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American Short Fiction

Publishing exquisite fiction since 1991.

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FICTION

WEB EXCLUSIVES

Fish Jokes

—February 06, 2018

Fish Jokes

By Kate Reed Petty

>°))))><< To start, Anna searches for his name. The search returns 5,881 emails—every single thing he sent her for the thirteen months they worked together. She filters out his work … [READ MORE] about Fish Jokes

Menu

—January 12, 2018

Menu

By Peter Grimes

We’ve already tried everything. We tell the waitress to bring rolls, wine. Meanwhile we’ll decide what we want to order. This is our favorite restaurant. It’s the only restaurant in town as far as … [READ MORE] about Menu

Flight

—December 05, 2017

Flight

By Anton DiSclafani

I am traveling across the sea, again. Sometimes it seems I have spent more time on water than on land; sometimes, when I am home, I wake up in the middle of the night and am surprised when my old legs … [READ MORE] about Flight

The Sister

—November 06, 2017

The Sister

By Richard Mirabella

A girl named Caroline lived with her twelve brothers in a house on the edge of the woods. The youngest, Philip, was her friend and responsibility. Mother and Father had died years ago of an illness. … [READ MORE] about The Sister

Ray Charles Never Lost Anything Important

—October 03, 2017

Ray Charles Never Lost Anything Important

By Anessa Ibrahim

Hugo was a neighborhood debate. Ask me and I’d say, No, he wasn’t gifted from birth, wasn’t like Mozart composing with a finger up his nose and diaper rash on his ass. But mine was a minority opinion. … [READ MORE] about Ray Charles Never Lost Anything Important

The Seagull

—August 31, 2017

The Seagull

By Kyle McCarthy

At the Gala to End Sexual Assault, which was to benefit a non-profit founded by an actress who starred in a TV show that sensationalized sexual assault, and which was held in a museum of dead animals … [READ MORE] about The Seagull

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Issue 81

Guest-edited by Fernando A. Flores, featuring new stories by Yvette DeChavez, Julián Delgado Lopera, Carribean Fragoza, Alejandro Heredia, Carmen Maria Machado, Ruben Reyes Jr., and Gerardo Sámano Córdova.

You can preview the issue here.

NEWS

Read the winners of the 2024 Insider Prize

Read the winners of the 2024 Insider Prize

By ASF Editors

“Memories are a nuisance,” Peter wrote to one of our writers after reading his short story, “but nonetheless they seem to make us who we are, as this story confirms.” This year’s submissions told many stories burdened with memory, but just as many stared bravely into the face of hope, satirized the state of politics, speculated on the future of the world, or else built entirely new worlds to inhabit. In short, the stories written on the inside reflected the stories we wrote this year on the outside. Stories of human toil and dreams and everything in between.
 

Issue 81 is out now: guest-edited by Fernando A. Flores, with stories by Julián Delgado Lopera, Carmen Maria Machado, Ruben Reyes Jr., and more. Order yours today!

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Submit now to the Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize, judged by Eric Puchner. Win $2500, publication, and an-expenses-paid writing retreat at the Tasajillo Residency in Texas. Deadline is June 15, 2025.

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