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.

In this volume our authors show that Modernism was once cutting edge. A way to explore, create, show and share in new ways. Decades may have passed but their words still seem fresh and new and cutting edge. Genius in every name.

01 - The Top 10 - The Modernists - An Introduction

02 - The Dead - Part 1 by James Joyce

03 - The Dead - Part 2 by James Joyce

04 - The Legacy by Virginia Woolf

05 - The Defense of Strikerville by Damon Runyon

06 - Bliss by Katherine Mansfield

07 - The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

08 - Youth - Part 1 by Joseph Conrad

09 - Youth - Part 2 by Joseph Conrad

10 - Rooms by Gertrude Stein

11 - Here We Are by Dorothy Parker

12 - Speed by Sinclair Lewis

13 - Ariel's Triumph by Booth Tarkington