Featured Stories

Oysters

Oysters: Short story by Anton ChekhovIn this story by Anton Chekhov a young boy so weak from hunger that he can barely stand sees a sign in a restaurant advertising oysters. He knows that oysters are some kind of seafood. However, he does not know what they look like. In his hunger-affected state, the boy imagines himself eating creatures half-way between a crab and a frog. He then pictures himself eating up everything around him. He suddenly comes back to earth when two rich “gentlemen” agree to introduce him to the real thing. Themes include poverty, social class, insensitivity, shame, false pride, vanity, unconditional love.

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Axolotl

Axolotl: Short story by Julio CortázarJulio Cortázar gives away the plot of this story in the first paragraph: There was a time when I thought a great deal about the axolotls… Now I am an axolotl. The rest of the story talks about this Kafkaesque transformation, which is partial and may have only occurred in the protagonist’s mind. He (the axolotl part) sits in an aquarium tank watching himself (the unchanged part) looking in from the other side. Considering his life from this perspective seemingly builds the man’s self-esteem, and he no longer feels the need to return. Themes: loneliness, alienation, obsession, connection, enlightenment, inertia.

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Pillar of Salt

Pillar of Salt: Short story by Shirley JacksonIn this story by Shirley Jackson, a New Hampshire couple’s idyllic holiday in New York goes awry when the woman panics after falsely thinking a building they were in was on fire. She sees the once bright, exciting city differently, losing confidence among the crowds and imagining decay everywhere. When the couple discover a body part on a Long Island beach, she spins out of control. The next day, alone on a crowded sidewalk, she is too scared to even cross the street. Themes include loss of identity (powerlessness and invisibility among the crowds), anxiety, paranoia, fear.

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Another Pioneer

Another Pioneer: Novelette by David Foster WallaceThis story by David Foster Wallace comprises a single paragraph of over 9,100 words. A writer shares a tale he heard from a friend. A three-year-old boy in a paleolithic jungle tribe has the seemingly magical ability to correctly answer any question. The tribe prospers with his help, developing quickly from hunter-gatherers to embracing agriculture and animal husbandry. Upon reaching puberty, the boy’s answers become more philosophical, challenging questioners and the tribe’s ancient beliefs. Fear on both sides leads to either his, or the tribe’s destruction. Themes include storytelling, superstition, the destructive power of knowledge, self-consciousness, social class/caste, greed, fear.

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The Machine Stops

The Machine Stops: Short story by E. M. ForsterThis Science Fiction classic by E. M. Forster explores the role of “the machine” in the rise and fall of a future dystopian civilization. After developing the machine the population grow dependent upon it, become controlled by it, worship it, and are ultimately destroyed by it. In the process, they regress in terms of human interaction, family relationships, physical strength, critical thinking ability and free will. Only the “homeless”, who have no access to the machine, survive. The major theme is the danger of over-reliance on and losing control of technology. Other themes: environmental degradation, religious faith, freedom, rebellion.

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Mariah

Mariah: Short story by Che Husna AzhariIn this story by Che Husna Azhari, the men of a Malay village gather in the market square every morning to buy a nasi dish for breakfast. It is not that this nasi is any better than they would get at home, but rather because the vendor is an attractive young widow who mesmerises them with her swinging hips and easy smile. The village Imam is love-struck by the woman, who reminds him of his first, unrequited love, and convinces his devoted wife to let him have another. Themes include religious faith, patriarchy, desire, jealousy, love, polygyny, sacrifice.

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The Father

The Father: Short story by Bjørnstjerne BjørnsonThis story by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson opens with the wealthiest and most influential peasant in his parish asking for special treatment in the baptism of his son. He visits the priest on behalf of the boy on two subsequent occasions… to have him stand first in his confirmation, and to publish the banns for his marriage. Shortly after the last visit, his son drowns. A year later, the devasted and humbled man sells his farm, gives half to the church, and promises to do “something better”. Themes include pride (in seeking to elevate his status), loss, achieving humility through suffering.

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Vision out of the Corner of One Eye

Vision out of the Corner of One Eye: Short story by Luisa ValenzuelaTwo frequent themes in Luisa Valenzuela’s short stories are the daily violence associated with living in 1960/70s Argentina and feminism. This is one of the latter, satirizing gender imbalance and “Machismo” in society. A woman traveling on a crowded bus feels herself being groped. When she tries to move away, more people get on the bus and the groping develops into “fondling” and “jiggling”. Rather than make a scene, she gives the pervert some of his own medicine and more… rubbing his behind and expertly removing his wallet in the process. Themes include sexual assault, indignation, distress, doubt, revenge, theft.

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