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:
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Adam Desnoyers
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Alexi Zentner
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Alice Adams
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Alice Monroe
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Alice Sebold
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Andrea Barrett
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Ann Beattie
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Anne Tyler
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Ann Harleman
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Annie Proulx
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Anthony Doerr
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Barbara Kignsolver
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Ben Fountain
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Bradford Morrow
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Brittani Sonnenberg
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Caitlin Macy
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Carolyn Ferrell
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Charles D’ambrosio
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Cynthia Ozick
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Dale Peck
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Dan Chaon
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David Malouf
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Denis Johnson
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Dorothy Parker
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Douglas Light
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Edith Perlman
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Edwards P. Joines
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El Doctorow
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Elizabeth Stuckey French
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Evan S Connell
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Flandry Oconner
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Fred G. Leebron
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Gail Godwin
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Gail Joines
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Gish Jen
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Gordon Lish
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Ha Jin
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Hortense Calisher
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Jane Smiley
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Joan Silber
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John Barth
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John Edgar Wideman
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John Gardner
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John Updike
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Joyce Carol Oats
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June Spence
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Juot Diaz
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Kevin Brockmeier
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Lee K Abbot
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Liza Ward
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Lore Segal
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Lorrie Moore
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Louise Erdrich
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Margaret Atwood
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Marjorie Kemper
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Mark Helprin
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Mary Gaitskill
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Mary Swan
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Michael Chabon
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Michal Parker
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Michel Faber
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Molly Giles
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Nancy Reisman
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Nell Freudenberger
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Olaf Olafsson
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Pam Durban
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Pam Huston
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Paula Fox
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Peter Ho Davis
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Ray Bradburry
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Raymond Carver
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Richard Ford
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Rick Bass
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Rick Moody
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Robert Stone
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Robyn Joy Leff
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Roger Mcdonald
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Ron Rash
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Rose Tremain
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Ruth Prawer
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Salman Rushdie
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Saul Bellow
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Shannon Cain
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Sheila Kohler
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Shirly Jackson
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Stanley Elkin
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Stephen King
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Steven Millhauser
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Sue Miller
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Tc Boyle
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Ted Solotaroff
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Tessa Hadley
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Thom Jones
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Tim Gautreaux
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Tim Johnston
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Tim Obrien
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Timothy Crouse
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Tobias Wolff
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Tony Tulathimutte
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Walter Mosley
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Wendell Berry
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Wendell Mayo
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William H. Gass
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William Kittedge
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William Trevor
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Yiyun Li
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Zz Packer
Ever heard of proofreading? How can you expect people to take you seriously when many of the names on this list are misspelled? For example, “Edwards P. Joines” should be Edward P. Jones, “Flandry Oconner” should be Flannery O’conner, and “Juot Diaz” should be Junot Diaz, and these are just a few examples. There are more.
Thanks, this is quite an extensive list. Is there a way you could do a brief summary of these, even if it’s just saying their era and a characteristic or two? A raw list like this is too much if one is looking for a good place to start.
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