A Happy Man and Other Stories by Axel Thormählen (Les Figues Press, 978-1-934254-04-2) is one of four collections of short stories in translation featured as a Web Exclusive in the September/October issue of ForeWord. With the increasing popularity in eBooks, and the growing capacity for reading on PDAs and cell phones, short stories are arguably better suited for the new millennium than novels or any other print medium. Thormählen's bite-sized tales are ideal for quick commutes or long lines.

"A Happy Man," the story available for free download at the ForeWord Book Club, is typical of the stories in Thormählen's latest collection. It objectively examines the life of Jochen, a man who is constantly deliriously happy. Because the collection was originally published in German, it is important to note that "glücklich" not only means "happy," but also "lucky." Jochen is both happy and lucky, but the two do not seem to be related. The narrator informs readers that Jochen has inherited some stocks, and has a wife and two children, but these are not the sources of his happiness. Even his morbid occupation, which is revealed at the end, cannot put a damper on his happiness.