Tag Archives: short fiction

Kafka is not buried here

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

“Frog in Prague” by Stephen Dixon They stand still. “And Kafka?” Howard says. “Kafka is not buried here.” “No? Because I thought—what I mean is the lady at my hotel’s tourist information desk—the Intercontinental over there—and also the one who … Continue reading →

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who gives up a cherished habit?

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

“Hell” by Virgilio Piñera translated by Mark Schaffer   When we are children, hell is nothing more than the devil’s name on our parent’s lips. Later, this notion becomes more complicated, and we toss in our beds through the interminable … Continue reading →

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Short Stories for Flyers

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I have run across some of the magical little short story dispensers over the years, but never one in an airport. For the last year, the Wichita, Kansas Public Library has installed one of their three machines in the Wichita … Continue reading →

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Making Do

Posted on September 7, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“Making Do” by Italo Calvino translated by Tim Parks There was a town where everything was forbidden. Now, since the only thing that wasn’t forbidden was the game tip-cat, the town’s subjects used to assemble on meadows behind the town … Continue reading →

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“A Society of Scoundrels”

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“A Society of Scoundrels” by Franz Kafka Translated by Michael Hofmann There was once a society of scoundrels, or rather not scoundrels per se, just ordinary, average people. They always stuck together. When one of them had perpetrated some rascally … Continue reading →

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Very Short Stories

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I’m hooked on the ultra short sci-fi  stories on Twitter, @smllwrlds is publishing a new tiny illustrated sci-fi story every day of 2023. Try it and you will be hooked too.  

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everything at heaven’s gate is broken up into its component parts

Posted on February 25, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“A Society of Scoundrels” by Franz Kafka Translated by Michael Hofmann There was once a society of scoundrels, or rather not scoundrels per se, just ordinary, average people. They always stuck together. When one of them had perpetrated some rascally … Continue reading →

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monday, monday can’t trust that day

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Clarice Lispector Franz Kafka From the Bodleian Library souvenir shop…  

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Little Books

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

British illustrators Emma Ehrling and Michael Driver created this amusing animation for Penguin Random House to promote the publisher’s imprint Vintage Minis. Cleverly summarizing twenty books in two minutes , the short film covers big subjects, with single word titles … Continue reading →

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