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After publication of the first "Flash Fiction" anthology over a decade ago, flash became part of the creative writing lexicon for readers, writers, students, and teachers. In this follow-up collection, the editors once again tackle the question: How short can a story be and truly be a story? Determined to find the best flashes from America in the twenty-first century, James Thomas and Robert Shapard searched everywhere for stories that were not merely good but memorable. Moving, and certainly unforgettable, this collection includes stories from the best and most popular fiction writers of our time, including Ron Carlson, Robert Coover, Steve Almond, Amy Hempel, A. M. Homes, Grace Paley, and Paul Theroux. In addition, Rick Moody properly defines armoire, Lydia Davis delves into a world of cats, and Dave Eggers explores narrow escapes. Over and over, these stories prove that often less is more.
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14 reviews
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful
"You shouldn't have to turn the page more than once."
7 Sep 2006
Format:Paperback
Maybe it's the pace of a society bedeviled by technology and the demands of busy lives. Maybe just an interesting form of fiction, concise, clear and sophisticated; in any case "flash" fiction challenges the parameters of the traditional short story, the editors asking, "How short can a story be and truly be a story?" With over eighty selections, this collection is representative of the creative efforts of those who have taken up the gauntlet, such writers as Paul Theroux, Jim Crace, Ann Hood, Rick Moody, Richard Bausch, Dave Eggers and John A McCaffrey.
The subjects of these flash fictions are not minor or trivial, but distilled, much like poetry. Most important, they are memorable. Writer Richard Bausch ("1951"), a writer used to creating longer pieces, found in condensing his story that "in order to make it work in so small a space its true subject must be proportionately larger". Indeed, Bausch accomplishes much in a few pages, the power of loss and responsibility sitting upon the narrow shoulders of one small girl. Ann Hood's "The Doctor" dissects the weight of a father's death with elegant precision, a refusal to forgive the physician who now pursues the grieving daughter: "He can't lose my father and win the girl, too."
In a paean to loneliness and frustration, Rick Moody's rambling "Drawer" contains the emotions of a lifetime, a man's inner diatribe at the pretensions of a woman who could not, would not give of herself, locked into the lexicon of her possessions, unavailable. "The Mesmerist" by Michael Knight is chilling, Svengali-like in intent, as one man assumes power over his unsuspecting victim, the young woman who has captured his imagination and his desire.
These short stories are a welcome addition to any collection, not to mention, a handy volume to carry to appointments, filling the spare minutes with thoughtful tales we might otherwise not have time to enjoy. Considerably entertaining and of an excellent variety, the selections are brilliantly chosen by editors James Thomas and Robert Shapard, a decade after their first edition. Stark, dramatic and intense in its brevity, flash fiction appeals in its length and breadth of topic, each story a small jolt, a journey to another reality, if only for a few minutes of escape. Luan Gaines/2006.
The subjects of these flash fictions are not minor or trivial, but distilled, much like poetry. Most important, they are memorable. Writer Richard Bausch ("1951"), a writer used to creating longer pieces, found in condensing his story that "in order to make it work in so small a space its true subject must be proportionately larger". Indeed, Bausch accomplishes much in a few pages, the power of loss and responsibility sitting upon the narrow shoulders of one small girl. Ann Hood's "The Doctor" dissects the weight of a father's death with elegant precision, a refusal to forgive the physician who now pursues the grieving daughter: "He can't lose my father and win the girl, too."
In a paean to loneliness and frustration, Rick Moody's rambling "Drawer" contains the emotions of a lifetime, a man's inner diatribe at the pretensions of a woman who could not, would not give of herself, locked into the lexicon of her possessions, unavailable. "The Mesmerist" by Michael Knight is chilling, Svengali-like in intent, as one man assumes power over his unsuspecting victim, the young woman who has captured his imagination and his desire.
These short stories are a welcome addition to any collection, not to mention, a handy volume to carry to appointments, filling the spare minutes with thoughtful tales we might otherwise not have time to enjoy. Considerably entertaining and of an excellent variety, the selections are brilliantly chosen by editors James Thomas and Robert Shapard, a decade after their first edition. Stark, dramatic and intense in its brevity, flash fiction appeals in its length and breadth of topic, each story a small jolt, a journey to another reality, if only for a few minutes of escape. Luan Gaines/2006.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
FORWARD IS THE OPTIMUM WORD!
15 July 2010
Format:Paperback
Here is a delightful collection of 80 short-short stories worth adding to your books to read this summer. The tales are told masterfully and not a one will disappoint you. I highly recommend it.
Salvatore Buttaci, author of Flashing My Shorts
Salvatore Buttaci, author of Flashing My Shorts
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Little gems
17 Sep 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
These stories are beautifully written and crafted, so short, so significant. They are easy to read, hard to forget. Like stones dropped in wells, they ripple through your mind in ever widening rings.
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