The Best Short Stories of 1918, and the Yearbook of the American Short Story encapsulates a pivotal moment in literary history, celebrating a diversity of narrative forms and thematic explorations. This anthology brings together a pantheon of voices that showcase the vibrancy and complexity of early 20th-century American literature. From the intricate psychological narratives of Sinclair Lewis to the lyrical prose of Wilbur Daniel Steele, the collection traverses the realms of realism, early modernism, and the nascent phases of experimental storytelling, making it an invaluable reflection of the literary zeitgeist. Each story stands as a beacon of the creativity and transition within American letters, capturing the socio-political and cultural undercurrents of its time. The contributing authors, heralded for their own unique contributions to literature, bring forth a collective heritage that spans various facets of American life and letters. Their backgrounds, ranging from journalism and literary criticism to fiction writing, offer a rich mosaic of perspectives that are emblematic of the periods literary and cultural movements. The anthology, therefore, not only serves as a showcase of individual mastery but also as a cohesive study of the interplay between historical context and literary innovation. To the discerning reader, The Best Short Stories of 1918, and the Yearbook of the American Short Story represents an unparalleled journey through the landscape of early 20th-century American fiction. It offers not just a literary exploration but a historical immersion, inviting readers to engage with each narrative as a dialogue among diverse yet interconnected voices. This collection not only educates but enriches, urging readers to appreciate the depth and breadth of the art of storytelling as practiced in a pivotal era of American literature. It is an essential anthology for those wishing to delve deeper into the evolution of short stories and their profound impact on the trajectory of American literary tradition.

The Best Short Stories of 1918 by Various.

This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

Excerpt from The Best Short Stories of 1918: And the Yearbook of the American Short Story To repeat what I have said in these pages in previous years, for the benefit of the reader as yet unacquainted with my standards and principles Of selection, I shall point out that I have set myself the task of disengaging the essential human qualities in our contemporary fiction which, when chronicled conscientiously by our literary artists, may fairly be called a criticism of life. I am not at all interested in formulae, and organized criticism at its best would be nothing more than dead criticism, as all dogmatic interpretation of life is always dead. What has interested me, to the exclusion Of other things, is the fresh living current which flows through the best Of our work, and the psychological and imaginative reality which our writers have conferred upon it. NO substance is of importance in fiction, unless it is organic substance, that is to say, substance in which the pulse Of life is beating. Inorganic fiction has been our curse in the past, and bids fair to remain so, unless we exercise much greater artistic discrimination than we display at present. The present record covers the period from January to October inclusive, 1918. During the past ten months I have sought to select from the stories published in American magazines those which have rendered life imaginatively in organic substance and artistic form. Substance is something achieved by the artist in every act Of creation, rather than something already present, and accordingly a fact or group of facts in a story only attain substantial embodiment when the artist's power of compelling imaginative persuasion transforms them into a living truth. The first test of a short story, therefore, in any qualitative analysis is to report upon how vitally compelling the writer makes his selected facts or inci dents. This test may be conveniently called the test of substance. But a second test is necessary if the story is to take rank above other stories. The true artist will seek to shape this living substance into the most beautiful and satisfying form, by skilful selection and arrangement Of his material, and by the most direct and appealing presentation Of it in portrayal and characterization. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.