The stories I remember most vividly are "The Strawberry Window" (in which the description of the window contains a delirium of colors and metaphors that made me want to write in torrents of colorful images) and "The long Rain" (total immersion in a terrifying alien environment and the struggle against a simple, pervasive enemy: rain).

His greatest gift was the ability to convey overwhelming emotion with a few simple words.

Thanks for mentioning Zen and the Art of Writing -- I'm going to read it.