An ... anthology suitable for both introduction to fiction and fiction writing courses, [this text] brings you ... short stories from classic to contemporary. To illustrate the evolution of this ... genre, the stories are arranged into four historical eras, with ... introductions to each era. From short story precursors, such as Aesop's fables and fairy tales, to ZZ Packer's twenty-first-century tales of ambiguity and alienation, these stories will guide readers toward [an] understanding of the genre.-Back cover.