This article examines the problems of artistic interpretation of social issues in contemporary Uzbek short stories. It explores the aesthetic potential of the short story genre in representing social contradictions, moral crises, and the inner conflicts of individuals. Through the analysis of Abduqayum Yuldashev’s “Poincaré” and Isajon Sulton’s “The Eight-Year-Old Child of the Twenty-First Century,” the paper highlights themes such as the tragedy of talent, the conflict between science and everyday survival, social pressure of traditions, consumerist mentality, and the instrumentalization of childhood. Social issues are conveyed through symbolism, metaphor, and psychological imagery rather than direct journalistic critique.