Short Story Sunday: Leiningen vs the Ants, Carl Stephenson
Posted by kristipetersenschoonover
Leiningen vs the Ants, Carl Stephenson
My dad loved this adventure about a stubborn plantation owner in the Brazilian wilds facing a horde of killer ants. He read it to me many times, and it always kept me on the edge of my seat even though I knew how it was going to end. Not surprisingly, it’s been a great influence on my work as well (I’m thinking specifically of “Paisley Surprise,” but I’ve always had a fascination for killer animal stories). Fortunately, this story is such a classic it’s free to read online: http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/lvta.html
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Lately I’ve been working on the overwhelming task of thinning out my book collection; it’s something no book lover likes to do, but let’s face it, every once in a while it has to be done, either to clear clutter or make room for more.
It’s no surprise that a good portion of my collection is devoted to short story collections. I’ve read my share of great stories, and I’ve read my share of awful ones—but I’ve also read my share of a few that blew me away to the point at which I’ll never forget them. So instead of doing a typical “Top” list, I decided instead to focus on ones which fall into the last category (please note that in my “about” descriptions I tried to be spoiler-free). Do you have any that have made a lasting impression on you? Leave them in the comments.
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About kristipetersenschoonover
A ghost story writer who still sleeps with the lights on, Kristi Petersen Schoonover’s fiction has appeared in countless magazines and anthologies. She has received three Norman Mailer Writers Colony Residencies, served as a co-editor for Read Short Fiction, has judged both writing and grant competitions and co-hosts the Dark Discussions Podcast. Her work Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole is a collection of ghost stories set in Disney Parks; her novel, Bad Apple, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She’s also a member of the New England Horror Writers Association. More info: www.kristipetersenschoonover.comPosted on March 15, 2015, in Short Stories and tagged adventure short stories, Carl Stephenson, Leiningen Vs. the Ants, Paisley Surprise, stories about killer ants. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
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I fell in love with Flowers for Algernon, kinda ironic 😛
I write about that one in a future edition. Stay tuned!