Cover Image: Small Odysseys

Small Odysseys

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Member Reviews

Sometimes you just need a short story. This is an excellent collection of stories from some of the best in the literary biz. Highly recommended when you need a short story fix.

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I really liked this collection of short stories! My favorite ones included:

The King of Bread
iPhone SE
Noseless
Books You Read
Dandelions

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Thanks to Algonquin and Netgalley for the early copy of this one

This one had some interesting stories and some just okay. Overall it was an okay read for me. It seems like short stories are hit or miss

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Amazing collection of new short stories by diverse authors. And a must buy for fans of Victor LaValle, Carmen Maria Machado, and Ben Loory! The foreward by Neil Gaiman is also pretty special. Support short fiction! Pick up your copy today!

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Short stories are not my favorite genre but this anthology from Selected Shorts on PBS was a great compilation by some fantastic authors. I'm making a list of some of my favorite stories from this book so that I can search out other books by these authors. Like any book of short stories, some of them are a hit and some are not as appealing but this book had more hits than misses for me.

I really enjoyed that each author shared their inspiration for their story at the end. It was interesting to see where their idea for the story started. This book of short stories is well worth reading. Most of the stories are excellent and it's a chance to find out about authors that you have never read before and it might even help readers see their own world in a different light.

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I had never heard of the radio program and live show, “Selected Shorts,” before it was requested that I review this book. But now I’m incredibly intrigued by its concept. Conceived 35 years ago, the series is all about bringing short stories to life either on the radio or on the stage. This collection of 35 different authors brings some of the magic of the program to the page for the first time.

Short stories are one of my favorite genres so I was excited to read this collection, and then I was completely floored when I saw some of the huge names with stories in this book. Everyone from Elizabeth Strout and Dave Eggers to Lauren Groff and Edwidge Danticat are featured. And then there’s one of my all-time favorite authors, Aimee Bender, which catapulted it into not only a must-read but a must-treasure for me. The stories range in genre and tone but are all immensely readable and thought-provoking. Pretty much all of the entries do what great short stories should do – draw you in and wish they were 100 pages longer. On that note, I thought the length for each of these stories was also nearly perfect – just enough character development to intrigue but allowing the flow of the entire collection to be seamless.

The best part was that each author included a short paragraph about their inspiration for their story. I loved getting to hear what sparked the idea for each piece, especially because so many of the stories were incredibly timely (such as the ones who grew from the COVID-19 lockdown). Getting insight straight from the writer’s brain is invaluable and added an extra layer of depth and understanding to each story.

There were only a handful of stories that didn’t work for me. They tended to verge on too-quirky or gimmicky. But overall, I was completely impressed with what editor Hannah Tinti was able to accomplish with this collection. I can’t wait to dig into the catalogs of these writers now!

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4.5 stars

Short stories are little windows into infinite worlds, don't you think? At times heartfelt, at times reminiscent, at times difficult, this selection of contemporary shorts seemed to almost have it all. The world in small doses, each tale a different tone.

Enjoyment: ★★★★
Diversity in topics: ★★★★★
Resonance: ★★★★★

So let's start off with a bit of truth from me to you—I am not a contemporary reader. I am a speculative, horrific, fantastical type of reader. I actively try to escape the bounds of this world with new ones (better ones?) and find little time left for stories of the everyday.

So why did I read this? There's no dragons, no horrors. There are only people and their stories. And they are so very grounded in reality.

Small Odysseys exists because of a different form of storytelling within the same vein—the Selected Shorts program in New York. Pre-pandemic, that program existed to bring to life short stories with the talented voices of trained actors and a live audience through the power of broadcasting. As Neil Gaiman himself states in the foreword, this was truly a delight for anyone interested in stories as it existed in the cross-section of literature, theater, and radio in a way that resonated with lots of people.

So because of that gem in our culture, we now have this short story collection curated Hannah Tinti, the brains behind the original concept.

Small Odysseys was truly a delight. As they're short stories, it's hard to describe them without giving too much of their contents away so I won't do any summarizing here. Some of my favorites included Un-Selfie by Aimee Bender and Bedtime Story by Victor LaValle.

Just dive in, like I did, and enjoy the ride.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

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This was a really unique and wide-ranging collection of short stories that would be a perfect pick for anyone who wants to discover new authors or read some gems from some of their already-favorite writers.

My five favorite stories were:

• Infidelity by Jac Jemc
• Where the Candles are Kept by Dave Eggers
• Such Small Islands by Lauren Groff
• Period Piece by Maile Melody
• Unicorn Me by Elizabeth Crane

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I had this collection of short stories pre-ordered within minutes of downloading the e-galley. SMALL ODYSSEYS is a gift to creative writing teachers, like me, and their students. Thank you!

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This one was a lot more literary than I usually go for; I tend to prefer SFF stories. But I loved the diversity in the stories, getting characters of all walks of life: age, race, gender, sexuality, profession, temperament... Each story really felt like it stood on its own, even if they weren't necessarily all equally enjoyable to me.

Some unexpected standouts were Unicorn Me, Holes, and Death By Printer, where we got to see some very serious characters in amusing situations or whimsical characters in serious situations.

And because there are so many stories in such a small book, it means that the stories are short, they're easy to devour

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A stunning collection of short stories, each that shines with its own colors and deserving merits. In honor of its thirty-fifth anniversary, the partnership with literary radio program and live shows published thirty-five short stories from distinguished authors capturing magical moments of laughter, tears and wonderment. 

What impressed me greatly was how I enjoyed each and every story in this collection. Each story swept me away, remnants of its own signature. As one story ended, the anticipation intensified, needing to satiate my hunger for more to come. Filled with diverse voices and landscapes that transcends across borders, the universality of these stories creates powerful connections and marvelous possibilities. Let's embark on an unforgettable journey... "Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin".

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I loved the idea of this Short Story anthology by Selected Shorts.

I had no idea that Selected Shorts has been around since the 80's and that so many incredible people have taken part in reading a short story on the podcast. So fun!

Short stories for me are really hit or miss. Because of the lack of time to understand the characters or the subject, the author has to really quickly grab my attention with something relatable or I just never get into it.

I enjoyed many of these stories but don't think I loved any of them. For short story or Selected Shorts fans, this is probably a great read!

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Small Odysseys is a collection of 35 short stories that has something for everyone. I enjoyed the variety and especially liked the insight each author gives at the end of their story as to where the idea or inspiration came from.

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I must have been completely out of the loop because I didn’t know anything about Selected Shorts. Granted, I don’t consider myself a metropolitan, nor do I listen to radio or podcasts. Yep, that would put me out of the loop. Fortunately, this collection came along in a format I do follow - a book. The introduction and forward alone are worth the price of admission, and a first look at new works by some of today’s fiction-writing stars is superb.

Thank you to Hannah Tinti,, Neil Gaiman, Algonquin Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Thanks to Algonquin for a copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review!

While not familiar with the Selected Shorts program, I was intrigued by this collection because of how many different author whose work I love it brought together. And for those author’s stories, I was definitely not disappointed. I also discovered a couple of new-to-me authors that I want to check out.

Anthologies are hard for me though. With a short story collection, you somewhat know what you’re getting into with an author’s writing style. But with a collection of stories from all different authors, you may just not mesh well with an author’s style. That was definitely the case for me with this collection; a lot of the stories were honestly just forgettable.

Stories I loved:
“The King of Bread” by Luis Alberto Urrea
“The Double Life of the Cockroach’s Wife” by Helen Phillips
“Persephone Rides at the End of Days” by Carmen Maria Machado
Escape Pid W41 by J Robert Lennon
Dandelions by Ben Loory
Such small Islands by Lauren Groff

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Whether you are a fan of Selected Shorts or short stories in general, or claim not to like short stories at all, you'll enjoy these (mostly very short) stories. Authors featured include Edwidge Danticat, Etgar Keret, Jess Walter, Elizabeth Stroud and many more, and each author wrote an author's statement explaining the inspiration for the story.

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If you’re already a fan of Selected Shorts like myself, then I can say with pretty strong confidence that you will enjoy this collection of short stories that you can tuck into and consume at your own pace. And in case you’re yearning to hear any of these tales be passionately and enthusiastically read out as they would be in any Selected Shorts show, you only need to wait until March for a special live performance set to coincide with the book’s publication date.

If you’re unfamiliar with Selected Shorts however, then don’t worry. For what you still have here is a collection of brand new and high quality short fiction from authors both established and new.

So honestly, what’s not to enjoy here? Speaking as someone who has leisurely read his way several stories deep into this anthology collection, so far I haven’t been able to think of a single thing.

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