"Sharp and funny, these drawn-from-life stories beginin the 1950s in an insular northern village "scoured by bitter winds and rough gossip tongues." For the child narrator, the only way to survive is to get up, get on, get out. In "King Billy Is a Gentleman," the child must come to terms with the loss of a father and the puzzle of a fading Irish heritage. "Curved Is the Line of Beauty" is a story of friendship, faith, and a near-disaster in a scrap-yard....

"The book?s author, Lucia Berlin, earned comparisons to Raymond Carver, Grace Paley, Alice Munro, and Anton Chekhov. Evening in Paradise is a careful selection from Berlin?s remaining stories?twenty-two gems that showcase the gritty glamour that made readers fall in love with her. From Texas to Chile, Mexico to New York City, Berlin finds beauty in the darkest places and darkness in the seemingly pristine. Evening in Paradise is an essential piece...

"Noy Holland is one of America's great writers, and each of her previous collections has been greeted with wide acclaim. Critics have praised her exquisite prose, her exuberant characters, and the exhilarating tension of her tales. Following the wonderful reception of her first novel, Bird, which Counterpoint published last year, we are proud to offer a gathering of 48 stories, 17 from her previous collections and 25 never before published in book...

"B.J. Novak's One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories is an endlessly entertaining, surprisingly sensitive, and startlingly original debut that signals the arrival of a brilliant new voice in American fiction. A boy wins a $100,000 prize in a box of Frosted Flakes--only to discover how claiming the winnings might unravel his family. A woman sets out to seduce motivational speaker Tony Robbins--turning for help to the famed motivator himself. A new...

"A new collection of stories by American master Joyce Carol Oates, mysterious and surreal, and perfectly pitched for the confusion of the current political landscape"--

Margaret Atwood has established herself as a beloved cultural icon and one of the most visionary and canonical authors of her generation. In this collection comprised of fifteen extraordinary stories-some of which have appeared in The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine-Atwood speaks to our times with her characteristic wit and intellect. Of special significance are the seven works revolving around the long-term married couple Tig and Nell....

The two-time Oscar winner presents a first collection of short fiction that includes the stories of a bowling champion who fears his celebrity has ruined his love of the game and an eccentric billionaire and faithful assistant who, while searching for acquisitions, discover romance and real life in a down-and-out motel.

"Make Something Up is a compilation of 21 stories and one novella (some previously published, some not) that will disturb and delight. The absurdity of both life and death are on full display: In "Zombies," the best and brightest of a high school prep school become tragically addicted to the latest drug craze: electric shocks from cardiac defibrillators. In "Knock, Knock," a son hopes to tell one last off-color joke to a father in his final moments,...

"E. L. Doctorow selected some of his finest stories to create this pinnacle collection, his final project before his death. There are 15 stories total, including "The Water Works," "Jolene," "All the Time in the World," and Doctorow's own revision of "Liner Notes: The Songs of Billy Bathgate.""--

"A magnificent collection of short fiction--including two never-before-published novellas--featuring Jamie Fraser, Lord John Grey, Master Raymond, and many more, all extending the story of Outlander in thrilling new directions "The Custom of the Army" begins with Lord John Grey being shocked by an electric eel and ends at the Battle of Quebec.Then comes "The Space Between," where it is revealed that the Comte St. Germain is not dead, Master Raymond...