6 YA Short Story Collections and Anthologies We Love

Pretty Monsters: Stories, by Kelly Link
In her first foray into the wide and welcoming world of YA, Kelly Link gifts us ten fantastical short stories with her signature quirk and fairytale style, reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s. Link blends elements of horror, science fiction, and fantasy to create short stories that read like you’re taking a surreal walk through someone’s dream. Whether the story is about the undead or magic or aliens, prepare to treat yourself to beautiful prose that turns the most mundane details into a magical treat.

Yellowcake, by Margo Lanagan
In this collection of 10 stories (some of which were previously published in other anthologies), Lanagan curates ten completely different, yet equally compelling, worlds. The stories range from fantasy to horror to fairy-tale retellings, but they’re all tied together through Lanagan’s imaginative prose and off-kilter ideas. She masterfully reworks “The Soldier and the Tin Book” and “Rapunzel” to bring something both new and haunting to the classic tales. But reader beware: while Lanagan explores broad moral lessons, she also delves deep into human psychology, often in a brutal way that may leave you feeling disturbed.

The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories, by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff
This collection from three acclaimed paranormal YA authors includes 30 short stories that feature everything from wizards to zombies to vampires. But this collection is closer to writing performance art than mere short fiction: its contents first appeared on the authors’ online fiction collaboration, www.merryfates.com, created to give them a place to experiment with their writing. Each piece is prefaced with its author’s explanation for what drew her to the story, and throughout the piece all three offer commentary on the story, including critiques and pictures. It’s a rare and wonderful peek into the solitary art of creation.

Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron, edited by Jonathan Strahan
Jonathan Strahan has pulled together some of the biggest authors in the YA fantasy genre for this anthology focusing on all things witchy. With its 18 stories, this anthology has a little bit of everything and should please even the pickiest of witch snobs. You’ll find fairytale witches, hippie witches, male witches, shapeshifters, and everything in between in these tales of self-discovery and transformation. The anthology includes stories from Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Diana Peterfreund, Peter S. Beagle, Garth Nix, and more.

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, edited by Stephanie Perkins
Stephanie Perkins is the queen of super-swoony romances (see: Anna and the French Kiss), and she’s used her expertise to compile 12 romances guaranteed to make even the coldest heart melt. Bestselling YA authors including Holly Black, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Rainbow Rowell, and Laini Taylor contributed to this holiday volume, demonstrating the sheer breadth of voices and styles YA has to offer. Join different characters as they celebrate the gamut of winter holidays, including New Year’s Eve, Christmas, Winter Solstice, and Hanukkah. Bonus: a follow-up with 12 romantic tales set in the summer, called Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, is slated for publication in summer 2016.

Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday, edited by Megan McCafferty
In another anthology of YA heavy-hitters, Megan McCafferty brings together 16 stories exploring what it means to be 16, sweet or otherwise. Full of angst, love, and heartbreak, these stories touch on everything from losing your virginity to finding religion to falling in love with your best friend. While the stories range from historical to contemporary, the sixteenth year is used as a connecting theme.  Contributing authors include Sarah Dessen, M. T. Anderson, Jacqueline Woodson, Cat Bauer, Tanuja Desai Hidier, David Levithan, Sarah Mlynowski, and Sonya Sones.