| Editor | Shannon Ravenel and Theodore Solotaroff |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | The Best American Short Stories |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| ISBN | 978-0395271049 |
| Preceded by | The Best American Short Stories 1977 |
| Followed by | The Best American Short Stories 1979 |
The Best American Short Stories 1978, a volume in The Best American Short Stories series, was edited by Shannon Ravenel and by guest editor Theodore Solotaroff. The volume was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. [1] [2] [3]
The series is considered one of the "best-known annual anthologies of short fiction" [4] and has anthologized more than 2,000 short stories, including works by some of the most famous writers in contemporary American literature, curated by well-known guest editors since 1915. [5] Specifically, Amy Hempel considered it and the O. Henry Award's prize anthology to compile "the best short fiction published in American and Canadian magazines during the preceding year." [6]
In particular, the Willa Cather Review wrote that The Best American Short Stories series "became a repository of values" for creative writing programs and literary magazines, specifically with considerable "influence" in college libraries, short fiction courses, and fiction workshops. [7]