Can you recommend some best surprise ending short stories?

There is also 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' by Ambrose Bierce. A Confederate sympathizer is about to be hanged at Owl Creek Bridge. As he is falling, he imagines escaping and making his way back home. But then, suddenly, we find out that his entire escape was just a brief hallucination in the moment before his death, which is a very surprising and somewhat cruel ending.

One characteristic is misdirection. The author often leads the reader to expect one thing throughout most of the story. For example, in 'The Gift of the Magi', the reader is following the couple's attempts to get nice gifts for each other without realizing that their efforts will be ironically thwarted. Another characteristic is the sudden revelation. In 'The Necklace', the truth about the necklace being fake comes out of nowhere at the end, completely changing the reader's perception of the story. Also, these stories usually build up tension. In 'The Cask of Amontillado', as Fortunato is led deeper into the catacombs, the sense of unease and tension grows until the final, horrible ending.

Sure. There's a story where a man is suspected of murdering his wife. All the evidence points to him. But at the end, it's revealed that the wife faked her own death to frame him and run away with her lover. The mayhem throughout the story is all about the man trying to prove his innocence while everyone believes he's guilty.

Another one is 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' by Ambrose Bierce. The story seems to be about a man who is about to be hanged on a bridge during the Civil War. As he is falling, he imagines escaping and making his way back home. The twist comes at the end when it is revealed that all of his escape was just a hallucination in the split second before his death. It gives a shock to the reader who has been following his supposed escape journey.

One great short story with a twist ending is 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry. In this story, a young couple is very poor. The wife cuts and sells her long, beautiful hair to buy a chain for her husband's pocket watch. Meanwhile, the husband sells his watch to buy combs for his wife's hair. It's a touching and unexpected twist on their selfless love.

A surprise short story could be 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. In a small town, there is an annual lottery. At first, it seems like a normal, traditional event. But as the story progresses, the 'prize' of the lottery turns out to be a stoning. The twist at the end is truly a surprise, making the readers re - evaluate the seemingly idyllic town and the nature of traditions.

"Five Extremes of the Origin","Our Love Is Hard to Turn White", and "A Collection of Strange Tales and Inferences in the City" all had unexpected endings. Among them, the former was a fantasy novel with a bizarre protagonist and a story full of surprises; the second was a short story with an unexpected and gentle ending; and the third was a mystery detective novel with an enjoyable ending. I hope you like this fairy's recommendation. Muah ~😗

They often make you think deeper. In a surprise ending story, like 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson, where the lottery turns out to be a brutal stoning event, it forces you to consider the hidden meanings and the darkness that can lurk beneath seemingly normal situations. It's not just about the shock, but also about the new perspectives it offers.

😋In this mystery detective novel, you can guess the murderer, but not the victim; you can guess the ending, but not the Easter egg; the unexpected, and the thrilling, exciting suspense story. I hope you like this fairy's recommendation. Muah ~😗

One well - known 'the surprise short story' could be 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry. It has a great surprise ending that really makes you think about the nature of love and sacrifice.