It’s National Short Story Week, so I’ve decided to dig into my archives and highlight some of my favourite story collections from the last few years. The links are to my original reviews, and the list is in alphabetical order of author’s surname. All come warmly recommended by me.

Nina Allan, The Silver Wind – five interlinked tales of ‘time disrupted’, though it may be the gaps between pieces that hold the real story.

Chris Beckett, The Turing Test – a very human take on science-fictional staples.

Hassan Blasim, The Madman of Freedom Square – a collection examining how stories shape people’s experiences of war.

China Miéville, Looking for Jake – a varied sampler that made me look at Miéville’s work anew.

Keith Ridgway, Hawthorn & Child – a mosaic novel which dismantles the comfort of narrative coherence.

Robert Shearman, Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical / Everyone’s Just So So Special – the fantastic and the everyday combine in two superlative collections exploring themes of love and history.

Shortfire Press launch titles – three fine stories by Nadifa Mohamed, Laura Dockrill, and Elizabeth Jenner.

A.C. Tillyer, An A-Z of Possible Worlds – a collage of stories portraying imaginary places, with each tale in its own booklet.

David Vann, Legend of a Suicide – one version of events is not enough to tell the truth of a family tragedy.

Lucy Wood, Diving Belles – contemporary stories drawing on Cornish folklore.