From the Guardian, The iTunes-ization of short fiction is here:
The decision by the Atlantic magazine to begin selling some short stories, as individual downloads is, not, perhaps, the most obviously exciting item of books news you’ll have heard this year […] But the New York Times’s Motoko Rich has spotted what could be the beginning of something big. “Let the iTunes-ization of short fiction begin,” is the stirring apostrophe at the beginning of her news story on the subject.
So now we can make literary playlists to impress our girlfriends with our sexy erudition. We can do that Led-Zep-next-to-Groove-Armada frisson thing, only with words. If I were chatting up some gorgeous piece, I’d present her with a bunch o’ James Tiptree, Joanna Russ, James Blish, and Ali Smith stories, and–if, in some alternate universe, she wasn’t Kelley–some Kelley Eskridge.
You?
Nicola Griffith 
Speaking of which, there's a pretty disgraceful lack of Tiptree stuff available electronically in legit fashion.
Short fiction! I always insist I don't like it, but then the evidence belays me…
I'd hit it with some Borges, some Gene Wolfe; a little of Jeff Noon's “Pixel Juice,” followed by a pulpy one-two of Lovecraft/Howard…
As I was reading this post my girlfriend came back to bed saying she woke up with “Threepenny Opera” in her head. It stayed there all the way through her meditation and then she sang me bits that made me laugh out loud. I don't know Threepenny Opera and it occurs to me that's the fun part: when a “gorgeous piece” brings you unknown delights. With that in mind, I'd have Grace Paley's short fiction on my playlist.
Alice Munro and Kelley Eskridge. See, I don't have to be in an alternate universe! :)
I love this idea. And I expect it will come to fruition when Apple releases it's tablet in a few months. I hope so.
And sorry, but I think the $4 price point is completely off the mark. I think they'd sell a lot more at $2 or even $1. I think we've talked about this before.
I've always thought that it would be cool to sell playlists of songs – not the songs themselves -the list. But there has to be a way to get both at the same time.
I'd pay for some Nicola readlist collections.
Blue Tyson, y'know, I hadn't noticed the lack of Tiptree (I have all her stuff on paper–right now I only buy new stuff, or download stuff in the public domain, for Kindle). Any ideas on how to fix that? Do you know who agents her estate?
mordicai, I haven't thought about Jeff Noon for yonks.
anon, yep, it's that delightful juxtaposition that makes this kind of thing work.
elaine, I'd say lucky you, but, hey, I'm the one who's lucky.
jennifer, I'm with you on the price point.
I could see how it could get addictive – downloading $1 stories – a dollar here, a dollar there; way too easy. I would do it right now to read some of the authors mentioned here. That is if I weren't, you know, working…
I'd go with some Nicola Griffith, though after a while she'd be like “Dude, what's with you and the lesbians?”
–Shaun.
Shaun, I don't think she'd have to ask.
Am I that transparen, LOL?
–Shaun
I just finished Eclipse 3, and as I put it down I remember thinking to myself that it's a VERY strong collection — I enjoyed every story. It would make a great start for a playlist.
I guess I'd add something by Cory Doctorow, and “Islands” by Eric Flint (which I just read in his “Worlds” collection).
But I'm not sure that's enough to impress a girlfriend. Could I add some Hopkins sonnets, or Eliot cat poems?
Graeme, absolutely–perhaps even a one-act play.
There is an iTales.com with short stories for all ages. The site has hundreds of downloadable mp3 stories from some of the world's best professional storytellers.