An Anthology of contemporary literary short stories is bound to offer variety in quality if nothing else, which is undoubtedly true in Best American Short Stories of 1993. As with so much acclaimed literary writing, the mood of most of the pieces is gloomy, the emphasis is on character and imaginative word usage, and plot and plot movement are secondary or tertiary considerations. Variety in quality and head-scratching inclusions are also guaranteed. That’s certainly the case here.

Some selections, such as John Updike’s Playing With Dynamite, reflect a reverence for Updike and a bias for the New Yorker. This gloomy, meandering mess in search of a story could easily be included in an anthology of the worst stories of the year. I’m unsure what Alice Munro’s “A Real Life” is about. The Girl on the Plane by Mary Gaitskill tells a sad story of two troubled people trapped side-by-side on an airplane. Both seem more like literary concoctions rather than genuine people. The story could have been told more clearly without all the shifts in time and point of view.

On the other hand, “Silent Passengers” by Larry Woiwode presents a gripping story with a sense of impending doom hanging over it, then throws readers a curve ball and ends on an uplifting note. His rapid shifts, often mid-paragraph, between events occurring in the present and past are skillfully done. Readers need to be alert to stay in sync with the story. Allowing your attention to stray will lead to confusion, but the shifts are accessible to the attentive reader.

In the annual “Best Books” universe, I would rate this collection as mediocre. ( )

i'm not a fan of erdrich's work but i loved her taste in short stories. ( )

bought this for Harlan Ellison's award-winning "The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore"