These short stories about change have characters who experience change and transformation in various ways—physically, psychologically, emotionally, and in their environment. Some stories might be more focused on a character’s resistance to change or a desire for change, but whatever the case, change will be a main theme. See also:
Short Stories About Change & Transformation
“The Eighty-Yard Run” by Irwin Shaw
Christian Darling thinks about the time he ran for eighty yards in football practice at Midwestern University. He also thinks back on his college sweetheart, Louise, whom he married. He thinks about the wrong turns his life has taken.
This story can be read in the preview of Short Stories: Five Decades.
“Kindling” by Raymond Carver
It is summer and Myers has just finished a month of sobering up. He takes a bus to a town near the ocean and rents a room from Sol and Bonnie. Myers doesn’t say much about himself. His landlords speculate a bit about him.
This story can be read in the preview of Call If You Need Me.
“Beyond the Bayou” by Kate Chopin
An African-American woman, La Folle, was frightened “out of her senses” as a child. As a result, she won’t cross an imaginary line in her area; she has never been beyond the bayou. (Summary)
“Robot Dreams” by Isaac Asimov
Linda Rash, a robopsychologist, shows a master of the field, Susan Calvin, what has happened. Elvex, her robot, claims to have dreamed. Susan analyzes Elvex’s positronic brain patterns. Linda has applied fractal geometry to its brain to add complexity. Susan isn’t sure whether this is brilliant or disastrous. (Summary)
This story can be read in the preview of the anthology Future on Ice. (46% into preview)
“Why Don’t You Dance?” by Raymond Carver
A man puts all his bedroom furniture on his front yard. He also puts out his television, record player and other items. A little later, a young couple who’re driving by stop to see if they can get a deal on something.
This story can be read in the preview of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.
“Poor Visitor” by Jamaica Kincaid
It’s a woman’s first day working as a live-in nanny who goes to school at night. She adjusts to her new routine and misses her own home.
This story is the first chapter of the novel Lucy. It can be read in the Amazon preview. (15% in)
“The Friday Everything Changed” by Anne Hart
In Miss Ralston’s small-town classroom, the boys always carry water from the railway station to the school. Carrying the water is a status symbol and a break from the daily routine. One day, one of the girls challenges this tradition. (Summary)
“Everything Stuck to Him” by Raymond Carver
A woman visiting Milan for Christmas wants to hear a story from when she was a kid. She’s told about a young couple who lived under a dentist’s office. They were in love and ambitious. Their baby was three months old. The young man plans a hunting trip with an old friend of his father’s. (Summary & Analysis)
Read “Everything Stuck to Him”
“Roselily” by Alice Walker
Roselily, an unmarried woman with three children, is getting married. She thinks about how her life will change by marrying a member of the Nation of Islam and moving to Chicago. She doesn’t know a lot about her fiancé or his religion, but she’s willing to change her life for her children’s sake.
This story can be read in the preview of In Love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women. (Go into Paperback preview first, then select Kindle)
“Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving
Rip Van Winkle is lazy at home but helpful to, and well-liked by, his neighbors. He’s out in the mountains one day to get away from things. With night approaching, he starts for home but meets up with a group of men. He has something to drink and goes to sleep, which changes everything.
This story can be read in the preview of The Big Book of Classic Fantasy.
“Axolotl” by Julio Cortazar
A man goes to a zoo aquarium and stands for hours watching the axolotls (a larval salamander). He says he has become one of them. He explains how this transformation took place.
This is the first story in the preview of Blow-Up: And Other Stories.
“All You Zombies” by Robert A. Heinlein
A young man explains to a bartender that he was born a girl. He (she) gave birth to a child and there were complications. The doctors noticed he (she) was a hermaphrodite and performed an emergency sex-change operation.
A lot of this story can be read in the preview of “All You Zombies—”: Five Classic Stories.
“Exchange” by Ray Bradbury
Miss Adams, the head librarian, stays late to get everything in order. She hears knocking at the front door; a man in uniform wants to come in. She tells him they’re closed. He asks her if she remembers him. (Summary)
“Axiomatic” by Greg Egan
A man goes into The Implant Store. They sell tiny chips that can rewire the brain, giving people particular experiences or beliefs. He’s here for a special order. He looks around, giving himself a chance to leave without it. After five years, he still mourns and loves his deceased wife, Amy, but he knows he’s not doing this for her.
This is the second story in the preview of The Best of Greg Egan. (28% into Kindle preview)
Short Stories About Change, Cont’d
“The Chapter Ends” by Poul Anderson
Jorun has returned to Earth with a small crew to prepare the few remaining humans to leave. The ship will be leaving in a few days. Jorun’s people don’t need ships to travel, but they’re being provided for the primitive humans on Earth. Kormt, an old man, has decided to stay. He feels a connection to Earth, and believes Jorun’s people have something dead inside them.
This story can be read in the preview of the anthology Supermen: Tales of the Posthuman Future. (18% into preview)
“Lingua Franca” by Carole McDonnell
Mist leaves her shop and goes to the market where traders sell exotic foods from across the galaxy. On the way, she sees locals signing about the Earthers, who talk with their mouths rather than their hands. The Earthers are offering ear and throat implants to the locals. Opinion is divided on the subject.
This story can be read in the preview of Fantastic Stories Presents: Science Fiction Super Pack #1. (45% into preview)
“Life Sentence” by Matthew Baker
A man, Washington, is brought home by the police to his wife, son and daughter. He doesn’t remember them. He’s still a bit groggy from the procedure. His wife has prepared his favorite meal, but he doesn’t remember that either. He wants to know what he did, but his wife doesn’t want to talk about it. The next day, he gets his first visit from his reintroduction supervisor, who will help him adjust to the change.
This story can be read in the preview of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2020. (38% in)
“A Blow for Freedom” by Lawrence Block
Elliot returns to New York by plane. He’s a bit concerned picking up his bag because it contains a gun he bought in Miami. He waits until he gets home to check it. He remembers his experience with Huebner, who helped him pick out the gun and showed him how to use it.
This story can be read in the preview of Enough Rope. (12% in)
“As Good as a Rest” by Lawrence Block
Andrew and Elaine are on vacation in Europe. They hang out with another couple, Harry and Sue Dattner, who are part of the same tour. The Dattners aren’t the type of couple they’d usually spend time with. They visit many of the tourist sites and museums. Andrew has lots of interactions with Sue; the same applies to Harry and Elaine.
This story can also be read in the above preview of Enough Rope. (41% in)
“Rates of Change” by James S. A. Corey
Diana is at the hospital, looking at her son in the medical bay. He’s only a black casing that holds his brain and a spinal column. His brain is active, but the interface took some damage. It’s not certain if he’ll be able to integrate into a new body. They’re working on making contact with him. Diana was against the decision that led her son here.
This story can be read in the preview of Meeting Infinity. (22% in)
“Friend of My Youth” by Alice Munro
The narrator recounts the life of Flora Grieves. She lived on a farm with her sister, Ellie, and her brother-in-law, Robert. She tells us how the house and work was divided, how Ellie and Robert came to be married, and how Flora responded to the many changes in her life.
This story can be read in the preview of Friend of My Youth. (10% in)
“Dimensions” by Alice Munro
Doree, twenty-three years old, works as a chambermaid at a motel away from her old town. She enjoys her work, and no one seems to know her story there. She occasionally sees Mrs. Sands to talk about what happened. Doree is on her way to visit Lloyd; it takes her three buses to get there. The last two times she went, he wouldn’t see her. She doesn’t know if she’ll keep going back. She met Lloyd when she was sixteen and her mother was dying.
Some of this story can be read in the preview of Too Much Happiness. (Go into Hardcover preview, then select Kindle)
“The Stick” by Kōbō Abe
On a hot day, a man and his kids are on the roof of a department store. He spots an opening at the railing and wedges himself in. He lifts his kids up to see the roads below. They soon get bored but he keeps looking, as do many other adults. When his son calls out to him, he gets irritated. He leans away from the voice over the railing and finds himself floating in the air.
“Making a Change” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Julia is a new mother and her baby cries often. Her husband, Frank, is annoyed with the situation, as is his mother, who also lives with them. She claims she knows how to stop the crying, but Julia wants to do her duty as a mother herself. Julia used to be a musician but doesn’t play anymore. The strain of her new routine and her mother-in-law’s interference are wearing her down. Everyone agrees that there has to be a change. Julia’s thoughts start to get desperate.
“Understand” by Ted Chiang
Leon was in the freezing water for almost an hour and suffered extensive brain damage. He was given an experimental drug to regenerate his neurons. He’s been having nightmares about the accident. At his weekly checkup, Dr. Hooper notices Leon’s memory is impressive. An intelligence test reveals Leon is in the ninety-ninth percentile; previously, he was in the seventieth. They want to do further tests, and administer a second dose of the hormone. Leon agrees. He navigates his new life and the attention it attracts.
“The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka
A man wakes up one morning to find he’s been transformed into a giant insect-like creature.
After this impossible opening, this novella-length story proceeds normally. Probably the most famous story of change ever.
“The Unrest Cure” by Saki
A man and his wife dislike any change in their regular routine. After telling a stranger about this on a train, he recommends an “unrest cure”, where they would do something completely unusual for a while. Their lives soon get thrown into chaos.
Short Stories About Transformation, Cont’d
“Disorder and Early Sorrow” by Thomas Mann
Professor Cornelius’s oldest children plan and throw a party for their friends. Economic times are difficult, but everyone tries to keep up good appearances. The professor is concerned about things that have changed such as his children, his profession, and art and the theater.
This is a novelette.
“The Rememberer” by Aimee Bender
A man experiences rapid, reverse evolution. He goes from man to ape to sea turtle, losing about a million years a day.
“The Secret Lion” by Alberto Alvaro Rios
Two twelve-year-old boys start junior high school, and explore the land around their Arizona country homes, even though they’re not supposed to.
“The Last Lesson” by Alphonse Daudet
Near the end of the Franco-Prussian War, a schoolboy gets his last lesson in French because the Prussian authorities have outlawed teaching French in schools.
“The Sacrificial Egg” by Chinua Achebe
Julius Obi is at work but there’s nothing to do. The marketplace is deserted due to a smallpox outbreak.
“Aftermath” by Mary Yukari Waters
Japan is becoming Americanized following its defeat in WW II. Makiko, a widow, worries that her son will forget his heritage and his father.
“The Ring” by Isak Dinesen
Sigismund and Lovisa are young newlyweds who have overcome differences in class and wealth to be together. Sigismund is a farmer. There is a sheep thief in the area that was caught in the act a few days prior, leading him to kill a man. Sigismund and Lovisa have a different view of the criminal.
“The Philanthropist and the Happy Cat” by Saki
Jocantha Bessbury is a comfortable and contented wife. She suspects that only her cat, Attab, is more contented than herself. Wanting to spread good cheer, Jocantha decides to buy theatre tickets and give them away to a shop girl who couldn’t afford them on her own. Meanwhile, the cat goes about his usual routine.
“The Sky is Gray” by Ernest Gaines
James is an eight-year-old black boy in the 1930’s South. He has a bad toothache but didn’t tell his mother about it, not wanting to be a crybaby and knowing they can’t afford to have it pulled. After he tries aspirin and a prayer cure with his aunt’s help, without success, his mother discovers the problem.
“Residents and Transients” by Bobbie Ann Mason
Mary is married and lives in Kentucky. She is in her parents place, selling it for them in their absence. Her husband is in Louisville, looking for a home for them. Mary has taken a lover and isn’t sure if she wants to leave.
“The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky” by Stephen Crane
Jack Potter is returning from San Antonio with his new bride. He’s the marshal of Yellow Sky, respected in the town, and he’s wondering how everyone will react to this change. Meanwhile, in Yellow Sky, a trouble-maker, Scratchy Wilson, is on one of his rampages.
“To Set Our House in Order” by Margaret Laurence
Beth has to go to the hospital two weeks before her due date. Her husband, Ewen, is worried, as is her daughter Vanessa. Her mother-in-law, Grandmother MacLeod, is stoically detached. Ewen and his mother argue about getting some help for the house. Vanessa relates her feelings during the episode, and talks about the changes her grandmother has lived through.
“Split Cherry Tree” by Jesse Stuart
A student is held after school to work off the $1 debt he owes for his part in the splitting of a cherry tree. When he gets home late, his father is upset that he has had to do the farm work by himself. He is especially upset that the boys with more money simply paid and don’t have to work off the debt. He decides to visit Professor Herbert to settle the matter.
“The Shining Houses” by Alice Munro
Mrs. Fullerton has lived in the same house for over forty years. She is standoffish with her neighbors. She sells eggs and is self-sufficient. Her house is old and ill-kept. Newer houses are being built around it, and her neighbors want her house renovated or torn down.
“Graveyard Day” by Bobbie Ann Mason
Waldeen is divorced from Joe Murdock, the father of her ten-year-old daughter, Holly. Joe McClain spends a lot of time with them and wants to marry Waldeen. She is uncertain and finds the dynamics of shifting family relationships confusing.
Short Stories About Change, Cont’d
“Broken Routine” by Jeffrey Archer
Septimus is a claims adjuster at an insurance company. He maintains a strict daily routine in his work and home life. One day he is asked to stay a little late, which turns out to be very disruptive for him.
“The Wave” by Liam O’Flaherty
A two hundred foot high cliff has developed a cavern at its base from “battling” for thousands of years with the incoming waves. Waves continue to crash in, and high tide is approaching.
This story has no human or animal characters. The “characters” are the cliff and the waves.
“Foxes” by Timothy Findley
Morris Glendenning, a reclusive communications expert, is going to visit the Royal Ontario Museum for some research. He had chanced upon a picture of a Japanese theatre mask called Fox, which was being held by the museum. He became fascinated with it.
“Neighbours” by Tim Winton
A young Australian couple moves into a neighbourhood with many European migrants. The husband stays home and writes his thesis. The wife works. It takes them a while to adjust to the neighbourhood noise and interactions.
“Kitty” by Paul Bowles
A young girl nicknamed Kitty figures she must be called this because she will turn into a cat. She keeps close watch on her appearance. One day she thinks she sees tiny whiskers.
“The Beautiful Thing” by Kit De Waal
The narrator’s father leaves Antigua to work in America and, later, to start again in England. He works hard and experiences some racism as he establishes himself.
“Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed” by Ray Bradbury
Passengers step off a rocket on Mars. Due to a war on Earth, they are colonizing Mars until they can return. The Bittering family settles in but they are looking forward to going back. One day the daughter runs home with news of an atomic attack on New York.
“Chef’s House” by Raymond Carver
The narrator relates the time when her estranged husband, Wes, rented a house and tried to quit drinking. She goes to live with him there and they have a relaxed time. Wes stays sober. One day the owner visits with some news.
“Mrs. Fox” by Sarah Hall
A husband and wife are close and live comfortably. One morning the wife, Sophia, is vomiting in the toilet. She looks a bit feverish, but says she’s fine and goes to work as usual. That night, she’s well again. The next morning, she’s not quite herself.
“Miss Leonora When Last Seen” by Peter Taylor
Miss Leonora Logan, a retired teacher, left town two weeks ago. Her house has been condemned; the site is the targeted location for a new school. The Logan family has a history of interfering with change in the community. The townspeople feel some guilt over her abrupt departure.
“A Revolutionary Tale” by Nikki Giovanni
Kim is a young African American woman who is explaining to someone why she’s late. She says it’s really the fault of her roommate, Bertha. Kim relates the personal evolution she has undergone. She began as a conservative. Then she met Bertha, who is a revolutionary.
“An Amateur’s Guide to the Night” by Mary Robison
Lindy is a high school student about to graduate. She has her own telescope and is an amateur astronomer. She goes on double-dates with her mother, Harriet, who like to pass herself off as Lindy’s sister. She doesn’t provide much guidance for her daughter. Lindy’s grandfather also lives with them, but he’s not the most mature, either.
“The Duel” by O. Henry
When someone goes to live in New York, whether rich or poor and for whatever reason, they have to fight. The battle is between becoming a New Yorker and friend of the city, or remaining an outsider and enemy. William, a business man, and Jack, an artist arrive in New York at the same time. Four years later they meet for lunch.
Read “The Duel”
“Changes” by Neil Gaiman
Rajit, in his forties, has found the cure for cancer. The treatment doesn’t function as a normal drug; it works by resetting the body’s genetic code. The cure, however, does have a significant side-effect which, in turn, produces many unforeseen developments.
“The Secret of Life, According to Aunt Gladys” by Bruce Coville
When a woman is told her brother called, she gets pale. Her son didn’t know she had a brother. Her husband only found out about him from a picture. He’s coming to visit. The boy looks forward to having an uncle. The mother wants to avoid the visit.
“The Secret of Life, According to Aunt Gladys” is in Dirty Laundry: Stories About Family Secrets.
I’ll keep adding short stories about change and transformation as I find more.