I have a complicated relationship with social media.
I treat it like a prickly colleague I need to check in with now and again and then excuse myself after I’ve spent an hour scrolling when I should have been doing something more important. I’ll abstain for a month or few. Then I’ll return, checking on family and friends. My feed is soon overwhelmed with all kinds of nonsense, including algorithm detours so off track that they resemble the last time I searched for an obscure restaurant without consulting my GPS first.
While I’m working on better curating my social media experience, I have returned to one of my favorite methods of quality escapism.
My friends, if you aren’t putting down the phone and picking up a short story anthology or a novella, may I kindly recommend that you give it a try? As someone who has written short stories included in several anthologies, I am also a reader who has discovered other writers and other genres this way. Giving a short story twenty minutes of my time pays far more dividends than the social media algorithm ever could.
Why not a novel, you ask? I love sinking into a good book, but sometimes that action results in completely ignoring other obligations, which leaves Tomorrow Laura in a real pickle. It’s almost always worth it, but the times I’m talking about here involve those moments when your brain itches to pick up your phone for “just a few minutes.” What I’m suggesting is that you pick up a short story magazine or anthology instead. A companion to your phone, but one offering a better conversation.
Short stories are a wonderful way to dip in and out of a new universe and meet new characters without the three-hundred-page commitment. You may also discover you enjoy a different genre that you’ve avoided reading because, again, time commitment. The sheer abundance of fantastic short form fiction available right now is spectacular. You can throw a rock (please don’t) and hit a dozen collections worth your time.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Substack because it’s the one social media platform I spend time on regularly. Substack’s design encourages longer form discussions (think blog plus newsletter) and many writers have found a happy home posting essays, articles and stories there. But any algorithm driven product is a mixed bag for me, so after a little reading there, it’s back to short form fiction.
I’m not saying that social media isn’t a way to find your next great read—it definitely happens—but we’re now at the enshittification stage of social media (you can read more on that here https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/the-age-of-enshittification ) so I’m working to be more deliberate with my attention because it’s the one thing I can fully control. My goal now to use it as a tool that supports my love of reading and creating rather than mindlessly consuming whatever pops up in my feed (some success, some failure).
I’m currently re-reading Don Winslow’s Broken, a collection of six novellas, because “Crime 101” remains one of my all-time favorite stories. You know when you read something and then think, “Damn, that was something special”? I’m chasing more of that these days.
I also have a new little project launching soon, one that’s dedicated to finding and sharing fantastic short form fiction. I can’t wait to share it with you once it’s ready.
What short story, anthology, novella or collection is a favorite of yours? Please share in the comments!
(A Small Snippet of) Recommendations:
Ellery Queen Magazine:
https://elleryqueenmysterymagazine.com
Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine:
https://alfredhitchcockmysterymagazine.com
Black Cat Weekly Magazine:
Broken by Don Winslow
Best of “The Strand Magazine”: 25 Years of Twists, Turns, and Tales from the Modern Masters of Mystery and Fiction By Andrew Gulli and Lami Gulli
Come Along with Me: Classic Short Stories and an Unfinished Novel (Penguin Classics by Shirley Jackson, Lara Miller (Foreword):
https://tinyurl.com/Shirley-Jackson
The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2025: An Anthology of Premier Short Fiction Edited by Steph Cha and Don Winslow:
Wish Upon a Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by Fairy Tales by Michael Bracken & Stacy Woodson
Story Club with George Saunders:
https://georgesaunders.substack.com
Cold Caller Magazine:
https://coldcallermag.substack.com
Laura Oles is the award-winning author of the Jamie Rush mystery series. Her shorter work has appeared in crime fiction anthologies, consumer magazines and business publications. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Writers’ League of Texas. Before turning to fiction, Laura spent two decades as a photo industry journalist.She loves road trips, bookstores and any outdoor activity that doesn’t involve running. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her family. (https://www.lauraoles.com).
