The Cambridge Companion to the English Short Story

This Companion provides an accessible overview of the contexts, periods, and subgenres of English-language short fiction outside of North America.

Featuring fourteen essays from international experts, this Companion provides an accessible overview of English-language short fiction outside of North America. It discusses the development and impact of the short story - including a variety of subgenres such as detective fiction and flash fiction - from the early nineteenth century to the present.This Companion provides an accessible overview of short fiction by writers from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and other international sites. A collection of international experts examine the development of the short story in a variety of contexts from the early nineteenth century to the present. They consider how dramatic changes in the publishing landscape during this period - such as the rise of the fiction magazine and the emergence of new opportunities in online and electronic publishing - influenced the form, covering subgenres from detective fiction to flash fiction. Drawing on a wealth of critical scholarship to place the short story in the English literary tradition, this volume will be an invaluable guide for students of the short story in English.