Short Story Collections Forthcoming in 2008

Below is a list highlighting some of the upcoming short story collections of 2008. I didn't include pictures because some of the later ones don't have cover art yet, but I hope you enjoy the selections. I'm particularly excited for Jhumpa Lahiri and Chris Adrian, and have already read or begun to read the stories by Roddy Doyle and Elizabeth Crane.

The Deportees by Roddy Doyle. Viking Adult, January.

From the Irish writer, a collection of short stories all about the Irish immigrant. Extremely readable and funny, but the concepts and execution are less than surprising.

Dark Roots by Cate Kennedy. Grove/Atlantic Press, January.

Australian writer who recently placed one of the short stories in this collection in The New Yorker.

You Must Be This Happy To Enter by Elizabeth Crane. Akashic Books, February.

Quirky, quirky, quirky, but lovely. In the first story, every sentence ends in an exclamation point. In the second, a woman turns into a vampire and goes on a reality television show to overcome her addiction. If you like Aimee Bender, Alan Deniro, or Kelly Link, you'll like Crane.

In a Bear's Eye by Yannick Murphy. Dzanc Books, February.

That upstart Dzanc, helmed by the venerable Dan Wickett, is publishing this collection, the title story of which was anthologized in the 2007 O'Henry Prize Stories.

Dangerous Laughter by Steven Millhauser. Knopf, February.

Pulitzer-prize winning writer, prolific short story artist.

Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories by Tobias Wolff. Knopf, March.

Tobias Wolff is one of the giants of the short form, but no word on how many new stories the collection will include.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. Knopf, April.

Might be the most anticipated story collection of the year. Half of the stories have been published in The New Yorker, but the others are brand new. I've scored a copy and I'm halfway through - no surprises yet, just her quiet, methodical voice which seems so familiar. I will say that the stories are long stories, somewhere between a novella and a long short story, about Deborah Eisenberg length.

The Girl on the Fridge by Etgar Keret. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, April.

Israeli writer, and here's a few story premises: "A birthday-party magician whose hat tricks end in horror and gore; a girl parented by a major household appliance; the possessor of the lowest IQ in the Mossad."

I'd Like by Amanda Michalopoulou. Dalkey Archive Press, April.

Thirteen stories from this Greek writer.

In the Garden of Bad Dreams by Christopher Hope. Grove/Atlantic Press, May.

South African writer living in France.

A Better Angel by Chris Adrian. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, July.

Other than Jhumpa Lahiri's collection, Adrian's upcoming collection is the one I'm most looking forward to. He is a brilliant writer, both in novel (The Children's Hospital) and short form (at least the ones I've read in various journals and magazines).

The Boat by Nam Le. Canongate, November.

Vietnamese writer raised in Australia who later attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

The Taker and Other Stories by Rubem Fonseca. Open Letter, November.

Gritty Brazilian writer.

Comments

[jessi]

Fox,

I'm very excited about the new emphasis for your blog. Next term for school I'm going to be focusing on the short story form, so I'm trying to bone up on the contemporary short story scene with the goal of getting something of my own rejected by this spring.

jess

[LK]

Geez, some heavy hitters coming out. I am particularly interested in Wolff and Lhariri.

[Matthew Tiffany]

I was just wondering the other day when we might see some new Wolff. Great news.

I'm also excited about the Adrian collection. His recent "Promise Breaker" was outstanding.

[Chrissy]

Sounds like a good list for 2008.

A book I have heard a lot about is called The Power of Yin. I purchased it for a friends birthday from Amazon.com but I had to read it before I gave it to her. It was very inspiring and makes me think there are still people out there with a vision for the world and live that vision in their personal lives as well as their professional lives. I think my girlfriend will really like it as much as I have.
If you're interested too, I found the website quite helpful:
http://www.thepowerofyin.com