Top 50 Classic Short Stories

What does an old man do when confronted with a danger? He remembers what he is, he remembers his oath to "fight all enemies, foreign and domestic." The story title says it all.

This is an old man's last rant to an anonymous visitor. You probably shouldn't read it.

An old warrior is honored for his sacrifice.

The old veteran was feeble and frail. Would his final dream ever come true? I could make it happen. Would I take the time? Would those tired old eyes ever sparkle again?

Father's been away 3 years. His young family's meeting him at the airport. --- Bad Fred, said --- It's poignant, and you hit the right notes. If I didn't know it was your story and trust you, I would have drifted away in the first few paragraphs. It moved slowly. It was lovely, but it wasn't hitting my "what happens next?" buttons. Well, until the end when it all comes together. Readers who stick with it will be rewarded. Set in Australia.

Max Wagner, former carpenter, lives on the streets of San Francisco. His only goal is the next mug of moonshine. Fate intervenes in the persons of a famous singer and a friendly young widow, but then Max has to prove himself in the face of a catastrophe.

A father's misadventures while preparing for the birth of his first son by C-Section. This is a mostly true story with a healthy dose of embellishment and told with tongue firmly placed in cheek.

The Ghost Reporter of the local newspaper is at the finish line of the 20 km City Fun Run. What he sees and reports moves his column from page three to the front page. Set in Australia.

Man's wife reminises about their life together during his posthumus induction to baseball's Hall of Fame. An often humorous, always piognant look at the differances between his public baseball life and their private family life.

Gordy and Weena (4)
Gordy and Weena visit the Hollisters in Queensland and encounter nasty insects and public health problems.

Crane Hanson fights alcoholism bought on by the hell he found in WWII. A man's journey through a personal hell towards redemption and love.

One of the USA's Founding Fathers offers sage advice just as appropriate now as when it was first penned more than 250 years ago.

This is a very short story, more of a cameo. If I was to say anything more, there would be little point in anyone reading it. / (Reviews)

A Story in the The Trilogy and More Western Universe
A tale of the old west in the turbulent times following the Civil War. A young man sort of follows in his father's footsteps.

A young priest ministers to an elderly parishioner in the last months of her life. His heart is engaged with hers... and her great-niece who arrives to care for her.

A man discovers that sometimes, our memories are recalling a life as viewed through rose tinted spectacles.

Terrorists attack the Mall of America.

A Christmas Story
A grouchy old man is about to spend another Christmas alone,until there is a knock at the door. Is there a second chance for Christmas joy?

The lovely woman sitting next to Jack on the plane shocked him when she told him her name was Felina. He was intrigued with the mystery presented by the proposition that maybe Faleena didn't die in the shootout behind Rosa's Cantina. Please read "El Paso - Jake Rivers" first.

A short tale -- very loosely -- based on an encounter I had with a childhood friend in that beautiful city one summer about ten or fifteen years ago; okay maybe a little longer. Only my encounter - whilst extremely enjoyable for both of us -- had a completely different outcome, neither of us are widowed.

Five short stories, entries in a contest for stories under 100 words with a twist on the end. See if you can guess the twist before you get to it. / (Reviews)

Edward loves his daughter. Collecting her from school each afternoon and walking home with her is a highlight of his day. Then one day, on the way from work to school, he meets a blind man in the park.

An older man helps two young runaways and gets a reward.

A Sailor Steve Costigan Story
Nobody gets away with kicking Steve's bull dog Mike. First appeared in the magazine Fight Stories February 1930. In the public domain.

Charlie's gig as a department store Santa Claus doesn't go so well. Can he find redemption? / (Reviews)

If you're guilty, you better hope you don't come before the hanging judge

A Story in the The Trilogy and More Western Universe
Johnny Rawlings is in jail waiting for The Hangman

Danny comes home from 'Nam and when he see his buddy's girl he knows she's the one he wants. The fun starts when he tells his friend, "She's the cutest girl I've ever seen, I'll tell you face to face I mean to steal her from you." Joe was not pleased by this.

A Justiceman Episode (2)
Part of the The Post Sickness World of Phoenicia universe
In the post-Sickness Arizona territory, rape and murder are not uncommon. If you're going to commit these acts, though, you'd best be careful who your victims are. Bad guys are not always the baddest guys around.

Just the ups and downs of one man's life. One of my older stories, and the first of mine that was posted widely on the internet.

Some love endures beyond the grave, no matter what the cynics tell us. Sarah gave me something her husband couldn't buy with all his wealth. Sarah gave me Sarah.

After Billy humiliates Jenny in an Ugly Girl contest, what happens to him? Can the Marines make him a man? Maybe a stint at Khe Sanh would help.

A Sailor Steve Costigan Story
Sailor Steve Costigan loves a good clean fight. He'll deal with the not so clean fights too. Boxing humor from the author of Conan the Barbarian. First published in 1931 in the magazine "Fight Stories" and in the public domain.

A Dark Wars Tale
Edgar Laetham had enough. He had spent enough time shedding blood and losing friends for Queen and country. A chance encounter with an old friend from Australia while recovering from a wound in Bahrain a year after the First Gulf War sent his life on a different path. How different he would not know until one fateful, rain-soaked day while driving his new charge through the streets of Harrow. After that day, he knew life with Dame Alice Spencer-Killdare would never be the same. Or boring!