Flash Fiction Forward

An anthology of bite-sized tales represents the work of some of today's best fiction writers and includes Rick Moody's definition of an armoire, Lydia Davis's sojourn into the world of cats, and Dave Eggers's exploration of narrow escapes. Original.

The eagerly anticipated anthology from the editors who coined the term “flash,” with stories by today’s best fiction writers. After publication of the first Flash Fiction anthology over a decade ago, “flash” became part of the creative writing lexicon for readers, writers, students, and teachers. In this follow-up collection, the editors once again tackle the question: “How short can a story be and truly be a story?” Determined to find the best flashes from America in the twenty-first century, James Thomas and Robert Shapard searched everywhere for stories that were not merely good but memorable. Moving, and certainly unforgettable, this collection includes stories from the best and most popular fiction writers of our time, including Ron Carlson, Robert Coover, Steve Almond, Amy Hempel, A. M. Homes, Grace Paley, and Paul Theroux. In addition, Rick Moody properly defines armoire, Lydia Davis delves into a world of cats, and Dave Eggers explores narrow escapes. Over and over, these stories prove that often less is more.

A dazzling new anthology of the very best very short fiction from around the world. What is a flash fiction called in other countries? In Latin America it is a micro, in Denmark kortprosa, in Bulgaria mikro razkaz. These short shorts, usually no more than 750 words, range from linear narratives to the more unusual: stories based on mathematical forms, a paragraph-length novel, a scientific report on volcanic fireflies that proliferate in nightclubs. Flash has always—and everywhere—been a form of experiment, of possibility. A new entry in the lauded Flash and Sudden Fiction anthologies, this collection includes 86 of the most beautiful, provocative, and moving narratives by authors from six continents, including best-selling writer Etgar Keret, Zimbabwean writer Petina Gappah, Korean screenwriter Kim Young-ha, Nobel Prize winner Czeslaw Milosz, and Argentinian “Queen of the Microstory” Ana María Shua, among many others. These brilliantly chosen stories challenge readers to widen their vision and celebrate both the local and the universal.

A print anthology of flash fiction and craft essays by writers of color.

Fiction. "If you'd rather be rapt for a moment reading a flash than strung out for pages in a novel, FAST FORWARD is for you. It's the best flash fiction around--a book full of raptures"--Robert Shapard, editor of Flash Fiction Forward and Sudden Fiction series. Fast Forward Press strives to deliver diverse anthologies of international flash fiction by established and emerging writers. The stories range from under 100 words to 1,000 words, each one a self-contained emotional experience. In THE MIX TAPE, the third in the series, masters of the genre--Linh Dinh and Barbara Henning--are mingle with talented newcomers--Bryan Jansing and Teresa Milbrodt. The resulting book has all the pleasures of listening to a good mix tape: flashes of poetry, deep solemn undercurrents, and the laughable and the ludicrous. THE MIX TAPE is pure musical pleasure without the tape-hiss.

Robert J. Sawyer's award-winning science fiction has garnered both popular and critical acclaim. The New York Times Book Review called Frameshift "filled to bursting with ideas, characters and incidents." His novels are fixtures on the Hugo and Nebula ballots. Sawyer now brings us Flashforward, the story of a world-shattering discovery. In pursuit of an elusive nuclear particle, an experiment goes incredibly awry, and, for a few moments, the consciousness of the entire human race is thrown ahead by about twenty years. As the implications truly hit home, the pressure to repeat the experiment builds. Everyone wants a glimpse of their future, a chance to flashforward and see their successes ... or learn how to avoid their failures. Winner of the Aurora Award and the basis for the hit ABC television series. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Presents over seventy short stories five pages long or less by such American authors as Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury, Langston Hughes, and Raymond Carver, and includes authors' commentary on the genre.

SHAPARD/NEW SUDDEN FICTION