Flash Fiction International: Very Short Stories from Around the World

This collection is billed as "A dazzling new anthology of the very best very short fiction from around the world." It is exactly that. With a sweeping range of short-short stories from around the globe, it includes largely flash fiction writers who are at the very top of their craft. I completely enjoyed the remarkable expanse of topics, from sweet love stories to the surreal to very gritty political fiction -- each story proving yet again that the shortest stories can unveil the largest truths, the biggest emotions, and, for the reader, the most powerful wallop. (I tried to choose my top 5 stories but couldn't, they are all that good.) In addition, the anthology includes bonuses such as entertaining and varied flash fiction theory and sources, and expansive author bios. The book is really an absolute essential read for any writer, editor, reader, student, or critic of flash fiction, and part of its power is that it may surprise readers with the inclusion of flash fiction by W. Somerset Maugham, Czeslaw Milosz, and James Tate, for example, revered and well-known writers whose work further emphasizes that flash fiction is not a niche or a trend but an important (and old!) art form. (Petronius!) The stories collected here are not just brilliant flash fiction, but brilliant pieces of literature. Period.

Flash Fiction International: Very Short Stories from Around the World has been my go-to flash source since it came out earlier this year. I like it for its variety of authors, from well-known authors (Stuart Dybek, Sherman Alexie) to lesser-known authors, from historical authors (Kafka, Kawabata) to living authors—and then the international textures of the collection are especially striking. How intriguing it is to literally travel around the globe via these gem-like stories. The thing I like most about an anthology like this is its invitation to read it differently. It’s an intrinsic part of the flash form, really. Since so many of the stories are akin to poems in their length, I found myself picking up the book and turning to a random page to read—a dashing flash style of reading that allowed for a more exploratory and less linear approach. After reading so many shorts and pondering the form’s geographical significance and historical origins, it was nice to be treated to the “Flash Theory” section at the end—a compilation of quotes from flash authors. It was the perfect way to ruminate on all of the stories, to keep the conversation going. I especially liked Joyce Carol Oates’ words: “Very short fictions are nearly always experimental, exquisitely calibrated, reminiscent of Frost’s definition of a poem—a structure of words that consumes itself as it unfolds, like ice melting on a stove …” That’s what I shoot for when I write a miniature.

I thought this was a meteorological guide. It is not. I've been hanging around a lot of elderly folks recently, very elderly, and I don't know what to say to them. Mostly they talk about their daughters. And death, but in a casual manner. For example, a typical statement as they exit the hospital might be, "Well, I'll see you on Monday, if I even wake up tomorrow at all." Or, "My daughter Jenny was in Alaska on a cruise. She liked it a lot." I never know how to reply. I went on a cruise once and it made me feel like I was trapped inside a snow-globe inside a disco ball inside an overripe rotting watermelon sculpture of my own bloated face. And, yes, I understand the inevitability of death--as Larkin (legit) noted, "Some things may happen--this one WILL"--but I don't necessarily want to dwell. So, I figured, you know, the weather. Anyone can discuss the weather. But this book isn't about the weather at all. It is a bunch of strange little stories, a genre I gave up years ago when I stopped following politics or religion. Speaking of sunshine, or of rain sweeping the roof of the rehab gym, I used to work on a motley landscaping crew: an illegal immigrant from Mexico, a schizophrenic who lived on the psych ward of the local V.A. hospital, the young owner of the business who was never around except for payday (under the table, cash), and me. So many stories, so many tiny stories, of a truly odd summer in Tuscaloosa, Alabama: shattered windows, malt liquor, a man abandoned in a deep forest, a stolen purse, the V. A. nurse…gasoline, fire, a llama, an ostrich, and a Great Dane. Should I tell them? No, not today. Scale, blood pressure, Spectra 360, EKG, treadmill, bike, blood pressure…coat and hat. An icy parking lot under a veil of wispy cirrostratus clouds. Or perhaps they are cirrus.

I bought the paperback version of Flash Fiction International a few months ago and read the book in one setting. Now I am reading it again to savor the stories and reading only one at a time. Personally, I think short fiction requires more careful reading and attention than novels. The entire story, character development, and setting has to happen in 500 to 2000 words. As a writer and avid reader, I can assure you, this is a big achievement. This book contains 86 stories by writers from all over the world for those of us with short attention spans, but who want full stories in micro. Less can indeed be more. It can sometimes even be better.

Interesting collection of VERY short stories gathered from around the world. Not a book to read cover to cover, but great for a few minutes here and there...waiting for children, standing in a check out line, reading a few pages before bed. I'd never read flash fiction before and it is different even than short stories. Some similar themes sprinkled throughout, but even if you don't understand a story, it's only a few pages long and the next one is fascinating. Some stories touched me, but some had me confused or even annoyed. But I was surprised that such a short story could affect me.

Lots of short stories had to get it for a class and was impressed

Nice to get such a variety of very short stories from such a variety of sources, but the quality also varies - some very good, some not so good, many middling. For the reader who wants to see the general picture and is willing to accept that like with any general overview there will be ups and downs along the road.

This is the first major international anthology devoted to flash fiction – and it is very impressive. Rich, eclectic, and of the highest calibre, it reveals the flourishing of the short-short form around the globe. Every flash is a highlight. Ashley Chantler and Peter Blair, editors, Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine.

Very poor. I didn't feel anything with regards to reading these stories. I wouldn't describe any of them as enjoyable or even to have a point. Not what I believe flash fiction should be all about. Very disappointed. Off to scout out some horror flash...

I am very pleased with this book and purchased this copy as a birthday gift for a friend. I will be pleased to recommend this company. Thank you.

Great stories. Imaginative writers,