“Each moment and everywhere, civilizations rise and fall, much as the stars are born and die.”
There’s something about reading a sad story that lasts with you much longer than one with a happy ending. But, whilst it might seem strange on the outside to go out of your way to find something that’s going to make you upset, there are a myriad of real-life psychological and emotional benefits to reading sad stories. Whether it be grief, heartbreak, resentment, melancholy or a mixture of them all, fiction allows us to project the emotions we feel in our real lives in a controlled way. But, you can sometimes have too much of a good thing. Maybe you just want a snappy short read you can read in one sitting before bed or through one lazy Sunday. From the poignant to the thought-provoking, join us today at What We Reading as we run you through some of our favourite sad short stories!
Incarnations Of Burned Children – David Foster Wallace
First up on our list of sad short stories is Incarnations of Burned Children by David Foster Wallace. First featured in Esquire Magazine and later included in his Oblivion: Stories, the narrative is clinically told and begins with a small child being burned by boiling water. The ‘Daddy’ and ‘Mommy’ frantically rush to help. Their efforts to soothe and treat their child are emphasised while the true extent of his suffering becomes gradually apparent.
Wallace’s writing style is what makes this such a harrowing and sad read, with his use of long complex sentences and parenthetical asides creating an uncomfortable feeling of chaos and panic for the reader. It is a powerful and disturbing portrait of pain, our responses to it and the different forms it can take.
The Knowers – Helen Phillips
The Knowers is a speculative short story that explores morality, knowledge and the human desire for certainty. Author Helen Phillips introduces a world where a service called ‘the Notice’ allows people to find out the exact date of their death.
Ellie, the narrator of the story, is someone who wants to know when she will die. Her husband, Tem, is the opposite. She goes to the Notice, and learns her death date, but only tells her husband the date but not the year. Every year, they plan something for that day and every year they do their utmost to be grateful for what they have. Extisetnail, philosophical and poignant, it is one of the best speculative sad short stories.
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The Little Widow From The Capital – Yohanca Delgado
One of the best poignant sad short stories, Yohanca Delgado’s The Little Widow from the Capital follows a widow as she moves from the capital to a smaller town following the passing of her husband. Readers see her daily life, and her interactions with the local community and hear her inner thoughts. Through these, readers gain a window into her past life in the capital, her marriage, and the profound sense of loss she feels.
As the widow continues to navigate her new life, she ponders on the nature of memory and the passage of time. She reflects on the sorrowful and joyful moments from her relationship and the lingering presence her husband continues to occupy in her head. Delgado’s work makes for one of the most powerful short stories that demonstrates the tension between holding onto the past, moving forward and finding purpose in the aftermath of loss.
The Story Of An Hour – Kate Chopin
Louise Mallard is a woman with heart trouble who is told by her sister, Josephine, that her husband, Brently, has died in a railroad accident. At first, Louise is naturally grief-stricken. She locks herself in her room, slumps in an armchair and looks out the window. Gradually, however, her feelings begin to change. She soon begins to feel a sense of relief, realising that she is free from the confines of her nineteenth-century marriage and able to forge a life for herself.
But, just as Louise is about to embrace being able to make her own decisions, Brently Mallard walks through the front door, alive and well. One of the most sudden shocking short stories, Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour is an exploration of the oppressive nature of marriages from the era, as well as the conflict that can arise from personal liberation.
You, Disappearing – Alexandra Kleeman
Set against a backdrop of a world where objects and people mysteriously start to disappear, Alexandra Kleeman’s You, Disappearing follows a woman whose partner is slowly fading away. Instead of chaos or panic, however, there is a surrealness and resigned approach to this new reality, which manages to make this short story even sadder.
The woman grapples with the slow, inevitable, loss of her partner as they become less and less substantial as time passes. She reflects on their time together, the memories and moments they have created and the nature of existence as it continues to slip away. Gradually, her efforts become more desperate, serving as a metaphor for just how fragile the connections we make in life can be.
I Can Speak – George Saunders
A sad short story with more of a satirical and social critique angle, George Saunders’ I Can Speak is structured as a promotional letter from a company named KidLuv, Inc. The company are advertising a product called ‘I Can Speak!’, a mechanical voice box designed to be given to babies and toddlers. This device allows children to speak fluently, articulately far better than they would be able to normally.
The letter’s overly cheerful and persuasive tone highlights the benefits of the product for skipping through the fears and frustrations of not being able to work out what a baby wants or needs. However, as the letter goes on, it subtly hints at the absurdity and concerns raised about the product.
The Red Convertible – Louise Erdrich
Lyman Lamartine and his brother Henry are two close brothers who copple together the money they have saved and purchase a red convertible. The car becomes a symbol of their newfound freedom and connection, and they embark on a road trip together. Their lives are suddenly upended when Henry is drafted into the Vietnam War. He returns a deeply changed man, suffering from PTSD and retreating from the once carefree, happy individual Lyman once knew.
Desperate to repair his relationship with his brother, Lyman damages their red convertible, hoping that fixing it together might mend Henry’s spirits. And, as they set to work on fixing up their car, it appears that Henry may be recovering. With the convertible restored, the two brothers set off on another road trip, hoping to capture the feel of adventure and freedom again.
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Paper Menagerie – Ken Liu
Paper Menagerie is an award-winning sad short story by Ken Liu. Jack’s mother, Ma, is a Chinese immigrant who possesses a special ability to animate origami animals. It’s an ability that involves her breathing into them, but the technique is something only she knows. She creates a menagerie of these paper animals for Jack, who quickly become his most cherished companions and a symbol of their tight-knit bond.
As Jack grows older, he becomes increasingly embarrassed by his mother’s Chinese heritage and her traditional ways. In the face of racism and a struggle to assimilate, he rejects his background entirely and distances himself from his mother. But, when Ma is hospitalised after falling ill, he discovers a letter from her to him and finds the last paper animal she made for him.
Cat Person – Kristen Roupenian
A sad short story that first appeared in The New Yorker back in 2017, Kristen Roupenian’s Cat Person follows college student Margot who meets a man named Robert whilst working at a movie theatre. The two begin texting and soon go on a date together. Whilst she initially finds him intriguing, Margot begins to feel increasingly uneasy about Robert. Despite her growing reservations, she nevertheless continues to see him.
The story is told mainly through text messages and encounters that escalate physically. Margot finds herself going along with things that she isn’t entirely comfortable with to keep Robert’s interest. Power dynamics, consent and the blurred lines of attraction are all explored powerfully in this poignant tale.
The Great Silence – Ted Chiang
Ted Chiang’s The Great Silence is set in a future where humans have made contact with numerous extraterrestrial species, but are yet to receive any responses from them. The protagonist of the tale is a parrot named Teff, who lives with a scientist named Peter. In this world, animals have been hoisted to human-level intelligence thanks to technological advances.
Teff has been chosen as one of the animals in a project designed to decipher the language of these extraterrestrial species. Following Teff, readers learn about his thoughts and observations, reflecting on his intelligence, language, communication and understanding. Poignant and thought-provoking, this sci-fi short story ponders on the vastness of the universe and the loneliness that arises from possibly being the only ones present in the cosmos.
The Travel Guide To The Dimension Of Lost Things – Effie Seiberg
Another one of the best whimsical sad short stories comes from Effie Seiberg in The Travel Guide to the Dimension of Lost Things. Delivered in the structure of a travel guide, offering practical advice and descriptions for first-time visitors, the story introduces readers to a fantastical dimension where everything that has ever been lost in the world winds up.
The guide begins by introducing readers to the dimension and how someone might end up there. Landmarks and regions such as the Fields of Lost Socks and Forest of Misplaced Keys are explored, inhabitants of the world such as creatures made up of lost items are introduced and tips on how to navigate the tricky terrain, interact with the locals and avoid pitfalls such as getting stuck in the Quagmire of Lost Thoughts are all covered in detail in this poignant and charmingly creative short story.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
