Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

Jack London is widely regarded as one of America's pre-eminent writers of the great outdoors. His stories are raw and, at times, harrowing, but always dependable fare. His work also includes stories on pandemics and bizarre scientific experiments. An author so much more than the usual wrapper proclaims.

01 - The Top 10 - Jack London - An Introducution

02 - In A Far Country by Jack London

03 - A Thousand Deaths by Jack London

04 - A Wicked Woman by Jack London

05 - The Unparallelled Invasion by Jack London

06 - The White Silence by Jack London

07 - To Build a Fire by Jack London

08 - The Law of Life by Jack London

09 - South of the Slot by Jack London

10 - An Odyssey of the North - Part 1 by Jack London

11 - An Odyssey of the North - Part 2 by Jack London

12 -A Piece of Steak by Jack London