Here are 107 contemporary short fiction writers I feel you should read. I’ve looked around the web, and I didn’t see a large list of short story writer recommendations. I would really like to add to this list. I have picked contemporary  short story writers who are “the best” of today or of at least the last 50 years. It’s not comprehensive of course, but if you are looking to read some short fiction writers who are at the top of what they do, here they are:

1. Adam Desnoyers

2. Alexi Zentner

3. Alice Adams

4. Alice Monroe

5. Alice Sebold

6. Andrea Barrett

7. Ann Beattie

8. Anne Tyler

9. Ann Harleman

10. Annie Proulx

11. Anthony Doerr

12. Barbara Kignsolver

13. Ben Fountain

14. Bradford Morrow

15. Brittani Sonnenberg

16. Caitlin Macy

17. Carolyn Ferrell

18. Charles D’ambrosio

19. Cynthia Ozick

20. Dale Peck

21. Dan Chaon

22. David Malouf

23. Denis Johnson

24. Dorothy Parker

25. Douglas Light

26. Edith Perlman

27. Edwards P. Joines

28. El Doctorow

29. Elizabeth Stuckey French

30. Evan S Connell

31. Flandry Oconner

32. Fred G. Leebron

33. Gail Godwin

34. Gail Joines

35. Gish Jen

36. Gordon Lish

37. Ha Jin

38. Hortense Calisher

39. Jane Smiley

40. Joan Silber

41. John Barth

42. John Edgar Wideman

43. John Gardner

44. John Updike

45. Joyce Carol Oats

46. June Spence

47. Juot Diaz

48. Kevin Brockmeier

49. Lee K Abbot

50. Liza Ward

51. Lore Segal

52. Lorrie Moore

53. Louise Erdrich

54. Margaret Atwood

55. Marjorie Kemper

56. Mark Helprin

57. Mary Gaitskill

58. Mary Swan

59. Michael Chabon

60. Michal Parker

61. Michel Faber

62. Molly Giles

63. Nancy Reisman

64. Nell Freudenberger

65. Olaf Olafsson

66. Pam Durban

67. Pam Huston

68. Paula Fox

69. Peter Ho Davis

70. Ray Bradburry

71. Raymond Carver

72. Richard Ford

73. Rick Bass

74. Rick Moody

75. Robert Stone

76. Robyn Joy Leff

77. Roger Mcdonald

78. Ron Rash

79. Rose Tremain

80. Ruth Prawer

81. Salman Rushdie

82. Saul Bellow

83. Shannon Cain

84. Sheila Kohler

85. Shirly Jackson

86. Stanley Elkin

87. Stephen King

88. Steven Millhauser

89. Sue Miller

90. Tc Boyle

91. Ted Solotaroff

92. Tessa Hadley

93. Thom Jones

94. Tim Gautreaux

95. Tim Johnston

96. Tim Obrien

97. Timothy Crouse

98. Tobias Wolff

99. Tony Tulathimutte

100. Walter Mosley

101. Wendell Berry

102. Wendell Mayo

103. William H. Gass

104. William Kittedge

105. William Trevor

106. Yiyun Li

107. Zz Packer