Largehearted Boy’s Favorite Story Collections of 2023

These six short fiction collections are my favorites of 2023, the collections I most recommended to friends and Largehearted Boy readers (my personal definition of “favorite”).

Drinking from Graveyard Wells by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu

Yvette Lisa Ndlovu’s Drinking from Graveyard Wells is the most impressive debut story collection I have read since Deesha Philyaw’s The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. These stories combine folktale and realism to magical effect.

The Goth House Experiment by SJ Sindu

SJ Sindu’s The Goth House Experiment solidifies her place as one of our most talented storytellers with this smart and timely collection.

I Meant It Once by Kate Doyle

Every story in Kate Doyle’s collection I Meant It Once offers breathtaking glimpses into the lives of twenty-somethings.

The Last Catastrophe by Allegra Hyde

Allegra Hyde’s The Last Catastrophe is filled with powerful, brilliant stories of the future brought to life by a masterful storyteller.

LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO by Cleo Qian

Cleo Qian’s LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO is one of the strongest story collections I have read in years, a book that astounds with both its subtlety and complexity.

Uranians by Theodore McCombs

Theodore McCombs’s collection Uranians is speculative fiction at its finest, with its stories set in other worlds that reflect our own. These stories taken together form an auspicious debut from a talented storyteller.

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also at Largehearted Boy:

Largehearted Boy’s favorite nonfiction books of 2023
Largehearted Boy’s favorite poetry collections of 2023

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