- This collection of short stories by some of Russia's most famous authors is beautifully illustrated with nearly 20 wonderful images to amplify the narrative. Simply gorgeous! From Chekhov to Gorky, Pushkin to Dostoyevsky, Russian writers have long been celebrated for their excellent short fiction. Even Tolstoy, the author of War and Peace, one of the longest novels ever written, wrote short stories. These Russian storytellers, along with others, are represented here by nearly a score of stories. Acting as translator and editor, Thomas Seltzer selected these as the very best examples of Russian short fiction (including three stories by Anton Chekhov, whom Raymond Carver declared to be "the greatest of all short story writers").