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Fairy Tales and Space Dreams

Jasmine Shea Townsend (Goodreads Author)

4.07 · Rating details · 14 ratings · 9 reviews

"Fairy Tales and Space Dreams" is a fantasy and science fiction anthology containing three fantasy and three sci-fi stories. The synopses of each story are as follows:

"Princess Snow White" is a retelling of Snow White whereas she has hair as white as snow and skin as black as ebony, rather than the other way around. Although the original fairy tale lends this story its bo ...more

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Paperback, 114 pages

Published 2019 by Jasmine Shea Townsend

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Mar 12, 2019 Jenna Bookish rated it really liked it

My thanks to Jasmine Shea Townsend for sending me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This collection of short stories is such a gem. It's dreamy, diverse, and super eclectic, with varying topics and styles to guarantee pretty much everyone will find something to love in it. The synopsis above will give you a good idea of what to expect with some of these stories, so I want to focus on my favorite story in the collection, The Sea and the Stars.

Moonray, an introverted wallflower of a mermaid, ditches the chaos of the Spring Equinox celebration and finds herself in the company of a fallen star. This section is short, sweet, and overwhelmingly cute. It feels like the first chapter of a sweeping love story, and the end left me wanting a full novel about these two. (Seriously, please can I get a novel? These two are so adorable!)

One of this collection's biggest strengths was the attention to representation, both in regards to race and sexual orientation. As the synopsis says, the author tackles Eurocentric beauty standards. The adaptation of Snow White definitely stands out in this regard; by changing the race of Snow White and inserting her into the household of a white queen/step mother, the dynamic between the two characters changes. Suddenly the queen's antagonism feels more rooted in reality; the story now turns towards the queen's sense of racial superiority. This made for a more compelling villain than a woman who hates a child simply because she is overcome with jealousy over her beauty.

Omega Star Genesis was another strong point. As you might guess from the name, this one fell on the science fiction side of things rather than fantasy. I always love stories which explores the nature of artificial intelligence, and this was a great example. The story also grapples with some of the complicated questions surrounding leadership, and the constant struggle to balance privacy with security and safety.

Overall, this collection was all over the place in the best possible way, with variation in topic, writing styles, and even genre. Every science fiction or fantasy fan will find something to love!

You can read all of my reviews on my blog, Jenna Bookish!
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Jun 23, 2019 Books & Quills Magazine rated it really liked it

Shelves: suzannes-reviewed-books, reviewed

"A lonely mermaid who daydreams of a fairytale ending. A spaceship captain attempting to save people from a deadly disease. An interstellar and interdimensional alien with a tortured past. These are a few of the characters that populate Jasmine Shea Townsend’s short story collection Fairy Tales and Space Dreams. Comprised of six short stories (three “Fairy Tales” and three “Space Dreams”), this collection is an intriguing journey through perception, flipped narratives, and the self.

I was first d "A lonely mermaid who daydreams of a fairytale ending. A spaceship captain attempting to save people from a deadly disease. An interstellar and interdimensional alien with a tortured past. These are a few of the characters that populate Jasmine Shea Townsend’s short story collection Fairy Tales and Space Dreams. Comprised of six short stories (three “Fairy Tales” and three “Space Dreams”), this collection is an intriguing journey through perception, flipped narratives, and the self.

I was first drawn to this collection because of Townsend’s reimagined Snow White fairy tale. In this version, Snow White has “lips as red as blood, hair as white as snow, and skin as black as ebony”. Not only does this bring diversity to a typically-white cast of characters, but it also adds an extra layer of meaning to the Queen’s disgust at Snow White being the “fairest of them all”; she can’t believe that a person who doesn’t fit her own (racist) standard of beauty could be considered fairer than herself.

One of the best aspects of Townsend’s writing in all of her stories is her physical descriptions of characters. These descriptions are utilized to convey personality and emotionality on top of the literal physical features. There is the star in “The Sea and the Stars” with her “silver skin and sleek hair” that “shone like platinum”, with a “tangible aura, the faint glow of which warmed the water around them”. There is Rapunzel, who must tie up her “huge, raven braid” and wear a “scarf to cover her nose and mouth” in order to hide her “ebony skin” and her identity as a “Night Maiden”; still, she “savored the sun on her skin, the grass under her feet, and the vastness of the bright sky”, because in hiding her appearance, she is able to venture out into the world. There is Soffialexinus Zetyld, a being with a “glitzy, lavender woman’s body” and a “bodaciously huge halo-like afro of prismatic hues and an aquamarine alicorn”; her “glittery lavender hand” is “warm and tingly, like the static of an old television screen”. These and other lovely character descriptions are key in drawing the reader into each story and keeping them interested in the journey of each character.

Though Townsend’s fairy tale retellings in this collection are delightful, they lack the polish and completeness of the other stories. In a short story collection, there are bound to be parts that are inferior, and Fairy Tales and Space Dreams is no exception. All six stories have wonderful premises, but not all seem to have been worked to their full potential. However, I did enjoy all six stories, and especially commendable is Townsend’s ability to shift her narration style to fit the needs of the story. Her fairy tale retellings are very Grimm-esque in tone and cadence, while her first-person “Space Dreams” are more anecdotal and modern.

While I was prepared for the general tone and themes of the “Fairy Tales”, I did not expect the darker and contemplative aspect of the “Space Dreams”. These exceeded my expectations, though they do not have the “Happily Ever After” that makes the first half of this collection so pleasant to read.

My favorite of the stories are the last two -- “The Cosmic Adventures of Sophie Zetyld” and “Evangelina’s Dream”. These encapsulate both ideas that this entire collection plays with: the fantastical and magical feeling of living in a world where amazing things and amazing diverse people exist, and the complex and often tragic consequences of conflict and difficult choices. Where “Rapunzel, the Night Maiden” reaches partway and ends on an unsatisfactory note, these last two stories confidently grab hold of the point they’re trying to make, and this makes them much more emotionally gripping and thought-provoking.

Though there are some weaker and unsatisfactory elements to this collection, all six stories are enjoyable, and they explore strange and difficult questions in creative ways. I highly recommend this collection to fans of speculative fiction, and I look forward to seeing what Townsend’s next project will be." -Suzanne
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Mar 12, 2019 Bug rated it it was amazing

This was honestly incredible.
First of all, I absolutely loved the writing style. The best adjective I can think of is "magical". The words used and the natural melody to the sentences was put together so beautifully. The style really suited the fantasy stories, but certainly wasn't out of place with the sci-fi, it just added an extra beautiful element to it. It made the worlds really come alive and the characters pop off the page.
I found every single story fascinating. I was invested with each This was honestly incredible.
First of all, I absolutely loved the writing style. The best adjective I can think of is "magical". The words used and the natural melody to the sentences was put together so beautifully. The style really suited the fantasy stories, but certainly wasn't out of place with the sci-fi, it just added an extra beautiful element to it. It made the worlds really come alive and the characters pop off the page.
I found every single story fascinating. I was invested with each one from its very first page, and I had the hardest time setting it down without finishing the story. The only thing I wasn't over-the-moon in love with was that I wished the stories were longer, which isn't exactly a negative. I don't tend to read many short stories and gravitate towards longer novels, so I felt like I wasn't getting enough. They still felt like completed stories, but I loved the stories and just wanted more and more and more!
I don't want to comment too much on the racial importance of these stories, because as a white person living in a predominantly white area I don't think I'm able to add to the conversation. But as a reader, I loved how refreshingly different and lovely it was to see so many black characters described so beautifully. Representation and diversity is something that needs to be improved in most stories, and when some authors do add POC they don't get nearly as much development and focus. But in these short stories, the characters' race was described as a part of their beauty. It wasn't simply "this character is black", it was describing the beauty of their skin colour and their hair and their faces and everything that went along with their race. And it wasn't done in a way that distracted from the story, it was told so naturally. Although I'm not a POC and can't relate to the lack of representation, I can only imagine how this would make young readers who can relate feel.
I read the ebook and can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy to have on my shelves forever. I loved it and I'd love to read many more stories by this author. If you like magic, incredible writing, beautiful style, representation, interesting characters, or great stories I highly recommend this book! ...more

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Apr 02, 2019 Sienna rated it liked it

True rating 3.5!

Fairy Tales and Space Dreams is a lighthearted, whimsical adventure that nevertheless explores and incorporates darker themes and issues. In general, I enjoyed the sci-fi half of the book more than the fantasy, but on the other hand, my favourite story of the bunch was "Rapunzel the Night Maiden", which essentially takes the core concept of Rapunzel--girl hidden in a tower by her mother because reasons--and uses that as a jumping-off point for an engaging story about heritage, an ...more

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May 15, 2019 R.R. Willica rated it it was amazing

I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book of short fiction which, as the title suggests, are fairy tales and science fiction. The first half of the book are retellings of classic tales of Snow White, The Little Mermaid, and Rapunzel. The second half are all original science fiction stories.

Townsend is a fantastic writer. She was able to change the voice and tone of her writing with each new tale. Moving from a classi ...more

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Mar 21, 2019 Kaya rated it really liked it

First: It's always a delight to read stories centered around a diverse cast!

Second: Um, that cover? Sa-woon.

Jasmine Shea Townsend does a great job with voice. Each story's perspective is unique, identifiable, and a perfect fit for their respective tale.

These stories are a fun read, but still have some heavier (yet important) themes woven through them. TW:(view spoiler) ...more

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Feb 19, 2019 Keshia rated it really liked it

I’m so glad I had the chance to read this short story collection by Jasmine Townsend, as I tend to enjoy retelling's of classic tales. My favorite story of the bunch has to be “Rapunzel the Night Maiden” as I found it to be a unique spin on a classic with hits of a darker plot that took place in the past, but while still being a more uplifting story. In this story, Rapunzel had dark skin and extremely long, braided hair. When she meets a boy for the first time after being locked away in her towe ...more

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Feb 15, 2019 Samantha Johnson rated it really liked it

A fun and original breath of fresh air. My favorite part of this story is the focus on black beauty which is so often overlooked and the series of shorts are incredibly diverse and entertaining.
I reccomend this story if you want an interesting and whimsical afro focused moder fairy tail adventure. I think the author has talent and would love to see more

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Mar 04, 2019 Dee rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed reading these short stories. It was a breath of fresh air on classics and new. Full of imagination. Definitely a good read!!

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About Jasmine Shea Townsend

Jasmine Shea Townsend

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Jasmine was born in Toledo, Ohio on 5 July, 1992. She was almost born on the 4th of July, but life isn't always fair.
She received her BA in 2013 from The University of Toledo with a major in creative writing and a minor in Japanese. In 2015, she earned her MA in English literature from The University of Toledo as well.
"The Comet in the Sky," an early excerpt from The Cosmic Adventures of Sophie Ze ...more