What are your favorite recently published short stories?

pinefox, I'm loving these summaries & reactions. I often don't love the format either, but I'll recommend Kate Folk's debut collection 'Out There' from last year. I think of her as similar to Ted Chiang in that each story has a clear concept based on some sort of surreal or sci-fi element, but as a means to explore human relationships (where it seems Chiang is more literally interested in AI/technology/aliens in a philosophical sense).

Now that I think of it, the last new story collection that I loved was probably Miranda July's No One Belongs Here More Than You.

o.nate, I have read that collection a few times and know it well. I'm a bit surprised that July doesn't feature in this Penguin book.

I'm most glad that you and poster Jordan appreciated my posts about the collection. re Jordan's post, I do note that there seems to be a strand of short story which is high-concept (like Chiang and seemingly Folk), against a strand that is the opposite, more humanist slice of life if you like (Carver presumably fits here - unless we think Carver has high concepts of his own).

Hilary Mantel read her story "The School of English" on the LRB podcast in 2015. It's a beautifully written story about a horrible situation.

xp I enjoyed your posts too, thanks. As for Carver, I'd like to re-read some of his Lish-edited stories vs. their unedited originals (some of which appear in posthumous collections, or so I'm told).

That would be a good idea, Dow. Carver now seems to me well worth going back to.

I am pretty sure I read that Mantel story - it was about migrant workers living in a house in London? Afraid I don't recall more.

I did too, pinefox. Now I wanna buy this anthology.

George Saunders' 'Sticks' (1994) is a one-page sketch about a father who hangs things on a pole outside his house. I hope this isn't the best Saunders can do.

Saunders is a great writer, Lincoln in the Bardo an outstanding work and recent A Swim in a Pond in the Rain an interesting short story masterclass

CivilWarLand in Bad Decline also a very good read