American Short

From the universally acclaimed author of Breath, Eyes, Memory and Krik? Krak!, a brilliant, deeply moving work of fiction that explores the world of a "dew breaker", a torturer, a man whose brutal crimes in the country of his birth lie hidden beneath his new American reality.

Monique has a problem. Well, two problems: Tyson James and Gage Dillinger. The first is her drug dealing boyfriend whose trying to go legit. He’s the tall, dark glass of handsome who pulled her out of her shitty apartment in Bed-Stuy and into a Tribeca Penthouse. The second is a self-made billionaire with enough charm and polish to hide the violent struggles of his past. Usually they’d move in different circles. But with Gage considering making a key investment in Tyson’s entertainment business, Monique ends up at a dinner at the Dillinger Mansion in the Upper East Side. The ...

My Confession: "I'm falling for my girlfriend's dad." Cameron is straight. He planned on marrying his girlfriend Samantha after graduation, but when he caught her cheating with his best friend, Bradley, his heart broke in two and he temporarily gave up on love. Later that evening, an older, masculine, and muscular man named Clint showed up at his door. He needed assistance with a problem that only Cameron could help solve. Cameron felt a strong physical attraction and fell immediately under his charming and charismatic spell. There was only one problem, the man he was attracted to is his ...

About HEALED She’s hurting and I feel her. Filled with tears, fears, and broken pieces of promises… I’ve decided to participate in her victory. It doesn’t take me long to discover she doesn’t feel worthy of love. She doesn’t understand why this route was chosen as a piece of her journey, but all I know is if she gives me the opportunity, I’m going to love her like she needs to be love. She’s afraid. Afraid of moving forward. Afraid of failing. Afraid of hidden secrets being revealed. And afraid of repeating past mistakes. But how will she ever understand that love was meant ...

When the hubby and kids are away, the kitty cat will play... It's Halloween, and Michelle is in a precarious position. Her older neighbor, Jan, has been after her for months, begging to explore her heavenly body and eat the coochie. But Michelle has always told her no. Until tonight. With her husband and children away for a few hours of trick or treating, Michelle has more than enough time to allow her pillow princess fantasies to become a reality. And with Jan promising to "tear it up", Michelle is certain this will be a Halloween she'll never forget.

“Short stories have to accomplish a nearly impossible magic trick: to introduce a world often much stranger than our own and make you care about it in a matter of pages,” writes R. F. Kuang in her introduction. “The most important part of this magic trick is just a willingness to get weird.” The stories in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023 are brimming with bizarre and otherworldly premises.

Marry in haste, repent at leisure… Sadie Fitzsimmons must choose between total destitution and marriage by proxy with someone she’s never met. When Sadie steps off the train to meet her new husband for the first time, life in Nebraska is not at all what she had expected. Torn between honoring the vows she spoke to a stranger, and her desire to be free of all obligations, Sadie must face the consequences of her choices. Hamilton Foster had worked hard for his successes. All that was missing from his perfect life was a family of his own. Sending home to Boston for a wife seemed like a ...

A livewire debut from Dantiel W. Moniz, one of the most exciting discoveries in today's literary landscape, Milk Blood Heat depicts the sultry lives of Floridians in intergenerational tales that contemplate human connection, race, womanhood, inheritance, and the elemental darkness in us all. Set among the cities and suburbs of Florida, each story delves into the ordinary worlds of young girls, women, and men who find themselves confronted by extraordinary moments of violent personal reckoning.

Ivy desires to be loved unconditionally. Asher does not. Maybe they can come to a compromise to make a relationship work—or perhaps not. When Ivy and Asher meet by chance at the airport, they never realized what was in store for their future. Ivy's career path led her to New York because of her job. She's happy because she gets to hang out with her friends Madison, Noelle, and Shelby, but on the other hand, Ivy is sad to leave Georgia, a place consistent in her life and the only place she has ever known. A change is good right? The move could be perfect. It could be the beginning of ...

Edited by National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi and featuring some of the most acclaimed best-selling black authors writing for teens today - Black Enough is an essential collection of captivating stories about what it’s like to be young and black in America. A selection of the Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List.

Seventeen Syllables and Other Stories brings together 15 stories that span Hisaye Yamamoto's 40-year career. It was her first book to be published in the United States. Yamamoto's themes include the cultural conflicts between the first generation, the Issei and their children, the Nisei; coping with prejudice; and the World War II internment of Japanese Americans.

Nathaniel is a well-intentioned, if naive, British cleric feeling blessed to educate a West African village about the benevolent power of God. But as slavers encroach, Nathaniel’s endeavor is daunted by the realities unfolding on the beautiful homeland of his congregation. It seems the Devil has power too. What follows for Nathaniel is a profound spiritual upheaval as he questions his purpose and even his humanity.

“What's most compelling about a scientific story is the way it challenges us to think about the concepts we take for granted,” writes guest editor Carl Zimmer in his introduction. The essays in this year’s Best American Science and Nature Writing probe at the ordinary and urge us to think more deeply about our place in the world around us.

Symone Davenport is a 22-year-old college senior who has set herself up for a very secure future, but all her achievements feel more like a duty than a labor of love. It takes the help of Jaylen Richards, the handsome new choir director, to not only unlock her talent and try to bring her into the spotlight but to unlock her heart. Janice was never very thin. With a gorgeous face, personality, and brains, she isn't lacking friends, but her insecurities about her weight gain get in the way of things reaching the next level with men.

One of them was going to have to get married. The McLain brothers agreed on that much. Running the Bar-M-Bar ranch took just about every minute of the day – from can see to can’t see. They didn’t have time for beating dust out of carpets and chasing cobwebs from the ceiling. They’d tried hiring a housekeeper but that hadn’t worked out so well and, two housekeepers later, neither of them was enthused about trying to find housekeeper number three. Besides, there was more to consider than just dirty floors and greasy kitchens. Though they were still in the prime of life, it wasn’t ...

From the royal wedding to boring airplane companions, Samuel Beckett to Margaret Thatcher, "senior moments" to life as a waitress, Maeve's Times gives us wonderful insight into a changing Ireland as it celebrates the work of one of our best-loved writers in all its diversity - revealing her characteristic directness, laugh-out-loud humor, and unswerving gaze into the true heart of a matter.

Henry Dumas' fiction is a masterful synthesis of myth and religion, culture and nature, mask and identity. From the Deep South to the simmering streets of Harlem, his characters embark on surreal and mythic quests armed only with wit, words, and wisdom. Championed by Toni Morrison, Walter Mosley, and Quincy Troupe, Dumas' books have long been out of print. All of his short fiction is collected here, for the first time, and includes several previously unpublished stories.

Five great American short story writers, dating from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, are represented here. Different in atmosphere and writing style, they nevertheless caught the mood and concerns of the day in a way that was distinctly American.

The "Detroit Life After 15 Years" book series by:"True Story" offers a gritty, compelling portrayal of Detroit’s transformation over a 15-year period. The series delves into the social, economic, and cultural changes in the city, capturing its struggles with urban decay, economic downturns, and societal shifts. Through a blend of fiction and real-world issues, the books paint a vivid picture of the challenges and resilience of Detroit's residents. Readers are immersed in the personal stories of individuals navigating the complexities of life in a city undergoing significant transformation...

I never thought I'd be the kind of guy to obsess over a woman, but then I saw her behind the candy shop counter. Her bright blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and bubbly personality make everyone around her smile. I know she’s out of my league, but I can't help myself. So, I start watching her every move. I guess you could say I’m stalking her. But I can’t help it because Emily is my obsession, and somehow I’ve got to make her mine.