enjoyed it because each section seemed to be an element on a canvas of loneliness.





J

[Jack of Hearts]

And also:


Three Septembers by AuntShecky

Part One (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showpost.php?p=950247&postcount=40)
Part Two (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showpost.php?p=950253&postcount=41)
Part Three (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showpost.php?p=950255&postcount=42)


Though this reader gave Aunty kind of a 'nipping' response to it, it still must be said that this is a great example of an exceptional story/novella/thing.






J

[Jack of Hearts]

Probably this reader's favorite story on LitNet is...


Chloe's Poem by hillwalker (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56761)







J

[Jack of Hearts]

Here's an oldie but a goodie (the story, not the author):


Mid-Lyric (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59075) by everyadventure

Oh, them sweeter days. May they come again.

[Jack of Hearts]

Two stories for this one. Same author. One is based on a painting and won the 2010 Annual Short Story Competition. It's amazing. The second is just laden with appeal, so that's reason enough to read it.


Anyhow In A Corner (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showpost.php?p=993553&postcount=19) by MarkBastable

Happy Hour at the Algonquin (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59997) by MarkBastable

[Jack of Hearts]

Another:


The Mighty Quinn (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67318) by MarkBastable

[the facade]

Great thread JoH!
Makes things so much easier.

[Jack of Hearts]

What's good lately, Litnet? There's some in the story competition that belong in this thread. Oh yeah.






J

[Jack of Hearts]

After carefuler consideration, a story about his father:


To Catch the Dawn (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68956) by DocHeart

[miyako73]

I didn't see this thread. Thanks, Billl, for mentioning one of my stories I wrote when I first became a member of this forum; and Jack, for reading. I hope I'll be able to write again with my old brevity and conciseness. I am currently struggling against my stubborn verbosity and circuitous metaphors, the literary maladies of a poet. Thanks again.

[Jack of Hearts]

Ah! YOU wrote God's Child! When billl posted it, you were not active it seems. The story really just seemed awash in the vast sea of the forum by an author who had long since departed. What a coincidence. Great work, miyako.





J

[prendrelemick]

The short story thread was the first place I found on this forum. Now I hardly ever visit, I must try harder.

This is/was my favorite from the old days .

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40736

It's burntpunk's only short story, but he left a lot of other stuff about the forum that is very distinctive.

[Jack of Hearts]

Hi mick,

Thanks for contributing. Will read that story soon (already glanced it over).You're doing a great job on your blog, which received a new entry last week. Everyone ought to go take a peek.






J

[Jack of Hearts]

The best entry in the best blog that this reader has ever read on this site:


Meeting Mrs. P (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/blog.php?b=12448) by prendrelemick from his blog Life in a Small Town.

[Jack of Hearts]

For posterity, the second part of prendrelemick's blog entry:


Meeting Mrs. P (Part 2) (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/blog.php?b=12449) by prendrelemick from his blog Life in a Small Town.

[Jack of Hearts]

For a posterior, the third part of mick's blog entry about meeting Mrs. P!



Meeting Mrs. P (Part 3) (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/blog.php?b=12486)

[Jack of Hearts]

Taste o'Nor Cal.


The Road Trip (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1169808#post1169808) by Elphyon

[xtianfriborg13]

Hill and Steven. Delta and Hawk.

I don't think this is a short story.. lol

[Jack of Hearts]

There've got to be some creeping around here somewhere...







J

[AuntShecky]

There've got to be some creeping around here somewhere...
J

Well, Mr. Jack of Hearts, you'll just have to look a teensy bit harder. You'll want to avoid those weapons of mass distraction, though. You'll know 'em when you see 'em-- they're the ones impersonating English prose.

[Jack of Hearts]

Hey! What a cool thread, we should post here.





J