Short story collections have a beauty all of their own.
Their stories may be short, but they are no less worthy. Indeed, they are exquisite snippets of life that satisfy our tired palates and provide quick boosts to our mood and our outlook. They make great gifts, especially for those hard-to-buy-for people, because the many stories increase the likelihood that there’s something in the book that they will like.
Short stories are like pop songs, little pieces of art that have only a few minutes to focus on the topic at hand. The beauty, for short stories and pop songs alike, is that the brevity of the commitment still packs an emotional punch.
The start of a short story lands the reader immediately in the fray, which can be a powerful hit of adrenalin; sends them barreling through the middle where the intrigue unravels the critical elements of the story; and delivers a final resolution that comes swiftly and sweetly.
At that point the reader can put the book down, flush with all the nice brain chemicals that come with having achieved a solution to a problem. It is, in fact, these swift resolutions that make short stories so appealing, especially amid our frenzied non-stop interfacing with a hectic world. Media that has a captivating start and a quick finish is a sweet antidote to the endless scrolling within social media and the continuous suggested for you of the internet.
Of course, the reader may decide to choose another story, and get another boost. A good collection will have a variety of story lengths, leaving the reader in command of their reading journey. A story with a couple of pages because you are ready for sleep, or a longer, languorous tale for a cosy afternoon on the couch or down the beach?
Many short story collections revolve around a theme, which is helpful when choosing. As an author who adores the short story tradition, I was surprised to find, when choosing my stories for Beach Shorts a Sandthology from the countless I have written over the years, that they covered a huge range of scenarios. Love stories, family, friendships, second chances and chasing your dream were rounded out by such a range of backdrops as to include time travel, fame and wealth, living on a shoestring, climate action and even AI. That is the beauty of the short story collection, it’s never dull! But the range of these diverse stories still has a theme: taking charge of our lives, steering our paths, taking a deep breath and chasing our best life. Powerful sweet stories with happy resolutions.
My local bookseller tells me they’d love to have a dedicated short story section, but short story collections are quite rare. Indeed, most of the short story collections in my personal library are quite old. So when you find one, consider giving it a try. It might be the answer to your own reading needs, and you might just find some valuable and easy solutions for Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, and just-because-I-love-you gifts.
Get ‘em while they’re hot!
Joni Page’s short story collection Beach Shorts a Sandthology is available through all good bookshops everywhere. In Australia, signed copies with a complimentary bookmark are available through Joni’s website store.
