The Best American Short Stories 2025

By: Celeste Ng, Nicole A. Lamy

Narrated by: Almarie Guerra, Jensen Olaya, Eric Yang, Avi Roque, Soneela Nankani, James Fouhey, Lynnette R. Freeman, Lee Osorio

“Short stories can act like little tuning forks, helping us to clarify our own values,” writes guest editor Celeste Ng. “In a time when our values are being tested daily, it’s hard to think of anything more important.” The Best American Short Stories 2025 resonates precisely at this pitch: twenty pieces that upend expectations and test the foundation of our beliefs. From a bereaved medical actress obsessed with a student in her rotation to a mysterious sickness that ignites a lethal running mania in its victims, and from the grounds of a wild animal estate to a celebrity look-alike mother-for-hire, these stories transport readers to the impossible edges of our world and vivify characters who reflect the spectrum of human experience.

THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 2025 INCLUDES: LAUREN ACAMPORA • SARAH BRAUNSTEIN • BRET ANTHONY JOHNSTON • ELIZABETH McCRACKEN • CARRIE R. MOORE • ANDREW PORTER • WILLIAM PEI SHIH • JUSTIN TAYLOR • JESSICA TREADWAY • AND OTHERS

Most of these “best American short stories” were not compelling.

I’ve bought every yearly edition of this collection of ‘best stories’ since it first appeared. This one was a huge disappointment. For many years I’ve found several authors to follow because of powerful fiction published in it. No stories worth keeping here.