In looking back on my columns for LitReactor so far, I realized that I’ve focused primarily on fantasy novels and not on short fiction. As a writer and reader of short stories, I felt that should be rectified. There’s so much good fantasy being published today, and much of that is in the short form. And while novels offer more space for worldbuilding and intricate plots, short stories often allow for more experimentation in content and style, and can pack more emotion than might be expected in such a short space.

Short stories have long been a part of the genre. The late Ray Bradbury, for instance, got his start with stories and was one of the best writers of the short form the genre has ever seen. Many great fantasy writers known for their novels also write short stories - Fritz Leiber, Ursula K. LeGuin, Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin to name a few.

I wanted to shine the spotlight on some short story writers who are doing fantastic work right now, and to give a short list of places to go to find some of the best short fiction around. So without further ado...

Where to Find Good Short Fiction

I’ve given you just a handful of short fiction writers to look out for, but plenty more are being published every month. To help guide you to some great short fiction, here are some online markets to explore.

If you like what you hear, you should also check out Escape Pod, their science fiction podcast, and Pseudopod, their horror podcast.

I’d love to hear what you think of the stories and markets in the comments. Feel free to suggest some of your favorite writers/stories/markets as well.