Featured Stories

The Elephant Vanishes

The Elephant Vanishes: Short story by Haruki MurakamiThe major theme of this surreal mystery by Haruki Murakami is how commercialism and modernization have upset Japan’s traditional social order. Other themes include unity, perception, disillusionment, alienation, paralysis, isolation and connection. An aging elephant and keeper symbolize the old ways, destined to vanish when displaced by urban development. The city’s absurd responses to the disappearance signify the uneasiness and confusion brought about by the changes. The narrator, a loner used to unity and balance in his life, becomes so disoriented by what he saw on the night of the disappearance that he is unable to make important decisions.

Continue ReadingThe Elephant Vanishes

Slowly, Slowly in the Wind

Slowly, Slowly in the Wind: Short story by Patricia HighsmithIn this story by Patricia Highsmith, doctors warn “Skip” Skipperton, a notoriously bad-tempered business executive, to slow down or risk early death. His answer is to buy Coldstream Heights, a small but comfortable farm. Skip’s only problem is that the titular “stream” is a few meters inside a neighbor’s property, which the owner won’t sell or lease at any price. Not used to being refused, Skip is enraged. When his beloved daughter elopes with the neighbor’s son, he kills the old man. Unfortunately for Skip, the murder is exposed by a children’s Halloween prank. Themes: anger, narcissism, pride, revenge, justice.

Continue ReadingSlowly, Slowly in the Wind

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.

Continue ReadingOysters

He-y, Come On Ou-t!

He-y, Come On Out!: Short story by Shinichi HoshiIn this parable by Shinichi Hoshi, a landslide opens up a seemingly bottomless hole in the ground. A businessman obtains the rights to fill the hole. He gets permission to dispose of toxic waste, and soon hazardous materials from nuclear power plants and contagious disease experiments are being poured into the hole along with domestic waste and classified government documents from a nearby city. The city and ocean are cleaner, and even the sky seems clearer than before. That is until a workman atop a tall city building hears a voice from above shouting: He-y, come on ou-t!

Continue ReadingHe-y, Come On Ou-t!

The Open Boat

The Open Boat: Short story by Stephen CraneA remarkable aspect of this story from Stephen Crane is that it is based on an actual event in the author’s life. This adds credibility to what to me is a defining feature of the story: the way that throughout the ordeal four men from such diverse backgrounds were able to maintain their self-discipline and work so well together. The Open Boat is considered a classic in the literary style called “naturalism”. Such stories deal with the unforgiving power of nature and man’s struggle for survival. Themes: man vs. nature/the sea, perspective (appearance vs. reality), courage, teamwork, survival.

Continue ReadingThe Open Boat

A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain

A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain: Short story by Robert Olen Butler In this story by Robert Olen Butler, an aging Vietnamese-American immigrant prepares for death. As he bids farewell to his family, the restless ghost of his once good friend, Ho Chi Minh, visits him over several nights, triggering memories of the past. He is proud of his daughter, who maintains Vietnamese traditions, but not so his son-in-law and grandson, who have been involved in a political murder. All he wants now is to be reunited with his wife and other dead loved-ones in the “village square”. Themes include aging and death, memories, family, friendship, tradition, politics and war.

Continue ReadingA Good Scent from a Strange Mountain

Noise Level

Noise Level: Short story by Raymond F. JonesThe major theme of this Science Fiction mystery by Raymond F. Jones is unlocking the hidden potential of the human mind. A government research laboratory gathers America’s leading scientists to replicate an “antigravity belt” that seemingly defies the fundamental laws of physics. The secretive young inventor died in an accident demonstrating the belt. He left no notes, and the only prototype was destroyed in the crash. To complicate matters his areas of research included not only the sciences, but also the occult with a special interest in levitation. Other themes: scientific dogmatism vs. open-mindedness, the scientific method, deception.

Continue ReadingNoise Level

Rape Fantasies

Rape Fantasies: Short story by Margaret AtwoodThis Margaret Atwood story makes extensive use of irony and dark humor to soften discussion of a serious topic. Set in a bar, the protagonist (Estelle) relates a lunchtime discussion she had with co-workers about rape fantasies. Two of them dream of erotic, romantic encounters, while another remains awkwardly silent. Estelle’s imagined attackers all have a physical or mental impediment requiring her help! Themes include gender stereotypes, vulnerability, complacency, and naivety (as exemplified by Estelle’s belief that having a conversation about rape with a man she meets in a bar will protect her against the real thing!)

Continue ReadingRape Fantasies