40 Short Stories, part of the highly successful Bedford/St. Martin's portable series of anthologies and guides, continues to offer a balanced mix of classic and contemporary short fiction for a low price. Editorial features -- such as instruction on how to write about fiction and a glossary of literary terms -- are located in the back of the book so the focus can remain on the stories. The stories themselves are arranged chronologically to help students trace the evolution of the short story genre. This book's small size, low price, and versatility make it the perfect anthology for a variety of classes, including introduction to fiction, composition, creative writing, or introduction to literature.