This concise, authoritative classic remains essential and compelling for today's readers, providing a complete overview of the essential elements of fiction, along with a diverse selection of important and engaging stories to illustrate them. The section on three featured writers, James Joyce, Flannery O'Connor, and Joyce Carol Oates, includes three stories by each author (at least one of them new for Joyce and O'Connor), as well as essays, some new, by noted critics on their works. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.