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First published serially between 1893 and 1894, “The Jungle Book” is Rudyard Kipling’s classic collection of jungle tales in which we first meet Mowgli, a child lost in the jungles of India and raised by a pack of wolves. To survive in the jungle Mowgli most learn from the animals to abide by the laws of the jungle. A cast of interesting creatures surround Mowgli, including Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther, who help the young man to survive, and the tiger Shere Khan, who is envious of Mowgli and wishes his demise. Also contained in “The Jungle Book” are the stories of Kotick, a white seal in search of a new home for his tribe were they will not be hunted, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a mongoose who defends an Indian family against a pair of cobras, along with several other tales of the jungle. One of the most popular collections of short stories for children ever written, “The Jungle Book” was inspired by Kipling’s own experiences as a youth in India, where he would spend many of his formative years. Because of the popularity of “The Jungle Book” Kipling wrote a sequel, “The Second Jungle Book”, in which five more tales of Mowgli and three other jungle tales are related. Interspersed with beautiful poetry relating to the stories, Kipling’s “Jungle Books” are collected together here in this volume. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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“The Return of Sherlock Holmes” is a collection of thirteen detective stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous literary creation, Sherlock Holmes. These tales originally appeared in magazines in 1903 and 1904 and were published together as a collection in 1905. Doyle had stopped writing Sherlock Holmes stories after 1893, when Holmes appeared to have died in “The Final Problem”. However, the public continued to press Doyle for more tales of his most famous character, especially after the publication of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” in 1902, which was set before Holmes’ apparent death. Contained within this collection are some of Doyle’s own personal favorites of all the Holmes’ stories, such as “The Adventure of the Empty House”, which addresses the mystery of how Holmes had escaped death at the hands of the diabolical Professor Moriarty, “The Adventure of the Dancing Men”, the detective’s heart-pounding race to solve a mysterious code and save his client’s life, and “The Adventure of the Priory School”, the strange disappearance of a young heir from school and the mystery of a murdered teacher. This collection is a must-read for all Sherlock Holmes fans. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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“The Man Who Would be King and Other Stories” is a classic collection of some of the most loved short stories of Rudyard Kipling, one of the most important and accomplished English authors of the twentieth century. The youngest winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature at age 42 in 1907, Kipling, who was born in India in 1865, captured in his writing the British Empire in all of its glory and contradiction in unparalleled detail and nuance. Contained here in this volume are some of his most enduring and fascinating short stories, such as the titular “The Man Who Would be King”, a story of two young British adventurers who believe they can talk and intimidate their way into being kings of a small country near Afghanistan. It is a fascinating and brutal tale of greed, imperialism, arrogance, and desperation. Also included is the haunting ghost story “The Phantom ’Rickshaw”, where a young man is driven mad by the ghost of the young lady he once spurned, and the dark and heartbreaking “Baa Baa, Black Sheep”, a story of an unwanted young ward who is driven to desperate acts by his cruel and heartless aunt. Together this collection includes seventeen of Kipling’s best short stories. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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Montague Rhodes James is considered one of the greatest writers of ghost stories of all time. Born in Kent, England in 1862, James was a well-known and respected scholar in his time for his exacting and informative research in medieval studies. He went on to become a Provost at King’s College, Cambridge, and later Eton, in addition to publishing four popular and influential collections of ghost stories between 1904 and 1925. His story-telling modernized the traditional gothic conception of a supernatural tale to the more realistic contemporary settings and characters of the early 20th century. James incorporated his vast knowledge of antiquities to make the details of his ghost stories all the more genuine and frightening and reveled in contrasting quiet bucolic settings with strange and unexplained events. James’s style was widely influential and inspired famous horror writers, such as H. P. Lovecraft and Stephen King. “Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories” contains a collection of some of James’ most famous ghost stories.

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First published in 1922, “Tales of the Jazz Age” is a collection of 11 short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Many of the stories had appeared in magazines such as “Collier’s”, “Vanity Fair”, and the “Saturday Evening Post” before they were included in this collection. Many of the themes that are found in Fitzgerald’s other famous works can be found in these stories as well: the disparity between the wealthy and the poor, bad things happening to good people, strange and unique characters, and love gone bad. Included are such classics as the surprising “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, considered by many to be one of his best short stories. It tells the fascinating story of a child born as an old man and who ages backwards through his life. This story, as well as others in this collection, captures the unique challenges faced by “the Lost Generation” of men and women left traumatized and disillusioned by the First World War and the tragic destruction of so many lives. Fitzgerald’s mastery of the short story and his unequaled ability to capture the excitement and sadness of the early twentieth-century is on full display in “Tales of the Jazz Age.” This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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O. Henry, the pen name of William Sydney Porter, is one of the most famous short story writers of all times whose stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings. O. Henry is so acknowledged as a great short story writer that his pen name is associated with a prestigious American award given to short stories of exceptional merit. Included in this collection of «The Gift of the Magi and Other Short Stories» is the title story which describes the struggles of a poor young married couple as they strive to secretly buy each other Christmas gifts. Also included in this collection are the following stories: «The Cop and the Anthem», «Springtime À La Carte», «The Green Door», «After Twenty Years», «The Furnished Room», «The Pimienta Pancakes», «The Last Leaf», «The Voice of The City», «While The Auto Waits», «A Retrieved Reformation», «A Municipal Report», «A Newspaper Story», «The Ransom of Red Chief», «A Ghost of a Chance», and «Makes the Whole World Kin». This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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Early 20th century English author Gilbert Keith Chesterton may be best remembered for his stories which feature the character of an English priest and detective named Father Brown. While the character was based on a real life priest who was involved in Chesterton’s own conversion of faith, the adventures and mysteries that Father Brown solves are purely fictional. Collected together here are fifteen of Chesterton’s most thrilling Father Brown tales which were first collected in “The Innocence of Father Brown” and “The Wisdom of Father Brown”. What is interesting about Father Brown is that he does not rely on deductive reasoning like other famous detectives, namely Sherlock Holmes. Instead, Father Brown relies on intuition. He puts himself into the mind of the perpetrator and figures out the criminal’s steps along the way. Part of what makes him a great detective is that Father Brown is never shocked by the atrocities that he sees. As a priest, he says that he has already heard about all the awful things people do and think; nothing surprises him anymore. He also refuses to believe in any supernatural explanations and instead focuses on a case’s reasonable explanation. “The Selected Tales of Father Brown” collects together some of Chesterton’s best Father Brown mysteries. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works are staples in the canon of American literature. The author drew upon the early Puritan influences that played a major role in the country’s history and exploited them through mystery, creativity, science, and witchcraft. Hawthorne wrote with a psychological view of his characters and their motivations, allowing him to craft characters, plots, and scenes that truly represent his story’s themes. His use of foreshadowing and symbolism are second to none. Each work is an intricate puzzle that fits together delicately. Though his works are not considered “easy,” Hawthorne’s writing style captures the early American vernacular and phrasing; his pieces are commonly referred to as the perfect specimens of 18th and 19th century American language. The collection “Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories” offers seven tales created by Hawthorne; each is different from the rest, making this anthology a varied and holistic collection for any library. Students who enjoyed Hawthorne’s most famous novel “The Scarlet Letter” will be impressed with tales such as “Young Goodman Brown,” “The Birthmark,” and “The Artist of the Beautiful.” The author’s ability to connect Romanticism, theology, and morality has impressed readers since the 1800s, and audiences today will find the same excitement and beauty that was celebrated by19th century Americans. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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The first short story collection by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Flappers and Philosophers” was originally published in 1920. The eight stories of the collection are set in the era for which the author is best known, the Jazz Age, a term Fitzgerald himself coined. While perhaps best known for his novels, Fitzgerald was a prolific and accomplished short story writer and found the most fame and fortune during his career in writing short stories for magazines, such as the Saturday Evening Post. Included in this collection are some of his most famous and romantic short stories, such as “The Offshore Pirate” and “Head and Shoulders,” which mirror many of the themes in his novels: mismatched lovers, the sacrifice of career goals for love, and bittersweet endings. Fitzgerald’s versatility and range as an author can be seen in the melancholy and tragic examination of a long marriage in “The Cut-Glass Bowl” when compared to the tale of youthful competition and revenge in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair.” These short stories demonstrate why Fitzgerald is considered one of America’s very best authors. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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Born into poverty in San Francisco in 1876, Jack London is one of the most well-known and beloved of all American authors, as well as one of the first Americans to become world famous and wealthy from his literary career. London lived a colorful and adventurous life as a young man, working as a sailor and then living as a hobo, all before starting high school. After dropping out of college at Berkeley, London joined the Klondike Gold Rush, an experience which would form the basis of many of his most famous works. After returning sick and weakened from his time in Alaska, he turned to writing full time. Contained in this volume are many of his most famous and well-loved short stories, including the powerful “To Build a Fire,” a story based on his own experiences as a young and inexperienced man in the harsh Alaskan wilderness. London seized on the new popularity of magazines and short stories and delighted readers with his mastery of language and amazing ability to capture places and dramatic events. This collection showcases many of his best and most thrilling tales and demonstrates why London remains one of America’s best writers. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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