Short stories are important. Some of the best known authors ever got their start writing short stories. Stephen King did, as did Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.
I personally learned a great deal from reading short stories, both in and out of school. O. Henry's "Hearts and Hands" is proably responsible for my love of the twist ending. Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game", Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and later, "Placebo" by Andrew Vachss, taught me that short stories don't have to be uplifting. Darkness can make your point just as well as light.
Short stories aren't as big a part of popular culture as they used to be but that doesn't mean that they still can't entertain and educate. Go to the library and check out a collection or read some of the older ones online. There's a story out there for everyone.
Thats all for now, check back on Friday for my review of Rats by Robert Sullivan.
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