The Facts on File Companion to the American Short Story, 2nd Edition (Companion to Literature Series)

"The Companion to Literature" series focuses on drama, short stories, novels, and poetry as they are studied in high school and college curricula. Beginning with an introduction discussing the genre and its significance, each A-to-encyclopedia contains hundreds of clearly written entries on authors, literary works and terms, themes, historical places, and more.

Engaging and jargon-free, with contributions from a team of scholars, The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition is the only reference to analyze the genre as a whole. This updated edition to the award-winning original adds hundreds of new entries and more than 100,000 words, providing explanations of major critical controversies and ways to broaden the reader's interpretation of a short story. Entries new to this edition cover younger writers (such as David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, and Junot Díaz) and many short stories, from the canonical ("The Killers" by Ernest Hemingway and "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury) to the cutting-edge ("Sea Oak" by George Saunders).

Now available in two volumes, this accessible encyclopedia features an informative introduction that surveys the history of the short story in the United States, interprets the current literary landscape, and points to new and future trends. A bibliography, list of prize-winners, thematic index, and cross-references complete this invaluable guide.

• Author biographies and bibliographies
• Synopses and analyses of major stories
• Literary terms, themes, and motifs
• and more.