American Flash Fiction: An Anthology

The biggest and best collection of American flash fiction ever assembled reveals the very big imaginative possibilities of very short stories

Featuring 100 genre-spanning and form-bending stories, spanning 160+years; includes literary fiction, speculative fiction, noir, satire, surrealism, humor, horror, parables, fables, and more.

This landmark Library of America anthology presents the best of a century and a half of American storytelling and literary innovation—in 100 bite-sized pieces, from 100 wildly diverse and distinguished authors.

Celebrating the artful brevities of flash fiction from Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, and Zora Neale Hurston to Donald Barthelme, Lydia Davis, and Diane Williams, it recovers some of the little-understood history of the very short story before “flash fiction” was invented, and it gathers the brilliant work of a score of emerging contemporary writers, too. Here are:

• Winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Award (Ernest Hemingway, William Carlos Williams, John Steinbeck, Alice Walker, Tim O’Brien)
• Hard-boiled crime writers (Dashiell Hammett, David Goodis)
• Speculative fiction writers (H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Damon Knight, Sofia Samatar)
• Voices of the Harlem Renaissance (Jean Toomer, Wallace Thurman, Dorothy West, Langston Hughes)
• Surrealists; prose poets; memoirists; experimental writers; and many more, all of them with stories that reveal worlds and startle the imagination in the space of a few pages.

Introduced by acclaimed writer, critic, and anthologist David L. Ulin, who explores the origins and creative range of the form, the collection also includes notes on the stories and contributors, and an index.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs