New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2008

I've been a fan of this collection (New Stories) since 2006, and this continues my favor. The only drawback is the vast amount of typos (three or four within the first story itself). You would think someone would catch them. But the stories were good, and I look forward to next years.

Short fiction is one of my favorite areas, and I find myself reading the three big anthologies every year. This year's New Stories from the South was enjoyable, and well worth the purchase. As with every anthology there are high points (Bret Anthony Johnston's "Republican") and low points (Merrit Tierce's "Suck It"). But the variety and the new ways of approaching life make me continue to be a serious fan. I was particularly happy to see so many stories from an excellent variety of magazines that I would otherwise not have read. Kudos ZZ Packer on your selections.