Short Stories Humor

Accused of stealing gold from an infamous Irish street gang, paranormal psychologist Matilda Schmidt will die in exactly five days if she doesn't cough it up - guilty or not. With minutes ticking away and her office overrun by a leprechaun who's loopier than he is lucky, Matilda makes a deal with a demigod - give him one night in her bed and he'll help her locate the missing gold.

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths - for good and evil - of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies.

There's nothing worse than having to watch your sister marry your ex fiancé. Organized, event planner, Jaya Trudeaux is used to doing things by the book and never making waves. The only thing that can tie carefree, playboy, Alec Danthers down is a promise he made to his mother. Can Jaya put the lists down long enough to enjoy the ride that is Alec?

REALLY? He didn't get caught, told on, or found out by bosses, parents, neighbors or police?? 50 TIMES? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? JUST UNDER THE RADAR is 50 true (and moderately questionable) short stories from the life of Rock and Roll Musician, Teacher, Actor and Family Man—Skip Wheeler from Maine.

This is my life, one mistake at a time. Worker-bee goes to work, sip coffee, step forward, one, two, three. I'm a brainless zombie with no purpose in life. Feed me brains and I'll eat 'em raw with some Tabasco. Worst mistake in my life, getting married to the perfect Russian princess. Her beautiful face hides treacherous intent. She'll suck you dry like a lemon until you have no juice left. Out of life, out of money, out of any hopes and dreams. This is your life, suck it up and don't complain.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR From the renowned author of “The Lottery” and The Haunting of Hill House, a spectacular volume of previously unpublished and uncollected stories, essays, and other writings. Features “Family Treasures,” nominated for the Edgar Award for...

Fitzgerald's tale of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences. This story was the basis for the Oscar-winning Brad Pitt film of the same name.

Welcome to Colorful Colorado is the sometimes-humorous tale of one man’s decision to begin an adventure on the other side of the “world”, when that world is 1,000 miles away.

“They Are Everywhere” is a story that combines the elements of the most spine-tingling supernatural horror with the funniest comedy. Never before have malevolent spirits, poltergeists, and haunted houses been so funny. Make no mistake though, the terror is real; it’s the witless protagonists and their incredibly inappropriate reactions that give the story its humor.

The Moron at the End of This Book is an insightful, self-scrutinizing memoir about the highs and woes of a life, perhaps not well-lived, but, well, lived. With a collection of short stories and love letters to the living and the dead, author Andrew Couch calls upon nearly 40 years of impulsive actions, unusual friendships, odd jobs, and a careworn moral compass to deliver a mercifully one of a kind account of a man in search of approval from his child self.

This anthology contains 10 quirky and mostly humorous short stories. It contains the following stories: "Jared Pond and the Temper Complication", "Jared Pond's First Mission", "Jared Pond and the Yakuza Connection", "The Soccer Date", "The Pursuit of Dangerous Dave's Treasure", "Jared Pond and the Swedish Fish Factory", "The Disgruntled Soccer Terrorist", "Jared Pond and the Quirky Malaysian Agent", "Kingsley's Quest in India", and "Jared Pond and the Tamil Guru".

Three short stories by Anton Chekhov including "The First-Class Passenger", "The Harmfulness of Tobacco", and "A Transgression".

With these 13 transfixing, ingenious stories, Ben Marcus gives us timely dystopian visions of alienation in a modern world - cosmically and comically apt. Never has existential catastrophe been so much fun.

From an acclaimed and original writer comes a new collection of stories bursting with absurdist plot twists and laced with trenchant wit. The title story delivers a cringingly biting dissection of racial attitudes in contemporary America, and Clarke also turns his eagle eye to subjects like PTSD, the fate of child actors, and, most especially, marital discord in stories like "Considering Lizzie Borden, Her Axe, My Wife" and "The Misunderstandings".

If you're a fan of Roald Dahl or Gillian Flynn you'll love these unsettling stories with a twist in the tale. Are you ready to stay up all night with USA Today best-selling author JT Lawrence? Click now to start listening.

This anthology contains a mix of mostly humorous short stories.

This series of short, fictional vignettes explores our day-to-day interactions with an ever-elusive and arbitrary God. It's the Book of Common Prayer as seen through a looking glass - a powerfully vivid collection of seemingly random life moments. The figures that haunt these stories range from Kafka (talking to a fish) to the Aztecs, Tolstoy to Abraham and Sarah, O. J. Simpson to a pack of wolves. Most of Williams' characters, however, are like the rest of us.

For fans of Etgar Keret, a debut collection that fuses the humor of everyday life in Israel with technology's challenges and the latest discoveries about the human brain. At once compassionate, philosophical, and humorous, Jerusalem Beach is a foray into the human condition in all its contradictions. Through a series of snapshots of contemporary life in Israel, Gefen reveals a world that's a step from the familiar.

These stories attest to the generous compass of Thomas McGuane's fellow feeling, as well as to his unique way with words. In this collection, filled with grace and humor, the ties of family make for uncomfortable binds: A devoted son is horrified to discover his mother's antics before she slipped into dementia, and a father's outdoor skills are no match for a change in the weather. But complications arise equally in the absence of blood, as when lifelong friends on a fishing trip finally confront their deep dislike for each other.

A chance to laugh is a way to enjoy the absurdities of life whenever they occur. It is the quick mind that is ever alert to those situations that are laughable. Come listen to this collection of stories.