This Companion provides an accessible overview of short fiction by writers from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and other international sites.A collection of international experts examine the development of the short story in a variety of contexts from the early nineteenth century to the present.They consider how dramatic changes in the publishing landscape during this period - such as the rise of the fiction magazine and the emergence of new opportunities in online and electronic publishing - influenced the form, covering subgenres from detective fiction to flash fiction.Drawing on a wealth of critical scholarship to place the short story in the English literary tradition, this volume will be an invaluable guide for students of the short story in English.