在世界文學裡，美國的短篇小說尤其出色，對現代文學造成深遠的影響。短篇小說內容比較簡潔，故事線單純，人物角色較少，通常以單一的故事貫穿全篇故事，劇情和節奏比較緊湊。故無論在文學閱讀或是英語學習上，短篇小說都是極佳讀物。

短篇小說早在十九世紀初即臻致成熟，在美國文壇上，尤以華盛頓．歐文、霍桑和愛倫．坡等為最重要的短篇小說作家。本書即精選了包括前述三人等最具代表性的12篇美國短篇小說作品，依作者年代排序，帶領讀者一窺美國經典短篇小說的文學堂奧。另外，為了方便現代讀者閱讀，略將較長的段落加以細分。行文間另搭配有名家的彩色插畫，值得典藏。

A short story is a brief work of literature, emerging in the 17th century. Reading short stories is an efficient way to improve your English. This book contains 12 great American short stories. Let's enjoy these everlasting masterpieces.

1. Rip Van Winkle (by Washington Irving, 1783-1859)
2. The Birthmark (by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1804-1864)
3. The Cask of Amontillado (by Edgar Allan Poe, 1809-1849)
4. The Lightning-Rod Man (by Herman Melville, 1819-1891)
5. The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (by Mark Twain, 1835-1910)
6. Roman Fever (by Edith Wharton, 1862-1937)
7. A Service of Love (by O. Henry, 1862-1910)
8. The Men in the Storm (by Stephen Crane, 1871-1900)
9. Love of Life (by Jack London, 1876-1916)
10. Eeldrop and Appleplex (by T S Eliot, 1888-1965)
11. Babylon Revisited (by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1896-1940)
12. The Killers (by Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961)