Rotten Relations

by Denise Little (Editor)

15 all-new tales of family Skeletons to make your most "evil" relatives look good!

Fifteen all-new tales by top authors told from the viewpoint of those "evil" relatives from classic fantasy and fiction. From Grendel to Santa Claus' son to Cinderella's stepmother to Hamlet's uncle and more - these wonderfully provocative tales prove there is more than one side to any story.

1 • Introduction (Rotten Relations) • (2004) • essay by Denise Little
3 • Home for the Holidays • novelette by Pauline J. Alma
25 • With a Face Only a Mother Could Love • short story by Jenn Reese
42 • Switched • novelette by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
64 • The Trick of the Tricksters Tricked • short story by Josepha Sherman
73 • Thrice Told • novelette by Von Jocks
102 • Dynasty • short story by Bill McCay
107 • Serpent's Tooth • short story by Bradley H. Sinor and Susan P. Sinor
120 • Mirror Mirror • novelette by Jacey Bedford
142 • After the Ball • novelette by Pamela Luzier
163 • Peggy Plain • short story by Devon Monk
175 • Heathcliff's Notes • novelette by David Bischoff
199 • Cuckoo's Egg • novelette by Jody Lynn Nye
220 • Rapunzel - The True Story • novelette by Robert Sheckley
246 • Among the Stars • short story by Susan Sizemore
265 • King of Shreds and Patches • novelette by P. N. Elrod

Genres: Fantasy, Anthologies, Short Stories, Shakespeare

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 7, 2004

About the author

Denise Little is an editor for Tekno Books.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great selection of stories, including Nina Kirki Hoffman, who prompts me to buy more anthologies...

"The Trick of the Tricksters Tricked" by Josepha Sherman read 2/18/2005
♥ "Switched" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman read 2/19/2005 (collected in Permeable Borders) RE-read 7/7/2015 and again 10/7/2015
"Dynasty" by Bill McCoy read 2/20/2005
"Thrice Told" by Von Jocks read 2/22/2005
"With a Face Only a Mother Could Love by Jenn Reese read
"Serpent's Tooth" by Susan P. & Bradley H. Sinor read 2/23/2005
"Mirror, Mirror" by Jacey Bedford read 2/24/2005
"After the Ball" by Pamela Luzier read 5/25/2005
"Peggy Plain" by Devon Monk read 2/27/2005
"Among the Stars" by Susan Sizemore read 3/2/2005
"Home for the Holidays" bu Pauline J. Alma 3/14/2005
"Razunzel--The True Story" by Robert Sheckley read 3/21/2005
"Heathcliffe's Notes" by David Bischoff read 3/22/2005
"Cuckoo's Egg" by Jody Lynn Nye read 3/23/2005
"King of Shreds & Patches" by P.N. Elrod read 3/24/2005 (included in her Lunch Time Reading collection)

[Jenn]

Contains my story "With a Face Only a Mother Could Love."

[R.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of BookRiot's 2021 Read Harder Challenge. The task was "Read a book with a cover you don't like."

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Were it not for the Hamlet story, the Egyptian one, and the one about Cinderella, this would have been a one star book. This was also a reminder that I do not like short stories.

[Dhfan4life · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really nice collection of 15 short stories over various fairy tales and classic stories. Although admittedly at first given the cover I thought this was going to be a kind of horror set of stories as the cover did not look like it would be a soft and fluffy little read. Yea 3 witchy ladies stewing a guy in a big cauldron didn't seem like it was screaming good times, lol. But it was a really nice read if you are sitting in the doctor's office or waiting for someone for an extended period of time. Mind you the qualties and re-tellings of some of these stories are not up there with Beastly or Red Riding Hood. More along the short simple stories you might find in a quick super market pick up. But still pretty enjoyable.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I thought this was a short story horror novel. I was pleasantly surprised to see this was like an alternate history for fairy tales/fables. I really enjoyed the tales about Cinderella, Rapunzel and Beowulf. There was even rather humourous tale about Santa's son. There were two stories I never finished. One was about ancient Egypt. The other was the last story (but I can't remember what it was about.)

[Jacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

My story, Mirror Mirror, is in here - an alternate take on Snow White's wicked stepmum. It's ore like Snow White meets Six Wives of Henry VIII. Of course the story was all written and the book at the printers when the novel 'Mirror Mirror' came out. Yes, you guessed it, about Snow White's wicked stepmum. Ah, well, it just goes to show that you can't keep a good idea down.

Note: the five stars is for all the other great stories in the book, of course.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories in the collection are forgetable, but there are good ones as well. Most of the stories have a sense of humor. Josepha Sherman, Von Jacks, and Bedford's tales are worth reading.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked that this book could be read in one day. I didn't like some of the stories. Not something that I would want to read again.