Presented here are two short-story collections that not only deserve the highest praise but also stand out as my favorite reads of 2023. Despite their marked differences in genre, theme and literary style, they share one common characteristic: every single story here is brilliant, unique and utterly captivating. In my experience, most collections offer a mixed bag and you might get one or two stories that really stand-out with the rest being mostly forgettable.
Encountering a collection where every story is not just powerful but also memorable and masterfully crafted is a true rarity. Ursula Le Guin and James McBride showcase an extraordinary literary talent for the short-story form. If you were ever skeptical about the potential limitations of the short-story, consider those doubts thoroughly dispelled.
Regrettably, as far as reviews go, I do not have any concrete evidence at the moment to substantiate my claims. Instead, some fragmented thoughts on some of these stories languish in a Google Doc like the forgotten leftovers in the back of the fridge. However, I intend on revisiting both collections at some point in the future to provide a more thorough evaluation.
I suppose the main purpose of this post it to dust off the proverbial cobwebs and throw a spotlight on these two literary masterpieces. They come with my highest recommendation and I hope you dive headfirst into the magic encapsulated within these pages.
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