Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages 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.

The Big Apple is rightly lauded as the place that if you can make it there you make it anywhere. It's good advice for a writer. Many of these literary talents became world-wide behemoths, serving up their experiences and characters to a wide-eyed audience forever in their thrall. Genius has many names.

1 - The Top 10 - Born in New York - An Introduction

2 - The Great Good Place by Henry James

3 - Bartleby the Scrivener - Part 1 by Herman Melville

4 - Bartleby the Scrivener - Part 2 by Herman Melville

5 - The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving

6 - The Fullness of Life by Edith Wharton

7 - The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte

8 - Christmas Eve in War Times by Edward Payson Roe

9 - An Angel in Disguise by T S Arthur

10 - The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

11 - The Mysterious Card by Cleveland Moffet

12 - The Repairer of Reputations - Part 1 by Robert W Chambers

13 - The Repairer of Reputations - Part 2 by Robert W Chambers