Stories by Theme

Read collections of public-domain short stories gathered by theme, so you can see how ten different writers handled the same subject and borrow the move that fits your own story.

Stories by Theme

Short Stories About Love: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about love, from The Gift of the Magi to The Lady with the Dog, summarised and compared, with the craft moves a writer can borrow.
Short Stories About Loneliness: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about loneliness, from Miss Brill and Misery to Bartleby and The Overcoat, summarised with the craft each one teaches about writing solitude.
Short Stories About Death: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about death, from The Death of Ivan Ilyich to The Story of an Hour and The Fly, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Friendship: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about friendship, from Two Friends and The Last Leaf to After Twenty Years and Kabuliwala, summarised with the craft each one shows a writer.
Short Stories About Family: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about family, from The Metamorphosis and The Judgment to The Revolt of Mother and Bade Bhai Sahab, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Childhood: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about childhood, from The Lumber Room and Idgah to The Doll's House and Chickamauga, summarised and compared, with the craft each teaches.
Short Stories About War: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about war, from The Sniper and War by Pirandello to Owl Creek Bridge and Boule de Suif, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Money: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about money, from The Necklace and The Million Pound Bank Note to The Lottery Ticket and One Thousand Dollars, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Greed: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about greed, from How Much Land Does a Man Need and The Monkey's Paw to The Bottle Imp and The Queen of Spades, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Pride: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about pride, from The Necklace and The Emperor's New Clothes to Mr Know-All and The Cask of Amontillado, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Revenge: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about revenge, from The Cask of Amontillado and A Vendetta to Sredni Vashtar and The Shot, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Guilt: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about guilt, from The Tell-Tale Heart and Markheim to God Sees the Truth, But Waits and An Honest Thief, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Fear: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about fear, from The Monkey's Paw and The Red Room to The Willows and The Most Dangerous Game, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Ghosts: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic ghost stories, from The Signal-Man and The Canterville Ghost to Afterward and The Judge's House, summarised and compared, with the craft each teaches a writer.
Short Stories About Marriage: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about marriage, from The Story of an Hour and Desiree's Baby to Roman Fever and Bliss, summarised and compared, with the craft each one teaches.
Short Stories About Betrayal: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about betrayal, from The Cask of Amontillado and Boule de Suif to The Lagoon and In a Grove, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Kindness: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about kindness, from The Happy Prince and Where Love Is, God Is to A Cup of Tea and The Rattrap, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Poverty: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about poverty, from The Little Match Girl and The Overcoat to The Shroud, Deliverance and A Piece of Steak, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Ambition: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about ambition, from Paul's Case and The Queen of Spades to The Man Who Would Be King and A Hunger Artist, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Freedom: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about freedom, from The Story of an Hour and The Yellow Wallpaper to Eveline, Mumu and The Door in the Wall, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Nature: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about nature, from To Build a Fire and The Open Boat to A White Heron and The Willows, summarised and compared, with the craft each teaches a writer.
Short Stories About Animals: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about animals, from Kashtanka and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi to Tobermory and A Dark Brown Dog, summarised and compared, with the craft each teaches a writer.
Short Stories About Winter: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories set in winter, from To Build a Fire and The Snow Queen to Master and Man and The Dead, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Christmas: 9 Classics Explained: Nine classic Christmas short stories, from The Gift of the Magi and Vanka to The Rattrap and The Blue Carbuncle, summarised and compared, with what each teaches a writer.
Short Stories About the Sea: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about the sea, from The Open Boat and The Little Mermaid to A Descent into the Maelstrom and The Secret Sharer, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Cities: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about city life, from The Overcoat and Bartleby to The Furnished Room and Araby, summarised and compared, with the craft each teaches a writer.
Short Stories About Small Towns: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about small towns and villages, from Hadleyburg and The Sculptor's Funeral to The Three Strangers and The Holy Panchayat, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Old Age: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about old age, from The Law of Life and Misery to Miss Brill, A Simple Heart and Rip Van Winkle, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Growing Up: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic coming-of-age short stories, from Araby and Her First Ball to Bernice Bobs Her Hair and Paul's Case, summarised and compared, with the craft each teaches a writer.
Short Stories About Fathers: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about fathers, from The Judgment and The Egg to Simon's Papa, The Stationmaster and Kabuliwala, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Mothers: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about mothers, from The Revolt of Mother and The Rocking-Horse Winner to The Home-coming and The Price of Milk, summarised and compared for readers.
Short Stories About Brothers and Sisters: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about brothers and sisters, from The Metamorphosis and Bade Bhai Sahab to The Sniper and The Fall of the House of Usher, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Strangers: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about strangers, from The Open Window and Dusk to The Three Strangers and Hearts and Hands, summarised and compared for readers and writers.
Short Stories About Secrets: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about secrets, from The Purloined Letter and A Scandal in Bohemia to Roman Fever and The Minister's Black Veil, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Justice: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about justice, from A Jury of Her Peers and God Sees the Truth, But Waits to Before the Law and In a Grove, summarised and compared for readers.
Short Stories About Faith: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about faith and doubt, from The Student and Where Love Is, God Is to Young Goodman Brown and The Spider's Thread, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Madness: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about madness, from The Yellow Wallpaper and The Tell-Tale Heart to Ward No. 6, The Horla and Gogol's Diary of a Madman, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Art and Artists: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about art and artists, from The Last Leaf and The Oval Portrait to A Hunger Artist, Quality and The Sculptor's Funeral, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Teachers and Students: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about teachers and students, from The Last Lesson and Bade Bhai Sahab to The Schartz-Metterklume Method and Paul's Case, summarised and compared.
Short Stories About Journeys: 10 Classics Explained: Ten classic short stories about journeys, from Master and Man and The Outcasts of Poker Flat to Boule de Suif, Love of Life and The Snow Queen, summarised and compared.

By the Writory editorial team, reviewed by working writers. Updated September 2026.

Writory also runs the Writory Short Story Contest: original stories of 100 to 3,000 words, any genre, any language, judged blind against a published five-part rubric. Every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100, the top story takes $100, entries close 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST and results arrive on 30 November 2026. Enter the short story contest and have your own story read and scored.