100+ Short Stories for Free! [PDF]

Looking for short stories in PDF? We've gathered over 100 free short stories in PDF, with collections spanning mystery, horror, romance, humor, classic fiction, and fairy tales.

These collections include works by Edgar Allan Poe, Anton Chekhov, Mark Twain, H.P. Lovecraft, and Oscar Wilde. Short stories are one of the oldest forms of fiction, and these are some of the best ever written.

Browse our top picks or explore by genre below. Every story collection is free to read online or download as PDF.

Download our top 20 short stories

Our 20 most recommended short stories in a single ZIP file.

Email and name only · We never send spam

Featured

Top 10 Short Story Books

These are 10 handpicked short story collections in PDF. Each one is free to download and ready to read on any device. You'll find gothic tales from Poe and Lovecraft, sharp wit from O. Henry and Twain, and timeless stories from Chekhov and Maupassant. Pick any book and start reading.

#1
Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales and Poems

Over 100 stories and poems including The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Raven. The definitive collection of Poe's dark, atmospheric fiction.

Edgar Allan Poe

Format: PDF 921 pages 4.02 MB

Read Download
Verified PDF · Secure download
#2
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The original 12 Sherlock Holmes short stories including A Scandal in Bohemia, The Red-Headed League, and The Speckled Band. The gold standard of detective fiction.

Arthur Conan Doyle

Format: PDF 162 pages 0.76 MB

Read Download
Verified PDF · Secure download
#3
Love and Other Stories

A collection of Chekhov's stories translated by Constance Garnett, including Love, Lights, The Doctor, and The Cossack. Masterful explorations of everyday Russian life.

Anton Chekhov

Format: PDF 151 pages 0.72 MB

Read Download
Verified PDF · Secure download
#4
H.P. Lovecraft's Complete Fiction

All of Lovecraft's solo fiction from The Tomb (1917) to The Haunter of the Dark (1935). Includes The Call of Cthulhu, The Colour Out of Space, and The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

H.P. Lovecraft

Format: PDF 708 pages 7.7 MB

Read Download
Verified PDF · Secure download
#5
Maupassant Original Short Stories (Complete)

The complete short stories of Guy de Maupassant. Over 300 tales of 19th-century French life including Boule de Suif, The Necklace, and dozens more. A masterclass in concise storytelling.

Guy de Maupassant

Format: PDF 1171 pages 4.4 MB

Read Download
Verified PDF · Secure download
#6
The Four Million

25 stories of New York City life including The Gift of the Magi, The Cop and the Anthem, The Furnished Room, and After Twenty Years. Famous for their wit and surprise endings.

O. Henry

Format: PDF 105 pages 0.6 MB

Read Download
Verified PDF · Secure download
#7
Twice-Told Tales

Hawthorne's iconic story collection featuring The Gray Champion, The Minister's Black Veil, Dr. Heidegger's Experiment, and Wakefield. Foundational works of American gothic and romantic fiction.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Format: PDF 210 pages 0.57 MB

Read Download
Verified PDF · Secure download
#8
The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories

30 stories including The $30,000 Bequest, A Dog's Tale, Eve's Diary, and The Californian's Tale. Twain's signature humor and sharp social commentary at their best.

Mark Twain

Format: PDF 168 pages 1.56 MB

Read Download
Verified PDF · Secure download
#9
The Son of the Wolf

Nine tales of the Klondike Gold Rush including The White Silence, In a Far Country, and An Odyssey of the North. London's first book and a vivid portrait of survival in the frozen wilderness.

Jack London

Format: PDF 116 pages 0.28 MB

Read Download
Verified PDF · Secure download
#10
The Happy Prince and Other Tales

Five beloved fairy tales including The Happy Prince, The Nightingale and the Rose, and The Selfish Giant. Elegant prose that blends beauty with moral depth.

Oscar Wilde

Format: PDF 56 pages 1.03 MB

Read Download
Verified PDF · Secure download