Magical realism/general spookiness is the perfect genre for short stories, mystery lends itself to brevity.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson (158 pages)
Our Wives Under the Sea - Julia Armfield (232 pages)
Annihilation - Jeff Vandermeer (195 pages)
Pirasesi by susanna clarke (245 pages)
The Magic Toyshop - Angela Carter (200 pages)
(Or even short Angela Carterās Love which is 120 pages)
Related Recs
My favourite short stories tend to be creepy or magical. I think due to the necessary open-endedness of short stories, it lends itself most to mystery and magic.
Angela Carterās Bloody Chamber is a great classic creepy feminist story to start with.
Carmen Maria Machadoās The Husband Stitch continued Carterās legacy
Iām a HUGE Kelly Link fan, but her stuff is very strange so might not be for everyone, but my favourite of hers is probably The Specialistās hat or Skinderās Veil
Shirley Jacksonās The Lottery is also a classic, and if you like creepy stories and want a good overview of writers in that genre, I recommend the collection āWhen Things Get Darkā, a collection inspired by the tone of Jacksonās work; it features Kelly link, Carmen Maria Machado, Joyce Carol Oates, and loads of contemporary short story writers. I discovered the story Tiptoe by Laird Barron through this and its possibly my favourite creepy short story, it sent full shivers down my spine in a way no other story had.
May 22, 2024
Iāve loved a good weird, creepy, and/or magical story ever since I first read The Bloody Chamber. Hereās a few I recommend:
Stranger things happen - Kelly link
white cat, black dog - Kelly Link
her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories - Angela Carter
the Dangers of Smoking in Bed - Mariana EnrĆquez
When Things get dark - Edited by Ellen Datlow
The Frangipani Hotel - Violet Kupersmith
Feb 20, 2024
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underrated. its more than just prose or poetry but not as much of a longform commitment as a novel. sometimes a story only needs 10 or 20 or 30 pages. great for people to practice writing, great to write for the sake of writing, can read one in a car ride, so much freedom in short stories. I resent the sentiment that theyāre somehow lesser or lower brow than poetry or novel.
specific ones I recommend, at least to start:
The Fall of the House of Usher (or anything by Poe, heās kinda the goat)
The Scarlet Ibis
The Metamorphosis
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas
The Lottery
The Most Dangerous Game
Sep 3, 2024
Top Recs from @mouse
I used to be envious of people who had āMySpace friendsā or ātumblr friendsā. Now I have PI.FYI friends. Thank you capyboppy for your lovely letter and this illustration of a capybara and a mouse with fruit on our heads, it made me weirdly emotional ā¤ļø
Jun 11, 2024
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is gig etiquette dead? Donāt go to a gig if you wanna just talk to your mates! go to a pub itās what theyāre for!
Dec 8, 2024
IT'S OUT MY RECORD IS OUT I LITERALLY AM CRYING. The culmination of 4 plus years of work. I'm...gonna go to bed now!
May 3, 2024