James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” tells the story of brotherhood, familial struggles, strain, reconciliation and addiction. The perspective is through first-person narration of an unnamed older brother detailing his life with his younger brother, Sonny. The older brother reflects on Sonny’s strained relationship with their father, the promise he made to their mother to protect Sunny and the generational trauma they experienced due to their uncle’s death in a racist incident.

This short story is powerful and moving for any adult who has experienced family strain. Baldwin offers a realistic yet heartwarming depiction of brotherly love.

This classic consistently finds itself on lists of the best short stories. The narrative follows an unnamed woman suffering from postpartum depression. Her physician husband falsely characterizes her condition as “temporary nervous depression.” He prescribes the “rest cure” and confines her to a room at the top of the house. The story follows the deterioration of her mental health and obsession with the yellow wallpaper in her room.

While its publishing date might lead to the assumption that it is dated, the idea of a woman being misdiagnosed — especially regarding struggles with mental health postpartum — is more relevant than ever.

Editorial Note: Read our full review of “The Yellow Wallpaper” here.

This famous short story is a must-read for adults. Adapted into a film in 2005 that won three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe, “Brokeback Mountain” explores a decades-long, highly secret love affair between two cowboys, Ennis and Jack. This read is heartwrenching and brilliant. Aside from the success of the film based on it, the short story itself was recognized for its success and cultural impact as a representation of the LGBTQ community in the American West.

Hemingway’s famous “Hills Like White Elephants” is almost entirely dialogue, transforming a complex relationship into a digestible short read. The story follows an American man and a girl named Jig as they have a conversation at a Spanish train station. They discuss an unspecified procedure that the girl is about to undergo. While the operation is never specified, it is heavily implied that the girl is going to get an abortion.

The dialogue provides not only a look into this specific pair’s dynamic but also into the more complex dynamics that often surround abortions. This piece is a great pick for adults looking to explore complex, deep topics in a simpler way.

A part of “The Joy Luck Club,” this story follows Jing-mei and her mother, a Chinese immigrant who fully bought into the American Dream. The mother pushes her child to become a prodigy, leading to heated conflict between mother and daughter. The portrayal of a strained mother-daughter relationship in this story makes it a great read for adults navigating parental relationships or those who want to read more short stories focusing on immigrant stories and the idea of the American Dream.

Sweetness is another short story that delves into the hardships of motherhood and the complexities of mother-daughter relationships. The story follows a light-skinned Black mother raising her dark-skinned daughter, Lula Ann. Morrison depicts the mother’s struggle with internalized colorism and maternal guilt. It gives an honest look into the realities of how prejudice can manifest in unexpected ways.

This science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury might be even more intriguing to adults today than it was when released. This short story explores the life of George and Lydia Hadley, who live in a fully automated home, complete with a virtual-reality nursery enjoyed by their children, Peter and Wendy. This technology lets the home take the place of parent instead of George and Lydia. The children develop an obsession with the virtual reality nursery, leading to a fatal turn of events.

As adults navigate AI, the internet and virtual reality — both for themselves and for children they might be raising in this world — this story might ring more true to them than it did to adults 75 years ago when it was released.

“Clarity & Connection” is at the top of my list to recommend to people when it comes to understanding their conscious and subconscious minds. Yung Pueblo prompts his self-exploration narrative in poetry style, pushing readers to examine their past and learn how to be at peace with it to grow into a new version of themselves. “Clarity and Connection” is the second book in Pueblo’s “Inward” series, focusing on heightening self-awareness and creating healthier patterns in your romantic partnerships.

Despite the many high school teachers who make their students read this story, it’s really more for adults. “The Lottery” opens as a seemingly pleasant tale about an annual ritual in a small village. The cheery, normal nature of the story takes a dark turn at the end, when the village holds its annual lottery. This dark twist offers an unconventional way to look at the dangers of mob mentality and the consequences of blindly following traditions.

Another popular short story that has been adapted into a drama since its release, “The Swimmer” follows a wealthy suburban man named Neddy Merrill who decides to swim across the chain of his neighbors’ backyard pools. Similar to a few other stories on this list, this story starts with a cheery, normal tone and takes a darker, more real turn toward the end. Neddy’s journey through neighbors’ pools explores denial and aging, as well as psychological and financial ruin. This story offers adults a concise, unique way to travel through several people’s adult lives.