The Soho Press Book of 80s Short Fiction

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In this anthology, editor Dale Peck presents a fresh perspective on a pivotal era in American history marked by Ronald Reagan's presidency and the waning of the Cold War. The collection features 34 works that reflect a time grappling with newly politicized identities and the anxieties wrought by the AIDS epidemic. While often viewed as a decade of aesthetic and financial excess, these stories challenge that notion, showcasing a more nuanced literary landscape. The anthology includes early works from established authors such as Denis Johnson, Jamaica Kincaid, Mary Gaitskill, and Raymond Carver—pieces that have become integral to the American canon—alongside bold, transgressive contributions from underground writers like Dennis Cooper, Eileen Myles, Lynne Tillman, and Gary Indiana. Additionally, it highlights poignant stories by Gil Cuadros, Essex Hemphill, and Sam D'Allesandro, whose promising careers were cut short by AIDS. Notably, nearly a third of the stories are out of print and unavailable elsewhere, making this collection a vital reexamination of a decade that remains crucial to contemporary culture.