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Once Upon a Time: A Treasury of Modern Fairy Tales
Ten of the top writers of fantasy present their views of the ways and byways of fairyland:
ISAAC ASIMOV -- A most unusual knight meets an even more unusual dragon.
TERRY BROOKS -- A boy and an elf discover courage conquers more than monsters.
C.J. CHERRYH -- Three wishes -- and the strangest love story ever told.
LESTER DEL REY -- The little princess didn't really believe in a fairy godmother.
SUSAN DEXTER -- The hermit boy didn't know that his pet fawn was a unicorn.
WAYLAND DREW -- Each traveler claimed precedence -- until a stranger joined them.
BARBARA HAMBLY -- Three strange children from a dragon's lair were loved, until . . .
KATHERINE KURTZ -- A fairy learns of faith and love from a holy man.
ANNE McCAFFREY -- Humans and the descendants of Pegasus seek to escape their prison.
LAWRENCE WATT-EVANS -- Killing a dragon is easy -- once one knows how.
ISAAC ASIMOV -- A most unusual knight meets an even more unusual dragon.
TERRY BROOKS -- A boy and an elf discover courage conquers more than monsters.
C.J. CHERRYH -- Three wishes -- and the strangest love story ever told.
LESTER DEL REY -- The little princess didn't really believe in a fairy godmother.
SUSAN DEXTER -- The hermit boy didn't know that his pet fawn was a unicorn.
WAYLAND DREW -- Each traveler claimed precedence -- until a stranger joined them.
BARBARA HAMBLY -- Three strange children from a dragon's lair were loved, until . . .
KATHERINE KURTZ -- A fairy learns of faith and love from a holy man.
ANNE McCAFFREY -- Humans and the descendants of Pegasus seek to escape their prison.
LAWRENCE WATT-EVANS -- Killing a dragon is easy -- once one knows how.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 1991
9 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Lester del Rey
635 books117 followersLester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. Del Rey is especially famous for his juvenile novels such as those which are part of the Winston Science Fiction series, and for Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction branch of Ballantine Books edited by Lester del Rey and his fourth wife Judy-Lynn del Rey.
Also published as:
Philip St. John
Eric van Lihn
Erik van Lhin
Kenneth Wright
Edson McCann (with Frederik Pohl)
Also published as:
Philip St. John
Eric van Lihn
Erik van Lhin
Kenneth Wright
Edson McCann (with Frederik Pohl)
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 19, 2016
The one-sentence summaries of the stories given in the blurb mostly seem not accurate, fyi.
Asimov: The fairy godmothers forget to bestow grace on a prince. Dragon has working-class accent. Mildly amusing.
2.5 stars
Brooks: Heavy-handed metaphor. Dragon=illness, boy fights dragon. Because you can overcome disease with willpower, a la self help books, I guess.
2 stars
Cherryh: Excellent story in the spirit of Welsh mythology. Well written and dark without being hopeless.
4.5 stars
Del Rey: Pleasant story about a princess who is ready for more work. Seems really written for tweens rather than adults.
3 stars
Dexter: The patriarchy and its concomitant violence suck whether you are a girl, a peasant, or a unicorn. I would have liked more page time for the wizard and dog, who are the only ones with good lines.
"Unhappily, I am not omniscient."
"If you don't know, just say so."
3.5 stars
Drew: Poor decisions are poor, actually. And so is egotism, I guess is the message? Not sure because it really seemed to drag on for what was clearly a Message story, and I skipped the middle.
Too boring to read = 1 star, fair or no.
Hambly: Because I've read her novel Dragonsbane this seemed kind of like a retreading of territory, but other than that it was a solid story
4 stars
Kurtz: Got bored, skipped. I've tried her novels long ago, but even as a kid was disappointed by the writing.
McCaffrey: I wonder if this is set in a world where she has longer works? Otherwise, this is way more than I needed to know about flying horse breeding. I'd like a loyal pegasus as much as the next girl, but I don't need to peruse the studbook every day. The studbook is also not how I chose my mate. Also, I guessed right away where the magical thingie was hidden.
2.5 stars
Watt-Evans: Villagers make zero effort to rid their village of a voracious dragon, because peasants are stupid. Also, our protagonist appears to have the wilderness survival skills of a modern urbanite (i.e. no idea how to forage, but can sometimes score a bed via one-night stand).
2.5 stars
Overall assessment of the collection: not terrible, but generally heavy-handed as to the messages, and probably fairly obvious plot-wise if you've read a significant amount of modern fantasy. Hardly essential reading.
Asimov: The fairy godmothers forget to bestow grace on a prince. Dragon has working-class accent. Mildly amusing.
2.5 stars
Brooks: Heavy-handed metaphor. Dragon=illness, boy fights dragon. Because you can overcome disease with willpower, a la self help books, I guess.
2 stars
Cherryh: Excellent story in the spirit of Welsh mythology. Well written and dark without being hopeless.
4.5 stars
Del Rey: Pleasant story about a princess who is ready for more work. Seems really written for tweens rather than adults.
3 stars
Dexter: The patriarchy and its concomitant violence suck whether you are a girl, a peasant, or a unicorn. I would have liked more page time for the wizard and dog, who are the only ones with good lines.
"Unhappily, I am not omniscient."
"If you don't know, just say so."
3.5 stars
Drew: Poor decisions are poor, actually. And so is egotism, I guess is the message? Not sure because it really seemed to drag on for what was clearly a Message story, and I skipped the middle.
Too boring to read = 1 star, fair or no.
Hambly: Because I've read her novel Dragonsbane this seemed kind of like a retreading of territory, but other than that it was a solid story
4 stars
Kurtz: Got bored, skipped. I've tried her novels long ago, but even as a kid was disappointed by the writing.
McCaffrey: I wonder if this is set in a world where she has longer works? Otherwise, this is way more than I needed to know about flying horse breeding. I'd like a loyal pegasus as much as the next girl, but I don't need to peruse the studbook every day. The studbook is also not how I chose my mate. Also, I guessed right away where the magical thingie was hidden.
2.5 stars
Watt-Evans: Villagers make zero effort to rid their village of a voracious dragon, because peasants are stupid. Also, our protagonist appears to have the wilderness survival skills of a modern urbanite (i.e. no idea how to forage, but can sometimes score a bed via one-night stand).
2.5 stars
Overall assessment of the collection: not terrible, but generally heavy-handed as to the messages, and probably fairly obvious plot-wise if you've read a significant amount of modern fantasy. Hardly essential reading.
April 19, 2022
I actually enjoyed these quite a bit, enough to want to read it again someday. The pictures are *almost* amazing... very pretty, at least. The cover story is my favorite, and I will investigate Wayland Drew. I'd recommend this to young teens, not so much to jaded/ experienced fantasy readers.
From Drew's story, The Old Soul: "When I listen I hear harmony... When I am still I remember that wisdom is more than knowledge, more than truth."
It did help me sort out, at least for myself, why I like fairy tales but not fantasy. Fantasy tends to be heavy on epic quests, adventures, intrigue and battles. Fairy tales are more like fables, in which the third son shares his loaf with the crone and receives a token bit of magic that helps him on his mission. The stories I like are smaller, quieter, often clever, and often wise. The ones I prefer don't have too many bloody swords in them....
(Dave read spring 2021, says 'pretty good.')
---
Second read disappointing. I guess that I'm already jaded... at this point I'd give the stories 3 stars. Very few would make me want to read more by the authors. The themes really are too simplistic for who I am now, how much I've learned every year. For example Drew's story would have been richer if he'd addressed the need for balance, instead of being preachy about an extreme perspective.
Anyway, leaving the four stars. It really is good for a more open-minded reader, and is an attractive presentation.
From Drew's story, The Old Soul: "When I listen I hear harmony... When I am still I remember that wisdom is more than knowledge, more than truth."
It did help me sort out, at least for myself, why I like fairy tales but not fantasy. Fantasy tends to be heavy on epic quests, adventures, intrigue and battles. Fairy tales are more like fables, in which the third son shares his loaf with the crone and receives a token bit of magic that helps him on his mission. The stories I like are smaller, quieter, often clever, and often wise. The ones I prefer don't have too many bloody swords in them....
(Dave read spring 2021, says 'pretty good.')
---
Second read disappointing. I guess that I'm already jaded... at this point I'd give the stories 3 stars. Very few would make me want to read more by the authors. The themes really are too simplistic for who I am now, how much I've learned every year. For example Drew's story would have been richer if he'd addressed the need for balance, instead of being preachy about an extreme perspective.
Anyway, leaving the four stars. It really is good for a more open-minded reader, and is an attractive presentation.
November 20, 2013
Picked it up on a whim and was delighted to find an interesting and varied collection that I thoroughly enjoyed. Hard pressed to choose a favorite, Prince Delightful made me laugh out loud and startle the dogs; Imaginary friends is one I would have loved to read to my children when they were little; Gwydion and the Dragon had a very satisfying ending; Thistledown was wonderfully heartwarming and the rest were equally great. Definitely a great read for anyone who enjoys fantasy and fairy tales.
February 19, 2016
I actually rate this 3 1/2 stars. Most of the stories were quite good, though a few were too slow for my taste. I did find a couple new authors that I plan to pursue.
September 2, 2023
“Imaginary Friends” by Terry Brooks is the stand out here. A masterfully told tale which, it turns out, is the precursor, by a few years, of his dark fantasy masterpiece, the Word & Void trilogy. Did Terry know at the time that this, his first attempt at the short story format, simple yet exquisite piece of short fiction would end up being the seed that would eventually germinate into that exemplary dark saga?
Not according to him.
Terry would go back and revisit “Imaginary Friends” after several more years of both Shannara and Landover books, looking for something in his past writing, inspiration perhaps, for where to go next. Good thing.
The Word & Void saga would then go on to eventually connect to Shannara as a prehistory and represent the pinnacle of a master fantasy writer whose storytelling craft was at its peak.
Most of the other stories here are easily forgettable. However, it should be mentioned that Barbara Hambly, Anne McCaffery and Katherine Kurtz have all written beautiful and compelling short pieces for this volume.
Not according to him.
Terry would go back and revisit “Imaginary Friends” after several more years of both Shannara and Landover books, looking for something in his past writing, inspiration perhaps, for where to go next. Good thing.
The Word & Void saga would then go on to eventually connect to Shannara as a prehistory and represent the pinnacle of a master fantasy writer whose storytelling craft was at its peak.
Most of the other stories here are easily forgettable. However, it should be mentioned that Barbara Hambly, Anne McCaffery and Katherine Kurtz have all written beautiful and compelling short pieces for this volume.
November 22, 2014
This collection of fairy tales embraces all of the usual conventions, including fairy godmothers, unicorns, changelings, dragons and doughty princes and princesses galore. They're by the best of the fantasy authors of the 90's, including McCaffrey, Asimov, Brooks, etc. They're slightly updated (no shrinking princesses who need saving), and lots of fun to read.
March 11, 2022
Despite this being a pretty good collection of short stories, I remembered it as being better when I first read it 30 years ago. That's probably because the fantasy genre runs much deeper these days and these stories with a couple of exceptions are kind of shallow... enjoyable but not surprising in any way. In the hardback that I have there is a beautiful color plate for each story. On a per story basis here's how I rate the collection:
*** - Prince Delightful and the Flameless Dragon - Isaac Asimov
This was amusing but really more of parody of a fantasy story like Ella Enchanted
*** - Imaginary Friends - Terry Brooks
An okay story that tries hang on the line of was that real or something imagined after a knock on the head.
**** - Gwydion and the Dragon - CJ Cherryh
A pretty good prince vs the dragon tale told in a classic Celtic form
**** - Fairy Godmother - Lester Del Rey
An enjoyable story about a spoiled princess and a fairy godmother who wasn't there.
*** - Thistledown - Susan Dexter
An okay story about a boy and his unicorn or maybe a unicorn and his boy.
*** - The Old Soul - Wayland Drew
An almost Chaucerian tale about three travelers on a journey to a far city.
**** - Changling - Barbara Hambly
Good story about being careful about what you find in a dragon's hoard.
**** - The Tinkling of Fairybells - Katherine Kurtz
Another good story about priest encountering a fairy in post-Roman England.
**** - The Quest of a Sensible Man - Ann McCaffrey
A very enjoyable story about a prince looking for magical horses who comes upon a cursed castle and it's inhabitants.
***** - Portrait of a Hero - Lawrence Watt-Evans
An excellent tale about a young man armed with only a sketch who goes on a quest to find a hero to save his village from a dragon.
*** - Prince Delightful and the Flameless Dragon - Isaac Asimov
This was amusing but really more of parody of a fantasy story like Ella Enchanted
*** - Imaginary Friends - Terry Brooks
An okay story that tries hang on the line of was that real or something imagined after a knock on the head.
**** - Gwydion and the Dragon - CJ Cherryh
A pretty good prince vs the dragon tale told in a classic Celtic form
**** - Fairy Godmother - Lester Del Rey
An enjoyable story about a spoiled princess and a fairy godmother who wasn't there.
*** - Thistledown - Susan Dexter
An okay story about a boy and his unicorn or maybe a unicorn and his boy.
*** - The Old Soul - Wayland Drew
An almost Chaucerian tale about three travelers on a journey to a far city.
**** - Changling - Barbara Hambly
Good story about being careful about what you find in a dragon's hoard.
**** - The Tinkling of Fairybells - Katherine Kurtz
Another good story about priest encountering a fairy in post-Roman England.
**** - The Quest of a Sensible Man - Ann McCaffrey
A very enjoyable story about a prince looking for magical horses who comes upon a cursed castle and it's inhabitants.
***** - Portrait of a Hero - Lawrence Watt-Evans
An excellent tale about a young man armed with only a sketch who goes on a quest to find a hero to save his village from a dragon.
September 24, 2023
although there were a number of writers that I like and I did liek someo f the elements of some of the stories for the most part this collection did not draw me in
December 6, 2024
Good read. Very interesting concepts.
March 26, 2016
Fairy tales were never meant to be the exclusive purview of childhood. As Lester Del Rey notes in the Foreword to this collection, "the gate to fairyland should never be closed to anyone because of age and adulthood. So "to open it wide in welcome," he and co-editor, Risa Kessler "decided to assemble this book. "In it [they have collected stories of highly sophisticated skill, but with a sense of wonder and the love of myths and magic that were found in the classic fairy stories--truly modern fairy tales meant for mature, adult readers" (vii).
Herein, "Ten of the top writers of fantasy present their views of the ways and byways of fairyland." The reader will find among these ten tales, a tale by Asimov of "A most unusual knight and even more unusual dragon," a story of a "hermit boy [who] didn't know his pet fawn was a unicorn," by Susan Dexter, and C.J. Cherryh's tale of "Three wishes--and the strangest love story ever told" (back cover). Other writers include Terry Brooks, Katherine Kurtz, Barbara Hambly, and Anne McCaffrey.
I liked all the stories, with perhaps Kurtz's story of a fairy's love for a holy man my least favorite, and Lawrence Watt-Evans's tale of a unconventional dragonslayer my most favorite.
A good collection and if these suit the reader's fancy, I would also suggest the 6 volume series of adult, modern fairy tales collected and edited by Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling.
Herein, "Ten of the top writers of fantasy present their views of the ways and byways of fairyland." The reader will find among these ten tales, a tale by Asimov of "A most unusual knight and even more unusual dragon," a story of a "hermit boy [who] didn't know his pet fawn was a unicorn," by Susan Dexter, and C.J. Cherryh's tale of "Three wishes--and the strangest love story ever told" (back cover). Other writers include Terry Brooks, Katherine Kurtz, Barbara Hambly, and Anne McCaffrey.
I liked all the stories, with perhaps Kurtz's story of a fairy's love for a holy man my least favorite, and Lawrence Watt-Evans's tale of a unconventional dragonslayer my most favorite.
A good collection and if these suit the reader's fancy, I would also suggest the 6 volume series of adult, modern fairy tales collected and edited by Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling.
April 14, 2009
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I placed a hold on this book to get it after someone else was reading it, but as soon as I read the discription in the preface saying this was a collection for older audiances who enjoy Fairy Tales, I couldn't wait for my chance to read it! Another bonus is one of the stories is by my favorite fantasy author Anne McCaffery! :0)
Updated 4/10/09:
Well, now that I have finished this priceless collection, I have to say Anne MacCaffery's was not my favorite. I liked it and all, but I have to say the story about the young unicorn raised by a wizard apprentice was my absolute favorite. It had a kind-of "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Begeal feel to it and I almost wished it was longer. I don't want to give too much away, but this is a wonderful read for anyone who loves fairy tales, both in their youth and as adults like me. :0)
Updated 4/10/09:
Well, now that I have finished this priceless collection, I have to say Anne MacCaffery's was not my favorite. I liked it and all, but I have to say the story about the young unicorn raised by a wizard apprentice was my absolute favorite. It had a kind-of "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Begeal feel to it and I almost wished it was longer. I don't want to give too much away, but this is a wonderful read for anyone who loves fairy tales, both in their youth and as adults like me. :0)
October 10, 2014
This was the second time I read this book. This time I read it to my youngest at bedtime (took us about three months of inconsistent bedtime reading).
I loved most of these stories even the second time through and my youngest enjoyed them all. Two or three of the stories in this collection really resonated with me and I could come back and read them again and again.
I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for some modern fairy tales; not just for children.
I loved most of these stories even the second time through and my youngest enjoyed them all. Two or three of the stories in this collection really resonated with me and I could come back and read them again and again.
I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for some modern fairy tales; not just for children.
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July 8, 2016I bought this to read to my sister's kids and never got around to it.
Today, I was searching for some books-on-cd to listen to in the car and stumbled across an interesting fact. The first story (in chronological order) in Terry Brooks' "Shanarra" series is a short story titled "Imaginary Friends". It can be found in the "Once Upon A Time" anthology (subtitled "A Treasury of Modern Fairy Tales") and was sitting on my shelf since around 1991!
Today, I was searching for some books-on-cd to listen to in the car and stumbled across an interesting fact. The first story (in chronological order) in Terry Brooks' "Shanarra" series is a short story titled "Imaginary Friends". It can be found in the "Once Upon A Time" anthology (subtitled "A Treasury of Modern Fairy Tales") and was sitting on my shelf since around 1991!
April 17, 2010
This book is edited by Lester Del Rey and Risa Kessler. It is a collection of Modern Fairy tales from authors such as Isaac Asimov, Terry Brooks, C.J. Cherryh, Lester del Rey, Susan Dexter, Wayland Drew, Barbara Hambly, Katherine Kurtz, AnneMcCaffrey, and Lawrence Watt-Evans. Illustrated by Michael Pangrazio.
Delightfully modern and witty fairy tales.
Delightfully modern and witty fairy tales.
August 29, 2008
If you are a sci/fi fan this is for you, and if not it's still for you! 10 of today's top sci-fi authors wrote short stories, modern fairy tales, and they're just so cute and clever and entertaining. I mean, who doesn't love Isaac Asimov and Anne McCaffrey?
June 15, 2010
Story collections can be a mixed bag, but this is a nice mix of unique, cute, clever "fairy tale" style stories by authors that are well known and appreciated for a reason. The illustrations are awesome, too,
June 17, 2012
This is a fantastic book of wonderful stories. I would read these stories to my kids when they were in their young teens. Now in their mid to late twenties they still remember fondly reading this together on vacation and the image on the cover that takes you into the worlds inside.
February 25, 2010
I confess I have this book only because I love looking at thie pictures (one fore every story). The short stories were ok. Nothing special. But it's worth finding just to look at the pictures.
March 17, 2011
Loved most of the stories in this book. Asimov's fairy tale was by far the best in the book, and McCaffrey's was to me the dullest, but they were all quick good reads.
December 31, 2012
This book is refreshing. It is full of modern day fairy tales that are witty and new. It also has graphics that are jaw-dropping. I loved it so much, it was the Christmas gift I gave to everyone.
July 28, 2020
Really old collection of Fantasy short stories from some of the best writers of that 60's-70's era
September 3, 2011
Fantastic anthology!
December 25, 2012
Great stories and wonderful illustrations.
Read
February 28, 2015i like it
May 20, 2015
Wish these were better. Several don't really fit the "fairy tale" description.
Read
July 30, 2015Bought when it was a new release (early 90s) b/c it has a novella by ANNE McCAFFREY!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews