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"You hold in your hands a volume of wonders - magical tales of trolls and ogres, of bewitched princesses and kingdoms accursed, penned by some of the most acclaimed fantasists of our day. But these are not bedtime stories designed to usher an innocent child gently into the realm of dreams. These are stories that bite - lush and erotic, often dark and disturbing mystical journeys through a phantasmagoric landscape of distinctly adult sensibilities." "Set in haunted forests, amid the recognizable urban sprawl of contemporary society, or in worlds beyond our imagining, here are the lusts, dreams and nightmares of the human animal - presented in a manner that would make the Grimm brothers proud. From provocative alternate takes on time-honored myths - Tanith Lee's sensuous and unsettling futuristic retelling of Snow White; Gahan Wilson's delightful account of the Frog Prince in therapy - to stunningly original new tales rich in archetypal imagery - Steve Rasnic Tem's deliciously gruesome chronicle of a miniature child abandoned in a city of giants. Each is a compelling grown-up fable relevant to the times in which we live." "Through the collective creative genius of such masters as Charles de Lint, Nancy Kress, Jane Yolen and many others, the magical characters we loved in childhood have been reborn. But Jack is older, though no wiser now ... and he has climbed the beanstalk one time too many. Rapunzel's sweet innocence has vanished like a song on the wind. And there is no such thing as "happily ever after.""--Jacket.… (more)
User reviews
Introduction: White as Snow: Fairy Tales and Fantasy - Terri Windling
Introduction: Red as Blood: Fairy Tales and Horror - Ellen Datlow
You see, I will never tire of
This anthology didn't disappoint. After those introductions, which provided more than their fair share of the puzzle pieces, the stories that follow were the kind that will not leave, even after the book is out of sight. I said before that I'd picked the book up again (after a month of neglect), in the middle of a story. And I had no problem going right back to where my mind had been when I put it down.
There are certainly stories that I enjoyed, or admire more than others, but nothing in this anthology disappointed me, which is unusual.
This is a keeper.
In short, it's a collection of short stories based on, or inspired by, the fairy tales you enjoyed (or were frightened by) as a child. It's a concept that's been explored before, perhaps, but it's fertile enough ground, so much so that editors Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow have done several volumes of similar material since. The only problem, if any, is that several of these stories were also printed in The Year's "Best Fantasy and Horror"--also, not coincidentally, edited by Windling and Datlow. So, if you have both, read this one first. Or not, chances are pretty darned good you'll want to read these repeatedly.
A keeper, in other words. If you find it, or any of its successors, buy it, read it, keep it.