This collection brings together 53 stories that span the history of Latin American literature and represent the most dazzling achievements in the form. It covers the entire history of Latin American short fiction, from the colonial period to present.

Strives to organize knowledge of the region. It contains nearly 5,300 separate articles. Most topics appear in English alphabetical order.

It was during the exciting modernist movement in Spanish American literature that Clemente Plama (1872-1946), son of Ricardo Palma, began his writing career and signaled the birth of modern Peruvian literature. This volume offers detailed critical analyses of Palma's short stories and novels.