Anthologies For When You Just Want Some Great Short Stories

Sometimes readers don’t want a full book or series. Sometimes they want something quick, fun, and simple. Anthologies are the best way to go. Full of tremendous short stories by some of the industry’s best writers, you will never be bored with an anthology. Enjoy one of these 11 anthologies – and dozens of short stories – today.

Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker

Vampires are an old favorite among YA fans. These eleven short stories featuring vampires show them lurking on social media, hungry for more than just blood, and eagerly coming out – and going on their first kill. Dive back into the world of vampires and enjoy every tale.

Once Upon an Eid edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed

These stories showcase around the most joyful Muslim holiday of Eid. From a poem to short stories to a graphic novel chapter to spot illustrations, stories stretch from waking up to the sound of frying samosas to giving gifts to loved ones. However each story celebrates, they all can be summed up with the idea and feeling of joy.

Come On In edited by Adi Alsaid

The immigrant experience is one of joy, heartbreak, and triumph. In these stories, characters face random traffic stops, TSA detention, customs anxiety, coming with their extended families, keep diaries, teach ESL, and more.

Out Now: Queer We Go Again! edited by Saundra Mitchell

This anthology is the sequel to All Out. These seventeen short stories follow a variety of tales including vampires who take over prom, aliens running from the government, and a selkie and the sea who call out to a lost soul. There is something for every reader in each story in this anthology.

The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo

Return to the world of Grishaverse. The Istorii Sankt’ya has left the hands of Alina Starkov and now resides in yours. These tales of miracles and martyrdom – and even some familiar saints – come to life in this collection of short stories. Each features a full-color illustration by Daniel J. Zollinger.

Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate The Magic of Reading & Writing YA edited by Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma

From the buzzed-about Foreshadow online platform, here are thirteen stories that are now in print. These stories range from romance to fantasy and showcase underrepresented voices and the power of YA fiction. Each piece is selected and introduced by a YA leading author.

Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy edited by Kelly Jensen

Every person lives through their own body, but many don’t take the time to explore what that really means to have and live within one. Everybody has a body and every body has a story. Thirty-seven writers, models, actors, musicians, and artists share their stories in essays, lists, comics, and illustrations about size and shape, scoliosis, eating disorders, cancer, sexuality and gender identity, and more. This anthology shows how people’s bodies helped to inform themselves of who they are and how they move through the world.

Naughty Brits by Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, Louisa Edwards, Tessa Gratton, and Sierra Simone

Five stories come from five of the best of the romance genre. A Duke Worth Falling For follows celebrity photographer Lilah Rose who retreats the English countryside after her career is now in tatters. Max is the sexy farmer who tends the nearby sheep – and the duke who needs to convince Lilah some are worth the risk. Better with You tells of when an author of a controversial self-help – one that says women don’t need men even for sex – book hires a bodyguard for her UK tour, she realizes she may need to reevaluate her theory. Songbird follows former American soldier Daniel Kelly who is determined to buy a Welsh pub on behalf of his family’s pub, but then meets the owner, Elspeth Gwenlan, who he wants to conquer instead. In Supplicant, Charlotte Tenpenny was left at the altar by her cold and cruel professor, Church Cason, but one night brings them back together again, years in the making.

Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town America edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter

For most of American history, rural people and culture have been casually mocked, stereotyped, and deeply misunderstood. These short stories, poems, graphic short stories, and personal essays dive deep into the complexity and diversity of rural America and those who call it home. From diverse in ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, geographic location, and socioeconomic status, everyone will find something relatable in these stories.

A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell

These sixteen stories explore the Black experience through fantasy, science fiction, and magic. Each tale centers on a Black woman or gender nonconforming individual and is filled with love, betrayal, strength, and resistance. Follow witches, scientists, sisters, lovers, priestesses, and rebels in this anthology.

You Too?: 25 Voices Share Their #MeToo Stories edited by Janet Gurtler

When #MeToo occurred, many people began to reflect on their past. From being groped to harassment at work, these 25 authors reflect on personal experiences by writing stories so teens know that they should not be subjugated to sexual assault or to feel unsafe, less than, or degraded. These stories reflect on a variety of experiences so teens – and adults – can feel seen and understood.