Since the 1940s, the short story has established itself as a very popular literary form in modern Indonesian literature. This volume brings together fifteen Indonesian stories written in the 1980s and 1990s by writers drawn from different parts of the archipelago. Boasting settings rangingfrom Java to Bali and from Riau to East Timor and dealing with issues affecting the lives of the rich and powerful as well as those of the poor and powerless, the stories in this collection present a variety of characters and themes representative of the diversity of Indonesia itself. Many of thestories are characterized by realism, some are forays into fantasy, but almost all are generated by conflict - literal or figurative - with one's own self, with other individuals, or with society.