Selected Stories

Strange worlds. Impossible choices. The unsettling truths beneath ordinary life.

Franz Kafka’s Selected Stories gathers some of the most influential short fiction from one of the twentieth century’s most original literary voices. Presented in Ian Johnston’s lucid and accessible translations, this collection brings renewed clarity to Kafka’s haunting visions of alienation, authority, identity, and the absurdities of modern existence. From the unforgettable transformation of The Metamorphosis to the psychological intensity of The Judgment, In the Penal Colony, and Kafka’s enigmatic parables, these stories reveal his extraordinary ability to turn ordinary experiences into profound examinations of fear, isolation, and human vulnerability. Johnston’s precise translations preserve Kafka’s unsettling power while making these essential works accessible to contemporary readers.

• A collection of Franz Kafka’s most celebrated short stories and parables
• Features essential works including The Metamorphosis, The Judgment, In the Penal Colony, and other masterpieces
• A powerful exploration of alienation, identity, bureaucracy, guilt, and the human condition

Available in multiple formats:

Paperback — Elegant print edition presenting the complete, unabridged text, and ships in 3–5 business days.
Hardcover — Elegant print edition presenting the complete, unabridged text, and ships in 5–7 business days.
EPUB — DRM-free, compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers. Instant download after purchase.
Audiobook — Professionally narrated, complete, and unabridged. Available on Audible, Spotify, Apple Books.

A remarkable introduction to Kafka’s imaginative universe, Selected Stories reveals the enduring power of his fiction and his unparalleled ability to illuminate the fears, contradictions, and mysteries of modern existence.

About the Author

Franz Kafka (1883–1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer whose visionary works transformed modern literature. Best known for The Metamorphosis, The Trial, The Castle, and Amerika, Kafka explored themes of alienation, bureaucracy, guilt, and the search for meaning through a distinctive blend of realism and the surreal. Although little recognized during his lifetime, his writings became some of the most influential works of the twentieth century, giving rise to the term “Kafkaesque” to describe situations of bewildering absurdity and oppressive complexity.