(I) An interesting development of recent times in the world of literature has been the revival of the short story. (II) For three decades or more, this genre had really gone into a decline. (III) Magazines, in order to survive at all, found it increasingly necessary to publish non-fiction, not fiction. (IV) Of these, Oscar Wilde's stories were perhaps the most popular of all. (V) Moreover book publishers would only consider short story collections if the author already had a substantial success as a novelist.