-
-
About
UnderratedReads is devoted to discovering underrated books and under-represented authors. We highlight hidden gems from around the world–honest reviews only, never pay-to-play.
Category Archives: Short stories
Short stories
Dear Second Husband: Stories – Susan Finch
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Set in suburban Nashville, Dear Second Husband is an enjoyable short story collection that explores the emotional lives of ordinary people. In these stories, men and women navigate blended families, strained relationships, infidelity, longing, trouble … Continue reading →
COLLECTED WITH SMILE: A Comedy Anthology for the Slightly Twisted – Rahul Bhandari
(Reviewed by JD Jung) While author Rahul Bhandari sees humor as transformative, this collection of eight short stories provides a well needed escape from the dire events taking place in the United States and throughout the world. In these stories, … Continue reading →
Posted in Indian Literature, Short stories
|
Tagged cults, humor, India, satire, short stories, technology
|
Comments Off on COLLECTED WITH SMILE: A Comedy Anthology for the Slightly Twisted – Rahul Bhandari
Tales from Beyond the Closet – Dalton Primeaux
(Reviewed by JD Jung) These sordid tales of horror are weird. Not in a Trump/Vance creepy way, but in an eclectic, frightening, and entertaining way. The kind of weird I like. There are stories encompassing sci-fi and lots of horror: … Continue reading →
Posted in Dark/Sordid/Bizarre, Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology, Short stories
|
Tagged homophobia, horror, LGBTQ, serial killers
|
Comments Off on Tales from Beyond the Closet – Dalton Primeaux
From Savagery – Alejandra Banca, Katie Brown (Translator)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Being a migrant means feeding yourself on loss, on what could have been, the infinite possible nuances of that history which will forever remain hidden but present.” Seven million Venezuelan’s left their country since the mid-2010s … Continue reading →
Posted in Immigration, Latin American Literature, Short stories, World Issues
|
Tagged Barcelona, class, immigrants, political history, refugees, Venezuela
|
Comments Off on From Savagery – Alejandra Banca, Katie Brown (Translator)
Forest for the Trees & Other Stories – Mathieu Cailler
(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch) I’ll admit that I have never been into short stories – or collections of them, but Mathieu Cailler’s Forest For The Trees, changed my mind. The writing here is fresh and poetic, the stories as … Continue reading →
Posted in Short stories
|
Tagged short stories
|
Comments Off on Forest for the Trees & Other Stories – Mathieu Cailler
Many People Die Like You – Lina Wolff, translated by Saskia Vogel
(reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Those who enjoy eclectic short stories that explore human nature are sure to relish the stories in Many People Die Like You. From bizarre relationships to unexpected power dynamics, this collection of fourteen stories takes … Continue reading →
Posted in Dark/Sordid/Bizarre, Scandinavian Literature, Short stories
|
Tagged relationships, short stories, Spain
|
Comments Off on Many People Die Like You – Lina Wolff, translated by Saskia Vogel
Las Biuty Queens: Stories- Iván Monalisa Ojeda, translated by Hannah Kauders
(reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Upon arriving in New York City from Chile, Iván became Monalisa and worked the streets of New York City. She befriended other Latin American transgender prostitutes, and though they were from different countries of origin, … Continue reading →
Posted in Latin American Literature, Short stories
|
Tagged drug abuse, LGBTQ, prostitution, transgender, violence
|
Comments Off on Las Biuty Queens: Stories- Iván Monalisa Ojeda, translated by Hannah Kauders
The Wishing Pool and Other Stories – Tananarive Due
(Reviewed by JD Jung) You’ll keep looking over your shoulder as you read these eerie stories of horror, with a little science fiction sprinkled in, in The Wishing Pool and Other Stories. The title piece, “The Wishing Pool” features Joy, … Continue reading →
Posted in Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology, Short stories
|
Tagged African-American, aging, horror, race, society
|
Comments Off on The Wishing Pool and Other Stories – Tananarive Due
Fast Fiction: 101 Stories 101 Words Each – Scotty Cornfield
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned How do you get a story about a serial killer from the prompt “Hot pretzels”? To answer that, we’ll have to dig into the mind of Scotty Cornfield whose Fast Fiction: 101 Stories 101 Words … Continue reading →
Posted in Short stories
|
Tagged crime fiction, flash fiction
|
Comments Off on Fast Fiction: 101 Stories 101 Words Each – Scotty Cornfield
The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You: Stories – Maurice Carlos Ruffin
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommisionsEarned “In New Orleans, culture doesn’t come down from on high, it bubbles up from the street.” – Jazz Pianist Ellis Marsalis (1934-2020) This quote that opens the book epitomizes these stories, as we meet New Orleans … Continue reading →
Posted in Short stories
|
Tagged gentrification, New Orleans, poverty, race relations, society
|
Comments Off on The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You: Stories – Maurice Carlos Ruffin