Since its inception in 1915, theBest American Serieshas become the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction. For each volume, a series editor reads pieces from hundreds of periodicals, and then selects between fifty and a hundred outstanding works. That selection is pared down to the twenty or so very best pieces by a guest editor who is widely recognized as a leading writer in his or her field. This unique system has helped make the Best American series the most respected — and most popular — of its kind.In his introduction to this year's collection,James Ellroyexplores the differences between the novel and the short story. Included here are experts in both forms. Featuring renowned novelists likeStuart Kaminsky, Michael Connelly, Joe Gores, andRobert B. Parker, as well as veterans of this series likeBrendan DuBois, Michael Downs, Joyce Carol Oates, andClark Howard,this edition will delight readers with its wide variety and peerless quality.