American Short Fiction is a nationally circulated literary magazine founded in 1991 and based in Austin, Texas.

The magazine seeks out stories "that dive into the wreck, that stretch the reader between recognition and surprise, that conjure a particular world with delicate expertise—stories that take a different way home.

During its initial run, the magazine was a two-time finalist for the National Magazine Award for fiction and contributors’ work was anthologized in The Best American Short Stories, The O. Henry Prize Stories, and The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses.

[2] Following a hiatus in 2012, the magazine reorganized under current editors Rebecca Markovits and Adeena Reitberger, and is now published by the Austin, Texas-based non-profit American Short Fiction, Inc.[3] The journal maintains high standards for publication.

In April 2017, Bret Anthony Johnston's story, "Half of What Atlee Rouse Knows About Horses" featured in American Short Fiction's 25th Anniversary Issue, won The Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award.