The best fantasy short stories take us to new worlds. And in this epic list of the 25 best fantasy short story collections by a single author or a multitude of writers is your passport to escape to more wondrous, magical places. Get ready to enter the realm of the enchanted in this list of the best fantasy anthologies. The books here compile brief fiction that nonetheless leave a big impression.
If you’re looking for more speculative short stories, be sure to check out my roundup of the 20 best science fiction short story collections.
I’ve also written about the best mystery short stories, YA short stories, and short stories for kids on this blog before.
And now onto the list of the must-read books with the best fantasy short stories!
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The Best Fantasy Short Story Collections by a Single Author
Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection by Brandon Sanderson
Kicking off this list is Brandon Sanderson’s Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection. Sanderson is a well-known fantasy author, the brains behind the Stormlight Archive, the Mistborn Trilogy, and the Skyward Series. In Arcanum Unbounded, Sanderson includes a novella from the Stormlight Archive as well as other short stories and “The Emperor’s Soul,” a Hugo Award-winning novella.
How to read it: Purchase Arcanum Unbounded on Amazon
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter
Since its debut in 1979, Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories has only continued to establish itself as one of the most all-time influential anthologies of fantasy short stories. The list of contemporary writers inspired by Carter runs long… Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, and David Mitchell, to name just a few. In The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, Carter pioneers the trend of the fractured fairy tale, or fairy tale that is retold with a twist, with a feminist bent. Once you read Carter’s take on these classic stories, you can’t go back without being changed.
How to read it: Purchase The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories on Amazon
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
One of my all-time favorite writers, the versatile Neil Gaiman has published several short story collections, some with his poetry, but I recommend starting with Fragile Things, which was awarded the Locus Award for Best Collection. The fantasy short stories in this book reflects seeing the world with Gaiman’s unique and magical lens. A story you won’t want to miss is the first one in this anthology, “A Study in Emerald,” a Sherlock Holmes retelling that won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story.
How to read it: Purchase Fragile Things on Amazon
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke
Best known for her epic fantasy novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Susanna Clarke here weaves stories set in a fairy realm of England. The fantasy short stories in her collection The Ladies of Grace Adieu enchant readers with their intricate world that will make you believe in magic thriving alongside our ordinary lives.
How to read it: Purchase The Ladies of Grace Adieu on Amazon
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski translated by Danusia Stok
If you’ve found your way to this list of the best fantasy short story collections, I’m guessing you’ve probably heard of the Netflix series The Witcher, an action-packed show starring Geralt the Witcher, who fights monsters to save humanity. But did you know the series and video game were based off of short stories by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski? Binge read the Witcher adventures with the first installment, The Last Wish translated by Danusia Stok.
How to read it: Purchase The Last Wish on Amazon
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
A prominent writer of fabulism, Kelly Link brings a magical touch to realist elements. The delightful stories in her debut short fiction collection, Magic for Beginners, contain a spark of genre-bending fantasy perfect for reader who like Neil Gaiman, Karen Russell, Joe Hill, and Carmen Maria Machado. This collection won the Locus Award for Best Short Story Collection, and the titular novella earned both the Nebula Award and the Locus Award for Best Novella. You don’t want to miss this essential anthology of fantasy short stories.
How to read it: Purchase Magic for Beginners on Amazon
The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu
Visionary author Ken Liu brings his A-game in this Locus Award-winning collection that contains many famous fantasy short stories. The Paper Menagerie not only won the Locus Award for Best Collection; the titular short story, “The Paper Menagerie,” became the first work of fiction to take the triple crown and win the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards. That story is worth the price of admission alone in this must-read
How to read it: Purchase The Paper Menagerie on Amazon
The Unreal and the Real by Ursula K. Le Guin
Among the most renowned fantasy writers of all time, Ursula K. Le Guin is best known for the Earthsea Cycle, The Left Hand of Darkness, and the writing guide, Steering the Craft. But The Unreal and the Real makes a case that Le Guin’s career soared to new heights in brief fiction like the famous fantasy short stories collected in this anthology. The pieces in this collection, curated and introduced by the legendary Le Guin herself, are required reading for fantasy fans.
How to read it: Purchase The Unreal and the Real on Amazon
The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente
In this smart, feminist, illustrated collection of fantasy short stories, writer Catherynne M. Valente takes on the superhero mythos by penning linked scraps of fiction from the perspective of superheroes’ girlfriends, wives, and other “secondary characters” existing on the margins of their more famous fearless crusaders. Valente’s The Refrigerator Monologues is an interesting twist on the superhero genre that any Marvel fan should add to their TBR.
How to read it: Purchase The Refrigerator Monologues on Amazon
Tales from the Perilous Realm by J.R.R. Tolkien
Oscar winner Alan Lee illustrates the fantastical short stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Tales from the Perilous Realm. The mind behind the beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy, Tolkien here includes five “faerie” stories set in the same world as The Hobbit. But even if you haven’t read Lord of the Rings, you’ll appreciate these whimsical stories and the gorgeous artwork that brings them to life.
How to read it: Purchase Tales from the Perilous Realm on Amazon
Tender by Sofia Samatar
A World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Collection, Tender is your invitation to Sofia Samatar’s fabulist world where reality meets magic. Easily one of the best fantasy short fiction collections, Tender will transport you to a new setting that joins Samatar’s trademark lush, lyrical writing with brilliantly imaginative worlds.
How to read it: Purchase Tender on Amazon
This Strange Way of Dying by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The genre-bending tales in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s The Strange Way of Dying mesh horror with fantasy, science fiction with fabulism. Inspired by Mexican folklore, the fantasy short stories in this collection weave myth with modernism in captivating ways.
How to read it: Purchase This Strange Way of Dying on Amazon
The Best Fantasy Short Story Anthologies with Multiple Authors
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy
This annual anthology collects the best American science fiction and fantasy short stories edited by a rotating cast of popular writers. With an eclectic mix of both established and emerging authors, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy will get you quickly up to speed on the freshest short fantasy fiction.
How to read it: Purchase The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy on Amazon
The Big Book of Classic Fantasy edited by Jeff and Ann VandeerMeer
Although fantasy is an established major genre of fiction, it’s nothing new. In The Big Book of Classic Fantasy, editors Ann and Jeff VanderMeer curate a landmark anthology of early fantasy writing. The short fiction compiled here includes the most influential authors, some remembered, some forgotten, and some seeing recognition for the first time, including the Brothers Grimm, Mary Shelley, L. Frank Baum, and Oscar Wilde.
How to read it: Purchase The Big Book of Classic Fantasy on Amazon
The Big Book of Modern Fantasy edited by Jeff and Ann VanderMeer
In this companion to The Big Book of Classic Fantasy, Ann and Jeff VanderMeer turn their gaze to modern fantasy writing. This World Fantasy Award winning anthology features short fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin, Diane Wynne Jones, Terry Pratchett, Victor LaValle, and many, many more. Any serious fantasy fan will want The Big Book of Modern Fantasy in their home library collection.
How to read it: Purchase The Big Book of Modern Fantasy on Amazon
The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
This anthology of new spins on classic myths focuses on the “Trickster” character who you might recognize as Loki, the coyote, and the Brer Rabbit. Each story offers a fresh take on one of the most common mythical characters, the Trickster. The twenty six short stories in The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales include contributions from fantasy heavyweights like Holly Black, Kelly Link, and many more.
How to read it: Purchase The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales on Amazon
Dangerous Women edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
The theme of this speculative short fiction anthology is one I can definitely get behind: dangerous women. A multitude of buzzy fantasy writers—including Jim Butcher, Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, and Diana—contribute stories featuring brave women, making for a delightful, feminist read. Dangerous Women, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, is one of the best fantasy anthologies and a book anyone who loves fierce females characters will love.
How to read it: Purchase Dangerous Women on Amazon
Monstrous Affections edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant
Edited by Gavin J. Grant and Kelly Link (whose Magic for Beginners I recommended earlier in this article), Monstrous Affections includes authors—like M.T. Anderson, Holly Black, and Patrick Ness—who each provide a tale with a twist on characters who are beasts, monsters, and other sinister creatures. In this entertaining and imaginative fantasy short story collection, meet krakens, harpies, demons, vampires, and aliens who live among humans.
How to read it: Purchase Monstrous Affections on Amazon
My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me edited by Kate Bernheimer
Arguably, the modern fractured fairy tale began with Angela Carter, whose The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories has already been included in this list. The natural progression of this niche sub-genre is found in My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me. This dark fantasy fiction anthology edited by Kate Bernheimer puts fresh takes on old tales. Just a few of the classic stories retold here include “The Snow Queen,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “Cinderella,” and “Bluebeard” by talented writers like Shelley Jackson, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Joy Williams, and more. Anyone who loves retellings will want to own this clever collection.
How to read it: Purchase My Mother She Killed Me My Father He Ate Me on Amazon
Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy edited by Ellen Datlow
The second anthology edited by Ellen Datlow included on this list, Naked City rounds up the crème de la crème of urban fantasy and paranormal writers. Jim Butcher, Melissa Marr, Naomi Novik, and CaitlÃn R. Kiernan are just a few of the legendary writers in this all-star lineup you won’t want to pass up.
How to read it: Purchase Naked City on Amazon
Toil & Trouble edited by Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe
This anthology of fantasy short stories is technically labeled as young adult fiction, but even non-YA readers will want to read the delightful tales in Toil & Trouble. The theme of this short fiction anthology is the intersection of women and witchcraft across time and space. Big-deal writers like Anna-Marie McLemore, Nova Ren Suma, and Emery Lord supply witchy stories that will keep you spellbound.
How to read it: Purchase Toil & Trouble on Amazon
The Unicorn Anthology edited by Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman
It doesn’t get more magical than the unicorn, a mythological creature that dominates fantasy fiction. And in The Unicorn Anthology, you’ll get a prism of unicorn stories by beloved authors like Garth Nix, CaitlÃn R. Kiernan, and Jane Yolen. Editor Peter S. Beagle, whose book The Last Unicorn is a classic of the genre, brings an expert eye to compiling this collection of wondrous fantasy short stories.
How to read it: Purchase The Unicorn Anthology on Amazon
Unnatural Creatures edited by Neil Gaiman and Maria Dahvana Headley
I absolutely loved this fantasy short story anthology, which showcases authors like Diana Wynne Jones, Nnedi Okorafor, and E. Nesbit. Sixteen talented writers provide a unique tale on theme of “unnatural” creatures. What’s really great about Unnatural Creatures is the range of master author Neil Gaiman has hand selected, meshing famous fantasy short stories with newer works.
How to read it: Purchase Unnatural Creatures on Amazon
The Urban Fantasy Anthology by Peter S. Beagle and Joe R. Lansdale
Urban fantasy fan? This fantasy short story collection edited by Peter S. Beagle and Joe R. Lansdale is perfect for you. The dazzling array of authors headlining this anthology of urban fantasy counts Kelley Armstrong, Holly Black, and Neil Gaiman among them. You’ll find vampires, pixies, demon hunters, and more in The Urban Fantasy Anthology, an eclectic must-have for urban fantasy readers.
How to read it: Purchase The Urban Fantasy Anthology on Amazon
The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories edited by Ann and Jeff VandeerMeer
Editors Ann and Jeff VanderMeer assemble bouquet of strange tales both classic and modern in Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories, one of the best fantasy anthologies. The focus of this anthology is the fantasy sub-genre of “weird” fiction, most famously pioneered by H. P. Lovecraft. Editor Jeff VanderMeer himself is a notable weird author and the brains behind the Southern Reach series. Authors William Gibson, Franz Kafka, and Haruki Murakami are among those collected here. If you’re looking for an introduction to weird, this collection of fantasy short stories is required reading for new fans and seasoned aficionados alike.
How to read it: Purchase Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories on Amazon
Enjoyed this article? Looking for more speculative fiction? Be sure to check out my list of the 20 best science fiction short story collections.
