They probably had relatable characters. Since these were popular, the characters must have been easy for readers to connect with, whether they were ordinary people facing everyday problems or extraordinary characters in unique situations. These characters' emotions and experiences would resonate with a wide range of readers. Also, the themes would be relevant. Themes like love, loss, friendship, and the search for identity are common and always attract readers. In 2014, short stories with these themes could have easily gained popularity.
There is no simple answer to this question because short stories and novels may have different levels of popularity among different reader groups. However, from the perspective of literary publishing and internet writing, novels were usually more attractive and influential than short stories.
On the one hand, novels usually had more plots and a broader story background to accommodate more complex character relationships, a larger worldview, and a deeper theme. A long novel could also convey the feelings and thoughts that the author wanted to express more effectively, so it was more infectious and profound.
On the other hand, writing a novel was more difficult. It required more time and energy to build the plot and characters, and it required more preparation and planning. Therefore, a long novel might require a higher level of writing and more experience to create excellent works.
Both short stories and full-length novels have their own unique charms. Different reader groups may have different preferences for them. No matter what kind of work it was, the author needed to spend enough time and energy to create excellent works and convey the meaning and value that the author wanted to express to the readers.
There were many recommended short stories that were popular recently. I can recommend the following short stories:
1. Kong Yiji-Lu Xun: This is one of Lu Xun's most famous short stories, and is considered the pinnacle of short stories in China and even the world.
2. " Life is Like a String "-Shi Tiesheng: This is a very good short story. The author uses delicate strokes to describe the inner world of the characters.
Other than that, there were also some other short stories worth recommending, such as Russian Matryoshka, Summer House, Later, and A Short Encounter with an Extinct Bird. However, the specific popular short story recommendations may vary from person to person. It is recommended to choose according to personal interests and reading preferences.
I can recommend a few popular Korean short story collections. Among them, Youth Is Not Old was Jin Jinxu's seventh personal collection of works, which included nine works, including Spray, elevator, and Big Brother, which focused on modern urban life, as well as Youth Is Not Old and Earth Engineering, which focused on the earth and the universe. These works all had the black humor and exquisiteness unique to Jin's writers. They were readable and thought-provoking.
In addition, One Hundred Shadows, Introduction to Poe, Future of Sheep, Wings, Spring, Potato, and Lucky Day were also some Korean short stories worthy of recommendation. These works represented the characteristics of Korean literature. They were classic works created in the context of literary trends during World War II.
It should be noted that the search results provided did not recommend any Japanese short stories, so no relevant answers could be provided.
Short audio stories have a wide appeal. They can cover a variety of genres, from mystery to comedy. Since they are short, they can easily fit into a busy lifestyle. People can quickly consume a story in a short break. Also, they are great for those who may not have the time or attention span for a long novel.