Like looking for a needle in a haystack, only worse

September 6, 2009 7:18 AM

Where does one go to find the best pieces of short fiction available on the internet?

I'm looking websites that gather short fictional works, of a narrative bent, and of a high quality.

I've considered Fictionpress (too difficult to sort out the wheat from the chaff) and Livejournal (same problem, but also with a higher percentage of rougher, unpolished works)

Where do you go to for your fix?

posted by titantoppler to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

Might help people if they knew what genre you are looking for.

Also, I'd just make up a list of the top 25 authors in this genre, see how many of them have sites, see what they link to, see what content they have online.

And lots of publishers not maintain web presences with free content available.

Things have gotten a lot better since the early 90s. You can find real stuff by published authors out there. Sometimes award winning novels in there entirety available for free.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:55 AM on September 6, 2009

Many, many literary magazines offer at least some content online. I'd recommend that you search duotrope (which is usually used by authors looking to public their work) for fiction--under media, select "electronic publication." The results will be mags with content online. You can also limit your search by genre, if you'd prefer a specific one.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:34 AM on September 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

I could give you a ton of recommendations for SF, but it sounds like that's not really what your're after?
posted by Artw at 11:06 AM on September 6, 2009

The original writing section of the Guardian has some stuff. Also Classic Shorts. I eagerly await other suggestions!
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 1:29 PM on September 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

How about the Fiction section of the New Yorker? They also have an excellent podcast, in which an author reads an older short story (by a different writer), and then discusses it.
posted by James Scott-Brown at 2:13 PM on September 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

Fifty-Two Stories.
posted by moonroof at 4:14 PM on September 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

I hope this isn't inappropriate, but myself and some other talented authors write 100-word stories based on user-submitted titles. I think they're pretty good, but am admittedly biased.

http://nameyourtale.com
posted by missjenny at 4:29 PM on September 6, 2009

The storySouth Million Writers Award has had six annual rounds, each with many finalists.
posted by gnomeloaf at 9:37 PM on September 6, 2009

Escape Pod for sci-fi
Pseudopod for horror
Podcastle for fantasy

High-quality fiction, narrated (usually) well, for free download. I heartily recommend.
posted by arcticwoman at 3:05 AM on September 7, 2009

Try 365 Tomorrows

Nice daily short fiction.
posted by emjay at 2:59 AM on September 8, 2009

For SF I would add StarshipSofa, though you way occasionally have to wade through some other stuff to get to the stories.
posted by Artw at 9:21 AM on September 8, 2009