Short Stories - Collections

As I look thru the Kindle store, I've noticed that the number of individual, stand-alone short stories being offered has really been taking off. The only problem is that the minimum price that can be charged is 99 cents and, although the authors may not all agree, that's a steep price per story, compared to traditional publishing. Most published short stories are purchased as a part of a collection or appear in a magazine, where the cost/story to a consumer is closer to 25 to 50 cents per story (Analog and Asimov's for example, are only $2.99 per issue in the Kindle store and even cheaper at other ebookstores). Were you to purchase a print collection, a 15 story compilation would be $15 (an average trade paperback price), but many compilations offer more than that for the same price (although novella length stories tend to be offered in collections of 4 to 6, but at paperback prices). Of course, with ebooks a lot of the delivery costs are missing and a lot of what is being offered is stories from authors that either could not find a publisher (the market for short stories tends to be quite small). Amazon has their Amazon Shorts program for short stories, but the standards there are just as high as with many other publishing houses (the prices, though, are 49 cents per story, not 99 cents as in the Kindle store). While I might be willing to pay the higher price for the Kurt Vonnegut stories being released as singles (but would prefer them in the actual book collection that they are being released in on paper), I'm not willing to do so for unknown authors or even many of the authors where I willingly purchase their books (just not at $10-15 prices). There are, however, a number of short story collections out there that do fit my budget. I've purchased a few of these, but not others, so (as always) sample first before committing to a purchase.

Strange Times ($0.99 Kindle), by Robert Williams, was originally released at a much higher price, reduced for a sale and is now stuck at 99 cents due to Amazon's scrutiny of Kindle books. Grab it at this price while it lasts, or check it out on Smashwords, where it is currently the same price.

Book Description
Written over a period of seven years, the dark, finely crafted stories of Robert Williams's first short story collection span the science fiction, horror, historical fiction and mystery genres, presented here exclusively for Kindle readers.

In the award-winning short story, "The Experiment," a young man is subjected to a deadly test: how much pressure will it take to force him to kill a stranger? "Graymalkin" tells the origin of the Weird Sisters from Shakespeare's "Macbeth." Edgar Allen Poe is involved in a real-life woman's mysterious disappearance in "Mary Rogers." A vampire of India struggles against his demonic creator in "Child of the Lamia," while a lonely man seeks a different kind of redemption in "The Man Upstairs."

Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom ($1.00 Kindle or Smashwords), by Maria E. Schneider, is a trio of novellas.

Book Description
Sword and Sorcery meets Agatha Christie. Three novellas introduce the Kingdom of Sage and those who protect its boundaries. Join Demetria and her husband Ward in their adventures as they protect Sage from evil: Rats, Snakes and perpetrators from within.

Sometimes it takes a more experienced hand to save an entire Kingdom.

The first of these stories, "Toil, Trouble and Rot," was published in "Coyote Wild Magazine." The other two are all new, original stories.

"Toil, Trouble and Rot" finds the Kingdom of Sage under attack from a deadly and mysterious enemy.

In "Dungeons and Decay" find out just how far a mother will go when her child is in danger--and how much magic it takes to keep him safe.

In "Call to Arms" every hand is needed when a ghost invades the kingdom demanding old wrongs be righted.

The Baum Plan for Financial Independence: and Other Stories, by John Kessel, is $9.99 in the Kindle store. But you can get the collection for free at Feedbooks.com.

Book Description
An ex-con finds himself falling, once more, under a seductive, amoral woman's spell. A hidden door in a summer house leads to a land of plenty. An inventor's life converges with the pulp fiction he reads. In "Pride and Prometheus," the Bennett sisters encounter Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. And, in his acclaimed and award-winning Lunar Quartet, Kessel explores the gender dynamics, politics, and long-term sustainability of a matriarchal lunar colony. This astonishing collection ranges from science fiction to the surreal while intersecting with Frank L. Baum's Oz and the characters of Flannery O'Connor, Mary Shelley, and Jane Austen. By turns satirical, horrific, funny, and generous, these stories showcase the manifold gifts of a modern-day master.

Carol's Aquarium ($0.99 Kindle; $1.50 Smashwords), by Kristen J. Tsetsi, contains a combination of published, unpublished, and award-winning fiction.

Book Description
Fish-in-a-box. A plane crash. A man losing control in one story, a woman taking control in another. Some love, some lust, some selfishness, some anger, and--tucked inside--an unexpected moment of uptight passion.

The stories in Carol's Aquarium vary widely in length, style, and voice, true to the many moods we all experience from one day to the next. One of the more enjoyable challenges of writing is in creating a unique world for each story, and in Carol's Aquarium, each of the stories (some just a single page long) invites you into a different world, a new relationship, a unique experience you might find feels strangely and uncomfortably familiar.

Tales of a Texas Boy ($1.99 Kindle or Smashwords), by Marva Dasef, is a cross between a memoir and a short story collection.

Book Description
How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too.