The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Short Story, established in 1951, is an annual American literary award, presented alongside other Edgar Awards.
The award is presented to stories between 1,000 and 22,000 words that have been published in a magazine, periodical, e-zine, or book-length anthology. Stories shorter than 1,000 words (i.e., mini- or flash fiction) or longer than 22,000 words are ineligible. Although the Edgar Awards do not have a flash fiction category, works considered too long for the Short Story Award may be eligible for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel, or Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original.
The Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Short Story winners are listed below.
Winners
1950s +1950s Best Short Story winnersYearAuthorStoryResult1951"Diagnosis: Homicide"Winner1952"Fancies and Goodnights"Winner1953"Something to Hide"Winner1954"Someone Like You"Winner1955""Winner1956"Dream No More"Winner1957""Winner1958""Winner1959"Over There, Darkness"Winner
1960s +1960s Best Short Story winnersYearAuthorStoryResult1960""Winner1961"Tiger"Winner1962"Affair at Lahore Cantonment"Winner1963""Winner1964"Man Gehorcht"Winner1965"H as in Homicide"Winner1966""Winner1967""Winner1968""Winner1969""Winner
1970s +1970s Best Short Story winnersYearAuthorStoryResult1970"Goodbye, Pops"Winner1971"In The Forests of Riga the Beasts Are Very Wild Indeed"Winner1972"Moonlight Gardener"Winner1973""Winner1974""Winner1975""Winner1976""Winner1977"Like a Terrible Scream"Winner1978"Chance After Chance"Winner1979""Winner
1980s +1980s Best Short Story winnersYearAuthorStoryResult1980"Armed and Dangerous"Winner1981"Horn Man"Winner1982""Winner1983"There Are No Snakes in Ireland"Winner1984""Winner1985"By Dawn's Early Light"Winner1986"Ride the Lightning"Winner1987"Rain in Pinton County"Winner1988"Soft Monkey"Winner1989"Flicks"Winner
1990s +1990s Best Short Story winners and shortlistsYearAuthorStoryPublicationResult1990"Too Many Crooks"Playboy, 1989Winner"Ted Bundy's Father" Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, November 1989ShortlistAlfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, December 1989Shortlist"Afraid All the Time" Sisters in CrimeShortlist"For Loyal Service" Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, August 1989Shortlist1991"Elvis Lives"Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, September 1990Winner"Answers to Soldiers" Playboy, 1990Shortlist"Prisoners" New CrimesShortlistSisters in Crime 2Shortlist"Challenge the Widow-Maker" Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, August 1990Shortlist1992"Nine Sons"Sisters in Crime 4Winner"Sleeper" Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, May 1991ShortlistPlayboy, October 1991Shortlist"Spasmo" Shortlist"Dreaming in Black and White" Psycho-PathsShortlist1993"Mary, Mary, Shut the Door"Deadly AlliesWinner"Candles in the Rain" Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, November 1992Shortlist"Howler" Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, October 1992Shortlist"Louise" Deadly AlliesShortlist"One Hit Wonder" Sisters in Crime 5Shortlist1994"Keller's Therapy"Playboy, May 1993WinnerEllery Queen's Mystery Magazine, December 1993Shortlist"Mefisto in Onyx" Omni, October 1993Shortlist"McIntyre's Donald" Bohannon's CountryShortlist"Enduring as Dust" Danger in DCShortlist1995""Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, March 1994WinnerEllery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July 1994ShortlistEllery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July 1994ShortlistEllery Queen's Mystery Magazine, May 1994ShortlistJustice in ManhattanShortlist1996""Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, August 1995Winner"Rule of Law" Malice Domestic 4Shortlist"Death in a Small Town" New Mystery, Spring 1995Shortlist"When Your Breath Freezes" Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, September 1995ShortlistEllery Queen's Mystery Magazine, September 1995Shortlist1997"Red Clay"Murder for LoveWinnerPlayboy, November 1996Shortlist"My Murder" Unusual SuspectsShortlist"Kiss The Sky" Unusual SuspectsShortlist"Hoops"Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, January 1996Shortlist1998"Keller on the Spot"Playboy, November 1997Winner"Ways to Kill a Cat" Malice Domestic 6ShortlistEllery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March 1997Shortlist"Find Miriam" New Mystery, Summer 1997ShortlistFunny BonesShortlist1999"Poachers"Texas Review, Fall-Winter 1998Winner"Looking for David" Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, February 1998ShortlistEllery Queen's Mystery Magazine, February 1998Shortlist"For Jeff" Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, February 1998Shortlist"Sacrifice" Murderous Intent Mystery Magazine, Summer/Fall 1998Shortlist
2000s +2000s Best Short Story winners and shortlistsYearAuthorStoryPublicationResult2000"Heroes"Murder and ObsessionWinner"Triangle" Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Crack"Murder and ObsessionShortlist"Snow"First CasesShortlist"Paleta Man"Irreconcilable DifferencesShortlist2001"Missing in Action"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineWinner"Delta Double-Deal" Shortlist"Twelve Little Buggers" Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlistEllery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Spinning" Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist2002"Double-Crossing Delancey"Mystery StreetWinnerAlfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlistFedora: Private Eyes & Tough GuysShortlist"If the Glove Fits" Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Virgo in Sapphires" Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist2003"Mexican Gatsby"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineWinnerEllery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist"To Live and Die in Midland, Texas"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Rumpole and the Primrose Path" Shortlist"Angel of Wrath"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist2004""Blood On Their HandsWinner"Bet on Red" High StakesShortlist"Black Heart & Cabin Girl" Blood On Their HandsShortlist"Aces and Eights" Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Cowboy Grace"Shortlist2005"Something About a Scar"Anything You Say Can and Will Be Used Against YouWinnerEllery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlistBrooklyn NoirShortlist"Adventure of the Missing Detective"Sherlock Holmes: The Hidden YearsShortlist"Imitate the Sun" byEllery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist2006""Greatest HitsWinner"Born Bad"Dangerous WomenShortlist"Her Lord and Master"Dangerous WomenShortlist"Misdirection"Greatest HitsShortlist"Welcome to Monroe"Shortlist2007""Death Do Us PartWinner"Rain"Manhattan NoirShortlist"Cranked"Damn Near DeadShortlist"Building"Manhattan NoirShortlist2008""Los Angeles NoirWinnerStill WatersShortlist"Blue Note"Chicago BluesShortlist"Hardly Knew Her"Dead Man's HandShortlist"Uncle"Shortlist2009"Skinhead Central"Mystery Writers of America Presents: The Blue ReligionWinnerHardcore HardboiledShortlist"Skin and Bones"Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Scratch a Woman"Hardly Knew HerShortlist"La Vie en Rose"Paris NoirShortlist
2010s +2010s Best Short Story winners and shortlistsYearAuthorStoryPublicationResult2010"Amapola"Phoenix NoirWinner"Last Fair Deal Gone Down" Crossroad BluesShortlist"Femme Sole" Boston NoirShortlist"Digby, Attorney at Law" Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Animal Rescue" Boston NoirShortlist2011Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineWinnerFirst ThrillsShortlistThin IceShortlist"Monsieur Alice is Absent" Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlistDark End of the StreetShortlist2012""Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineWinner"Marley's Revolution"Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Tomorrow's Dead"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlistDown These Strange StreetsShortlist"Lord John and the Plague of Zombies"Down These Strange StreetsShortlistA Study in SherlockShortlist2013""Mystery Writers of America Presents: VengeanceWinner"Iphigenia in Aulis"Shortlist"Hot Sugar Blues" Mystery Writers of America Presents: VengeanceShortlistEllery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Still Life No. 41" Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist2014""BibliomysteriesWinnerKwik Krimes, edited by Otto PenzlerShortlist and Mickey Spillane "So Long, Chief"The Strand MagazineShortlist"There are Roads in the Water"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Where That Morning Sun Does Down"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist2015"What Do You Do?"RoguesWinner""Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist"200 Feet"Strand MagazineShortlist vs. Michael Connelly"Red Eye"FaceOff Shortlist"Teddy"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist2016"Obits"The Bazaar of Bad DreamsWinnerMysterious BookshopShortlist"On Borrowed Time"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlistProvidence NoirShortlist"Family Treasures"Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays, and Other WritingsShortlist"Every Seven Years" Mysterious BookshopShortlist2017"Autumn at the Automat"In Sunlight or in ShadowWinner"Oxford Girl"Mississippi NoirShortlistSt. Louis NoirShortlistIn Sunlight or in ShadowShortlistEllery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist2018"Spring Break"New Haven NoirWinner"Hard to Get" Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Ace in the Hole"Montana NoirShortlistAtlanta NoirShortlist"Chin Yong-Yun Stays at Home"Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlist2019"English 398: Fiction Workshop"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineWinner"Rabid – A Mike Bowditch Short Story" Shortlist"Paranoid Enough for Two" Shortlist"Ancient and Modern" Bloody ScotlandShortlistShortlist
2020s +2020s Best Short Story winners and shortlistsYearAuthorStoryPublicationResult2020"One of These Nights"Cutting Edge: New Stories of Mystery and Crime by Women WritersWinner"Turistas" Pa'Que Tu Lo SepasShortlistSydney NoirShortlist"Home at Last"Die Behind the Wheel: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Steely DanShortlist"Brother's Keeper"Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist2021"Dust, Ash, Flight"Addis Ababa NoirWinnerEllery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Etta at the End of the World"Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlistIn League with Sherlock HolmesShortlist2022""Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineWinner and James A. Hearn"Blindsided"Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlistMidnight HourShortlist"Lucky Thirteen" Midnight HourShortlistEllery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlistEllery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlist2023"Red Flag"Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineWinner"Backstory"Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlist"Locked-In"Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineShortlistAlcohol, Tobacco, and FirearmsShortlist"First You Dream, Then You Die"Black is the NightShortlist2024"Hallowed Ground"Macmillan Publishers/ Minotaur BooksWinner"Thriller" ThrillerShortlist"Miss Direction" Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineShortlistAmazon Original StoriesShortlist"Pigeon Tony's Last Stand" Amazon Original StoriesShortlist2025"Eat My Moose"Conjunctions: 82, Works & DaysWinner"Cut and Thirst" Amazon Original StoriesShortlist"Everywhere You Look" Amazon Original StoriesShortlist"Barriers to Entry" Amazon Original StoriesShortlist"The Art of Cruel Embroidery" Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine – July-August 2024Shortlist2026"Julius Katz Draws a Straight Flush"Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, September-October 2025Winner"Reading at Night" The Strand MagazineShortlist""Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, January-February 2025Shortlist"Orphan X: A Mysterious Profile" Shortlist"Lucky Heart" Blood on the Bayou – Case ClosedShortlist"" Amazon Original StoriesShortlist References
External links The official website of Edgar Awards