Featured Stories

All Summer in a Day

All Summer in a Day: Short story by Ray BradburySet on the planet Venus, the climate in this Ray Bradbury story features almost constant rain. The only break comes every seven years, when there are two hours of sunshine. The children of the Earth space travel families on the planet are all looking forward to playing outside during the short break. Only one of them has ever seen the sun, and she is having great trouble dealing with the constant rain. But when the sun finally does come out, she is nowhere to be seen. Themes include adaptability, envy, reaction to differences, and bullying..

Continue ReadingAll Summer in a Day

Monster

Monster: Short story by Catherine LimThe titular Monster in this story by Catherine Lim is an old, rickety, bug-infested bed, treasured by a frail woman in her seventies and despised by her daughter-in-law. Set in highly competitive Singapore, the other monster in the house is generational conflict arising from a fundamental cultural change: a growing lack of respect, understanding and compassion for the aged. Ironically, when the daughter-in-law is finally in a position to destroy the much-hated bed, she learns it may be worth a lot of money! Themes include generational conflict, cultural change (less respect for the aged), sentimentality, materialism, social class.

Continue ReadingMonster

One Ordinary Day, With Peanuts

One Ordinary Day, With Peanuts: Short story by Shirley JacksonThe protagonist in this story from Shirley Jackson initially appears too good to be true. A seemingly ordinary man fills his pockets with candy and peanuts and walks the streets of New York, helping strangers and acting “Mr. Nice Guy”. The apparent theme is making a difference… how a good deed, a kind word, or even just a smile can brighten up someone’s day. It is not until we reach the end of the story that we are presented with two other themes: things are not always what they seem, and the duality of good and evil.

Continue ReadingOne Ordinary Day, With Peanuts

Don’t Look Now

Don't Look Now: Short story by Daphne du MaurierThis Daphne du Maurier story opens with a British couple dining in Venice. The holiday, through which they hope to rebuild their relationship following the death of their young daughter, takes an eerie turn when a fellow diner claims to be able to “see” the spirit of the dead girl sitting between them, and issues a grim warning that they should leave Venice immediately. When a family emergency calls them back home later that day, they take this as the meaning of the warning. The wife leaves the next morning; the husband never does. Themes: grief, the supernatural, scepticism, suspicion/paranoia.

Continue ReadingDon’t Look Now

Popular Mechanics (Mine / Little Things)

Popular Mechanics (Mine / Little Things): Short story by Raymond CarverAs anyone who has witnessed an acrimonious divorce knows, sometimes demands over property settlement and custody of children defy logic. This is often because discussions are driven by anger and a desire to hurt or “get back at” the other party as opposed to fairness and what is best for all. In this short story by Raymond Carver, the only major point of argument seems to be which parent will be the main carer for the couple’s baby. Unfortunately, the simple mechanics of a newly formed human body lead to a “Solomon-like” solution that will not please either of them.

Continue ReadingPopular Mechanics (Mine / Little Things)

House Taken Over

House Taken Over: Short story by Julio CortázarSaid to be Julio Cortázar’s first published story, this suspenseful tale is about a middle-aged brother and sister who, having never married, live quiet but contented lives in their aging family mansion. One night, their solitude is interrupted by strange noises coming from a disused wing of the house. The brother locks and bolts the door leading to that part of the house. Unfortunately, the title foreshadows the final outcome. The brother and sister know the identity of the intruders (referred to only as “they”), but this is not shared with the reader. Themes: the idle rich, isolation, fear, change.

Continue ReadingHouse Taken Over

A Tiger in the House

A Tiger in the House: Short story by Ruskin BondIn this story by Ruskin Bond, an old man finds what appears to be an orphan tiger cub in the jungle and takes it home as a family pet. After six months, the cub grows out of its ‘playful’ stage and starts to become less friendly. The old man donates the tiger to a zoo, and gets an unexpected surprise when he visits it six months later. The story raises serious questions about the man’s two decisions (to take the tiger cub home, and to give the grown animal to a zoo where there are no others of its kind).

Continue ReadingA Tiger in the House

The Nightingale and the Rose

The Nightingale and the Rose: Short story by Oscar WildeThe major themes of this Oscar Wilde story are sacrifice and the nature of love. A nightingale sacrifices its life in exchange for a red rose to help a love-smitten student. The story contrasts the selfless, unconditional love of the nightingale, the student’s naïve infatuation with a fickle girl, and her materialistic love of another. The student, who only knows things that are written down in books, not only laments that the nightingale’s song doesn’t do any practical good but, angry about being rejected, dismisses love as quite unpractical. Other themes include compassion, naivety, materialism, and intellectualism vs. aesthetic appreciation.

Continue ReadingThe Nightingale and the Rose