I do love short stories, whether published in a magazine, an anthology or a collection. I enjoy them if they're written by people I know and by authors new to me. I know
(because I write them) that it takes just as much skill to write short stories as long ones, and certainly a different set of skills.
The books pictured are just a few of the short-story books I have. Amongst the others are Leo Tolstoy's
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories (surprisingly accessible) and a
Doctor Who collection that was published to mark 50 years of the great man (pre-Jodie Whittaker). Fair to say, I think, I have varied taste.
At the moment, I'm reading
Bryant & May: England's Finest
by Christopher Fowler. The stories are great and the writing is
amazing, of course, but I think his full-length novels featuring these two characters are better.
(He'll be crying all the way to the bank.) On the other hand,
Property by Lionel Shriver is every bit as good as her novels. Closer to home, my writing pal
Louise Jensen, well-known for her terrific psychological thrillers and about to break into the romance market under her nom de plume Amelia Henley, has just had a short story accepted by
My Weekly magazine.
Do you think an author's short stories can be an indication of that person's style as a writer of novels, and vice versa, or are they such different media as to necessitate separate appraisal?