Dahl’s debut story, ‘‘Shot Down over Libya,’’ was published in the Saturday Evening Post in August 1942. As his first piece, it is particularly significant for those interested in his later works. The narrative, based on Dahl’s experiences in the Royal Air Force but heavily fictionalized, introduces the recurring theme of violence in his writing. The story follows a British pilot flying a Hurricane in support of ground troops who is ambushed by Italian aircraft and shot down. Though he survives the crash, he is injured. Despite its brevity, ‘‘Shot Down’’ foreshadows much of Dahl’s subsequent writing.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s short stories, compiled in Welcome to the Monkey House, are often compared to Dahl’s for their dark humor and grim views on human nature.

In Dahl’s ‘‘The Way Up To Heaven,’’ a woman is enraged by her husband’s habitual tardiness. She begins to suspect that he is deliberately late to torment her. She takes advantage of an opportunity to leave him trapped in a malfunctioning elevator, where he is likely to die.

Dahl was married for many years to actress Patricia Neal. Her autobiography, As I Am (1988), offers a candid portrayal of their life together and the reasons for their eventual separation.

James Thurber’s short story ‘‘Mr. Preble Gets Rid of His Wife’’ features a typically mild-mannered, married protagonist who jokes with a female colleague about running away together. One day, she changes her usual response by suggesting he must first ‘‘get rid of’’ his wife. That night, Mr. Preble lures his wife into their cellar, intending to kill her and bury her under the floor. She is hesitant to enter, but once inside, she realizes his plan. She mocks his idea, criticizes his choice of weapon, and ridicules his incompetence as a would-be murderer. The story concludes with Mrs. Preble sending him to find a better weapon and shouting after him to ‘‘close the door . . . were you born in a barn?’’

Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal is an early and renowned example of literary irony and grotesque humor. Its full title, A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of the Poor People from Being a Burthen to Their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick, shocked many readers when it was published in 1729. The essay suggests addressing famine, poverty, and overpopulation by eating the children of the poor.