Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discard | 2012 | Michael Christie | Buy |
| 2 | The Extra | 2012 | Michael Christie | Buy |
| 3 | Goodbye Porkpie Hat | 2012 | Michael Christie | Buy |
| 4 | An Ideal Companion | 2012 | Michael Christie | Buy |
| 5 | King Me | 2012 | Michael Christie | Buy |
| 6 | The Queen of Cans and Jars | 2012 | Michael Christie | Buy |
| 7 | The Quiet | 2012 | Michael Christie | Buy |
Michael Christie published a cluster of short fiction around 2012, following the success of The Beggar’s Garden. Stories like Discard, The Extra, and Goodbye Porkpie Hat explore different facets of isolation and human need, from the mundane to the surreal. Christie’s prose in these shorter works is precise, often building a complete emotional world within just a few pages.
The seven stories in this collection period demonstrate Christie’s range as a short fiction writer. An Ideal Companion, King Me, The Queen of Cans and Jars, and The Quiet each approach different characters and situations while sharing Christie’s consistent interest in how people reach out to each other across various kinds of distance.