A few days ago we were talking about the great invention of the Short-Édition publishing house and its vending machine for stories, poems and short literature which has already been installed in several stations in the Gallic country. A possible trend whose waiting we can compensate with any of these following 7 stories to read on your next bus, subway or tram ride on your way to work. Short readings to continue promoting the dissemination of the story as a genre to vindicate in these accelerated times.
* Each story is accompanied by a link to read it.
The night face up, by Julio Cortázar
One of the most famous tales of Cortázar it is also one of the best not only in his bibliography, but possibly in the entire XNUMXth century. Without seeking to reveal too much, the story presents two characters: a young man who suffers a motorcycle accident and a fugitive during the so-called flowery wars of Aztec Mexico. The story was included in the book Game over, published in 1956, and is my favorite of Cortázar along with The health of the sick.
You can read it here.
Sadness, by Antón Chekhov
Master of the tale, Chekhov never disappoints with his stories set in that frozen Russia of men and poverty huddled under a blanket. Elements that in this story give the story of Yona, that unhappy coachman whom no one listens to, an even more shocking impact. Solitudes of a character that seem latent even in the XXI century.
You can read it here.
The trace of your blood in the snow, by Gabriel García Márquez
Although Gabo is best known for his novels, we should not detract from that storytelling facet embodied in books such as Twelve Pilgrim Tales, set of stories that addresses the misadventures of Latino immigrants in the old continent. Former presidents who ask for asylum, children who fear a German governess and, especially, that honeymoon trip that Nena Daconte and Billy Sánchez undertake one cold night on their way to Paris. Essential.
You can read it here.
El Aleph, by Jorge Luis Borges
In the basement of Carlos Argentino's house there is The Aleph, that point in the universe where all the others are. Man's exhausting search for eternity becomes central to one of the Borges's most famous tales, who in this story seduces us again with that erudite character that we like so much combined with the best fiction.
You can read it here.
Softer Rains Will Come, by Ray Bradbury
It is the year 2026 and a house continues to function as usual: little mice cleaning the tracks of a dog, the holograms in a children's room, the fire alarm. . . everything seems in order. Considered as one of the best science fiction stories, Bradbury extracts the title from a poem by Sara Teasdale that the ceiling of a desk whispers to an absent owner.
You can read it here.
The Prophet's Hair, by Salman Rushdie
Controversial author where they exist, Rushdie has also written various short stories for both children and adults. One of his most famous anthologies is East West, in which stories set in India and the United Kingdom are interspersed, ranging from tales that recall Ian Fleming to others worthy of the Thousand and One Nights such as The Prophet's Hair, set in Kashmir and developed around the theft of a famous Muhammad's hair.
You can read it here.
Ghosts, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In the XNUMXst century we continue to have great authors for whom progress, globalization or feminism are recurring themes, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of them. This Nigerian author, defender of a continent that "many still consider a single country", has written three novels and a collection of short stories, Something Around Your Neck, which has become one of my last readings. Ghosts has some magical realism and is wonderful.
You can read it here.
These 7 stories to read during a trip on public transport they make great options to read tomorrow on the way to work or even before bed. Stories that confirm the potential of an essential genre in times of the brief, the dynamic and that tendency to begin (and end) readings in the same sitting.
What story do you recommend?