Other forms: short stories
A short story is a brief work of fiction. Unlike a novel, which can take days or even weeks to finish, you can read a short story in one sitting.
Short stories fall somewhere between novellas and poems — just as their name implies, they’re complete stories condensed into a relatively brief format. When you’re short on time, a short story is the perfect thing to read, whether it’s a classic tale of redemption like James Baldwin’s Sunny’s Blues or a chilling narrative like Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. Sometimes the most powerful stories are packed into just a few pages.