Short Short Story Recommendations

[yunrustin]

I recently enrolled in a creative writing course and now need to write 300 word short story. In preparation I've been trying to find some other pieces around this length. I've enjoyed rereading some Kafka and the Notebook of the Night section of Noctuary. Apart from these I've been struggling to find much else.

If anyone here could recommend any really short weird fiction/horror stories I would be greatly appreciate it.

[EemeliJ]

Really short? There is always this bit in the Foreword to Ligotti's "Noctuary":

"For example, there is a well-known story that goes as follows: A man awakens in the darkness and reaches over for his eyeglasses on the nightstand. The eyeglasses are placed in his hand."

Also the vignettes and pieces TAROVF are short—very short—if you can get your hands on the book that is.

Richard Gavin, in my opinion, has some number of shorter weird&horror pieces I've seen. I have only read his book "Charnel Wine" so far, but nevertheless, it's a powerful book, which contents I may heartily recommend.

Lastly, I would also encourage you to listen Current 93's "I Have A Special Plan For This World". It is absolutely a superb composition—Ligotti at his best I'd say.

[yunrustin]

Thanks for the recommendations.

I would love to get a hold a TAROVF the Centipede Press edition looks incredible but appears to be sold out.

I had a quick look at some of Richard Gavin's online material and will have a further read at some stage. Looks promising.

I'd have to agree that "I Have A Special Plan for this World" is one of Ligotti's best. It was one of my first encounters with Ligotti's work and a personal favorite.

[Gray House]

Thomas Wiloch

And more Thomas Wiloch

Lord Dunsany's Fifty-One Tales

[Gray House]

The Voice Imitator by Thomas Bernhard -- five stories excerpted

[gveranon]

Henri Michaux wrote some extraordinary short works that could perhaps be described as mid-way between fictions and prose poems. But these categories seem too pedestrian for such an un-pedestrian polyartist as Michaux. If you want to get a sense of unusual possibilities for imaginative short writing, I would recommend either Darkness Moves or Selected Writings.

Also, D. F. Lewis has a number of weird short-short fictions (which he sometimes calls "thingies") available online at his Weirdmonger Wheel.