Book excerpt: Selected by editor Mark Anthony Jarman, the 2023 edition of Best Canadian Stories showcases the best Canadian fiction writing published in 2021. A collection that takes us into a firey near-future and a notorious feminist’s personal past, from a near-drowning to a fake breakdown, through mothers who fail us to crummy jobs, to thieves, to grief, to revenge with a bottle of tabasco sauce. With work by established practitioners alongside that of lesser-known writers, this year’s Best Canadian Stories shows how the short form can evoke the experience of a person on the brink. Including 2023 Metcalf-Rooke Award winner Caroline Adderson, and featuring, in tribute, two stories by the late Steven Heighton, this year’s collection draws together beloved Canadian practitioners of the form and thrilling new voices to continue not only a series, but a legacy in Canadian letters. Featuring works by: Caroline Adderson • David Bezmozgis • Jowita Bydlowska • Kate Cayley • Tamas Dobozy • Omar El Akkad • Christine Estima • Naomi Fontaine • Sara Freeman • Steven Heighton • Philip Huynh • David Huebert • Alexandra Mae Jones • Carmelinda Scian