The O. Henry Prize Stories 2014 gathers twenty of the best short stories of the year, selected from thousands published in literary magazines. The winning stories roam the world, from Nigeria to Venice, from an erupting volcano in Iceland to a brothel in the old Wild West. They feature a dazzling array of characters: a young American falling in love in Japan, a girl raised by snake-handling fundamentalists, an old man mourning his late wife, and a fierce guard dog with a talent for escape. Accompanying the stories are the editor’s introduction, essays from the eminent jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winning writers on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines.Mark Haddon, “The Gun,” GrantaStephen Dixon, “Talk,” The American ReaderTessa Hadley, “Valentine,” The New YorkerOlivia Clare, “Pétur,” EcotoneDavid Bradley, “You Remember The Pin Mill,” Narrative Kirstin Valdez Quade, “Nemecia,” Narrativemagazine.comDylan Landis, “Trust,” Tin HouseAllison Alsup, “Old Houses,” New Orleans ReviewHalina Duraj, “Fatherland,” Harvard ReviewChanelle Benz, “West of the Known,” The American Reader  William Trevor, “The Women,” The New YorkerColleen Morrissey, “Good Faith,” The Cincinnati ReviewRobert Anthony Siegel, “The Right Imaginary Person,” Tin HouseLouise Erdrich, “Nero,” The New Yorker Rebecca Hirsch Garcia, “A Golden Light,” Threepenny ReviewChinelo Okparanta, “Fairness,” SubtropicsKristen Iskandrian, “The Inheritors,” Tin House Michael Parker, “Deep Eddy,” Southwest ReviewMaura Stanton, “Oh Shenandoah,” New England ReviewLaura van den Berg, “Opa-Locka,” The Southern Review The Jurors on Their Favorites: Tash Aw, James Lasdun, Joan SilberThe Writers on Their WorkPublications Submitted Read Less