What are some popular collection of fantasy short stories?

One popular collection of short stories is 'The Complete Sherlock Holmes' by Arthur Conan Doyle. It contains many thrilling detective stories.

One popular collection is 'The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway'. It contains many of his classic short works that showcase his unique writing style. Another is 'The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe'. His stories are known for their dark and mysterious themes.

Well, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote some great fantasy short stories within his Middle - earth lore. For example, 'Leaf by Niggle' is a wonderful little piece that shows Tolkien's creativity even in a shorter form. Also, Neil Gaiman has some amazing fantasy short stories. 'How to Talk to Girls at Parties' is a really cool one that combines elements of science - fiction and fantasy in a very unique way. It's about a young boy's encounter with some very strange girls at a party.

One popular one is 'Fantasy & Science Fiction'. It has been around for a long time and features many well - written fantasy short stories. Another is 'Clarkesworld', which is known for its high - quality speculative fiction, including fantasy. And 'Lightspeed' also publishes great fantasy short stories among other genres.

A great adult fantasy short story is 'The Sandman' by E.T.A. Hoffmann. It features a rather strange and magical character of the Sandman. Angela Carter's 'The Bloody Chamber' also falls into this category, with its reimagining of classic fairy tales in a more adult and often darker context. Additionally, Ray Bradbury's 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' is a wonderful short story that combines elements of fantasy, horror, and the passage of time, set in a small town with a big mystery.

One popular romantic fantasy short story is 'The Stolen Princess' where a brave knight rescues a princess from an evil sorcerer and they fall in love during their journey back to the kingdom. Another is 'The Enchanted Garden' which tells the story of a young woman who discovers a magical garden and meets a mysterious man there, and their love blooms as they explore the wonders of the garden together. And 'The Fairy's Kiss' is also well - liked. A mortal man is kissed by a fairy and is drawn into a world of magic and love.

One popular kids fantasy short story is 'The Little Mermaid' by Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the story of a mermaid who dreams of becoming human. Another is 'The Wizard of Oz' which features Dorothy's adventures in a magical land. 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' is also very well - known, with Alice falling down a rabbit hole into a strange world full of peculiar creatures.

One popular adult fantasy short story is 'The Last Unicorn' by Peter S. Beagle. It tells the story of a unicorn on a quest to find out what happened to the rest of her kind. Another is 'Gormenghast' by Mervyn Peake, which has a richly detailed and rather dark, fantastical setting. And 'The Paper Menagerie' by Ken Liu is also well - known, it beautifully combines elements of family, memory and magic in a short form.

Some popular ones include 'The Star-Touched Queen' by Roshani Chokshi and 'The Hazel Wood' by Melissa Albert.

Well - developed characters are also important. In a good collection, the characters, whether they be wizards or ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations, should be believable and interesting. They should grow or change in some way throughout the story. A collection of fantasy short stories also often has a strong sense of wonder. It should make the reader feel like they are stepping into a world full of magic and mystery, with unexpected twists and turns that make them eager to turn the page to find out what happens next. There might be unique magic systems, like in some stories where magic is based on spoken words or the use of special artifacts. All these elements combined create a rich and engaging collection of fantasy short stories.