Literary Legends Box Set: Unpublished Shirley Jackson, Louisa May Alcott, Raymond Chandler and John Steinbeck

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Literary Legends Box Set: Unpublished Shirley Jackson, Louisa May Alcott, Raymond Chandler and John Steinbeck

For the past 10 years, the Strand has published works by some of America’s greatest literary legends. In this Literary Legends box set, we’re proud to offer four issues of the Strand with fiction by Shirley Jackson, John Steinbeck, Louisa May Alcott, and Raymond Chandler.

Literary Legends Box Set

“Adventure on a Bad Night” by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson was a writer who could deftly move between both short stories and novels, crafting unforgettable short tales out of mundane circumstances or full-length novels of the supernatural. Her gift of being able to spin a lasting, relevant and memorable story out of an everyday setting is on full display in this previously unpublished Shirley Jackson story “Adventure on a Bad Night,” released exclusively to The Strand Magazine.

“The Amiable Fleas” by John Steinbeck

The new Steinbeck story, “The Amiable Fleas” revolves around a discerning cat named Apollo who serves as critic and confidant to the chef of a gourmet restaurant. Add in some family conflict and a restaurant critic and you have all the ingredients of a short comedic masterpiece.

“Advice to an Employer” by Raymond Chandler

We’re proud to present an unpublished Raymond Chandler in the latest issue of the Strand. Professor Sarah Trott provides an introduction which looks at the biographical context of this gem. Before achieving fame as an author, Chandler was a career oil executive who worked for the Dabney Oil Syndicate for about a decade until he was fired at the age of forty-four. “Advice to an Employer” shows a different side to Raymond Chandler. The wry humor is there, but the piece also reveals a silly, fun side to an author long associated with novels about the seamy side of LA.

“Aunt Nellie’s Diary” by Louisa May Alcott

In our 60th issue, we’re proud to present an unpublished Louisa May Alcott story, Aunt Nellie’s Diary, published here for the first time, is told from the perspective of a single and insightful forty-year-old woman who is responsible for the care of her teenage niece. Her niece’s beautiful, worldly friend is staying with them over the summer, as is a young man—Nellie’s friend’s handsome son. According to scholars, Aunt Nellie’s Diary was written when she was quite young; nevertheless Alcott displays sharp psychological insight into the characters who inhabit the seemingly carefree world of picnics, masked balls, and cozy carriage rides.

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