Stories – Page 2 – Interesting Literature

10 of the Best O. Henry Short Stories Everyone Should Read

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

The stories of the US short-story writer O. Henry, real name William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), are characterised by their irony and by their surprise endings, which became something of a signature of a good O. Henry short story.

However, another word that is often used to describe O. Henry’s short stories is ‘sentimental’, and it is for this reason, perhaps, that he is no longer appreciated as he perhaps should be, despite the wit of O. Henry’s narrative style and the cleverness of his twist endings.

A Summary and Analysis of O. Henry’s ‘The Gift of the Magi’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘The Gift of the Magi’ is a short story by the US short-story writer O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). His stories are characterised by their irony, their chatty narrative style, their occasional sentimentality, and by their surprise twist endings.

All of these things became something of a signature feature, and ‘The Gift of the Magi’ embodies them all to some extent. But what does this Christmas story mean?

Seven of the Best Ernest Hemingway Short Stories

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

The best stories by the American writer Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) are written in spare, clear prose, using short sentences and plain dialogue. This is a trademark feature of Hemingway’s style in his short stories and novels.

But what are Hemingway’s very best stories? He wrote dozens of short stories across his career, especially in the early years of his career in the 1920s and early 1930s. Some of his stories reflect his experiences living in Europe as one of the ‘Lost Generation’ of US expatriates in France and Spain after the end of the First World War.

Below, we select seven essential Ernest Hemingway stories which provide a great way into discovering his fiction. All of these stories are available in the collection The First Forty-Nine Stories (Arrow Classic): Ernest Hemingway.

A Summary and Analysis of the 12 Labours of Hercules Myth

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Better-known as Hercules (the Latin version of his Greek name), Heracles was the all-round action hero of Greek mythology. He was ordered to carry out his famous ‘Twelve Labours’ as penance for the murder of his own wife and children, while he was in the service of King Eurystheus, Hercules’ cousin. A few of them are quite famous – Hercules killing the Nemean lion, or stealing the golden apples of the Hesperides – but others, such as slaying the Stymphalian birds, are more obscure.

10 of the Best Science-Fiction Short Stories Everyone Should Read

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

What are the best places to begin exploring the wonderful world of science fiction? Some of the classic novels of the genre, from Frank Herbert’s Dune to Asimov’s Foundation series (which eventually stretched to seven volumes), might appear daunting because of their sheer size and scope.

Below, we introduce ten short science fiction stories which offer the perfect way in to the imaginative wonders of science fiction.