This is a book for short story lovers, particularly those interested in the history of the genre in the United States. Inspired by nine classics ranging from Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” to Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” the author has written nine companion tales, each inhabiting the same story-world as the original, and reintroducing many of the same characters, along with new ones. The stories in this collection are neither modernizations nor parodies, but full-scale re-imaginings with aims and dramas of their own, taking place before, after, parallel to, or within gaps in the original texts. Inevitably and by design, the new stories open up themes and deploy lines of sight that broaden their relevance today. Often they benefit from hindsight and research into the times and lives of the original authors. Readers do not need to know the classic texts (brief summaries of them are provided), as the new stories are self-contained and rewarding on their own. However, for teachers and aficionados of the old masterpieces, this collection fosters new interpretations and offers many opportunities for reflection on literary taste and cultural change in America.