Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. They can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

Kipling in these more modern times is increasingly seen as an apologist for the bad ways of evil empires. It’s a simplistic analysis and avoids much of his literary talent that is entertaining, scary and downright brilliant storytelling whatever the background it is based on or comes from.

01 - Top 10 - Rudyard Kipling - An Introduction

02 - The Man Who Would Be King - Part 1

03 - The Man Who Would Be King - Part 2

04 - They

05 - The Phantom Rickshaw

06 - My Own True Ghost Story

07 - Mark of the Beast

08 - Baa Baa Black Sheep

09 - The Maltese Cat

10 - Mary Postgate

11 - The Gardener

12 -At the End of the Passage