20th c best short stories

One factor is the variety of themes. They cover everything from love and sacrifice like in 'The Gift of the Magi' to complex social issues and human nature.

Sure. 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry is a great one. It's a story about a young couple who sacrifice their most precious possessions to buy gifts for each other.

Ernest Hemingway is a very famous author of 20th c short stories. His stories often have a spare and direct style, like in 'Hills Like White Elephants'. Another is O. Henry, known for his clever plot twists, as seen in 'The Gift of the Magi'. Flannery O'Connor is also well - known, with her unique Southern Gothic style in stories such as 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find'.

One notable 20th c short story is 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry. It tells the story of a young couple who sacrifice their most precious possessions to buy gifts for each other. Another is 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find' by Flannery O'Connor, which is a dark and complex tale exploring themes of morality and grace. Also, 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is important as it delves into the mental state of a woman suffering from postpartum depression in a repressive society.

I think 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville is a top - notch 19th c novel. It's not just a story about a whale hunt. It delves deep into themes like obsession, man's struggle against nature, and the complex relationships on the ship. The character of Captain Ahab is so iconic, with his single - minded pursuit of the white whale, and the descriptions of the sea and the whale are vivid and powerful.

The ability to capture the essence of the 19th - century society is a key factor. Novels like 'Vanity Fair' by William Makepeace Thackeray do this excellently. It shows the social hierarchies, the hypocrisy, and the ambitions of different classes. The satirical tone used by the author to depict the society of that time makes it stand out as a great 19th c novel.

The 19th c illustrations for Poe short stories are special because they were created during a time when the understanding of Poe's works was still fresh and evolving. The illustrators of that time were able to capture the essence of Poe's dark and mysterious stories in a very direct way. They had a unique aesthetic that was in tune with the Victorian era's love for the gothic and the macabre.

There are also illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley. His unique and somewhat decadent style was a great fit for Poe's macabre tales. His black - and - white drawings with their intricate lines and bold compositions added a new dimension to the understanding of Poe's short stories. They often emphasized the darker and more sinister elements in the stories.

One of his well - known short stories is 'The Sentinel'. It's a story that forms the basis for '2001: A Space Odyssey'. It explores the idea of an alien artifact on the moon, which is a really fascinating concept that shows Clark's vision of the future and extraterrestrial life.

Well, 'The Nine Billion Names of God' is among the best too. It's a short but powerful story about a group of Tibetan monks who hire Western computer technicians to help them list all the names of God. It ends in a rather unexpected and profound way.