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The Beastly Bride: Tales of the Animal People
What do werewolves, vampires, and the Little Mermaid have in common? They are all shapechangers. In The Beastly Bride , acclaimed editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling bring together original stories and poems from a stellar lineup of authors including Peter S. Beagle, Ellen Kushner, Jane Yolen, Lucius Shepard, and Tanith Lee, as well as many new, diverse voices. Terri Windling provides a scholarly, yet accessible introduction, and Charles Vess?s decorations open each story. From Finland to India, the Pacific Northwest to the Hamptons, shapechangers are part of our magical landscape?and The Beastly Bride is sure to be one of the most acclaimed anthologies of the year.
504 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2010
60 people are currently reading
1371 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Datlow
278 books1,876 followersEllen Datlow has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for forty years as fiction editor of OMNI Magazine and editor of Event Horizon and SCIFICTION. She currently acquires short stories and novellas for Tor.com. In addition, she has edited about one hundred science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthologies, including the annual The Best Horror of the Year series, The Doll Collection, Mad Hatters and March Hares, The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea, Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories, Edited By, and Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
June 9, 2017
Not a bad anthology overall, but not an outstanding one either, despite having some big names as contributors, such as Gaiman, Lee, Yolen, etc., who don't seem to have turned up their best effort, if the quality is any indication.
Some of them don't even seem to have quite got what an "Animal Bride" archetype stands for exactly, or decided to interpret it rather loosely and unorthodoxically, like Christopher Barzak with his short story Map of Seventeen, in which he baffingly interprets the animality of the character, who is fully and 100% human, not cursed, nor deformed, nor meta-human, nor hybrid, as the perception urban dwellers have of rural people. In other words, that city boys see country folks as "animals" because of their lack of sophistication. Hmmm, reminds me of that tremendous faux pas of equating a Native American to a Beast because of ethnicity, and while the author may have thought it made sense, it's a rather unfortunate simile.
Anyway, I couldn't find as many short stories to my taste in this anthology as I'd hoped. The few I would cite that I liked best were:
- "The Puma's Daughter" by Tanith Lee, which would be her 4th attempt at retelling a Beauty & Beast/Animal Bride-themed fairy tale (and that confirmed my guess that Lee envisioned the Beast as a feline, because 2 in 4 retellings by her that I read had feline Beasts. She sure loved cats, big and small!).
-"The Abominable Child's Tale" by Carol Emshwiller, a bittersweet story based on the Bigfoot legend. The style is like a YA "Harry and the Hendersons" story, but not as happy.
- "Coyote and Valorosa" by Terra L. Gearhart-Serna, which is the most fairy tale-like story of all, and appears to be set in an indeterminate Colonial setting (back when part of the US belonged to the Spanish crown), and is also very reminiscent of the traditional Beauty and the Beast, mixed with local lore and legends (the Beast is a coyote). I do wish, however, that the author had toned down her overenthusiasm for using Spanish phrases and terms of endearment excessively and unnecessarily, probably trying to make the story sound more "culturally authentic," but that had quite a distracting effect because she'd insist in translating each and every single word and phrase, with the result being that too many things were said twice over: once in Spanish and again in English, side by side. Too much clutter.
The three above I'd rate four stars each, but the anthology as a whole I'd rate somewhat lower. It's worth a read in any case, and other readers might like many more stories than I did.
Some of them don't even seem to have quite got what an "Animal Bride" archetype stands for exactly, or decided to interpret it rather loosely and unorthodoxically, like Christopher Barzak with his short story Map of Seventeen, in which he baffingly interprets the animality of the character, who is fully and 100% human, not cursed, nor deformed, nor meta-human, nor hybrid, as the perception urban dwellers have of rural people. In other words, that city boys see country folks as "animals" because of their lack of sophistication. Hmmm, reminds me of that tremendous faux pas of equating a Native American to a Beast because of ethnicity, and while the author may have thought it made sense, it's a rather unfortunate simile.
Anyway, I couldn't find as many short stories to my taste in this anthology as I'd hoped. The few I would cite that I liked best were:
- "The Puma's Daughter" by Tanith Lee, which would be her 4th attempt at retelling a Beauty & Beast/Animal Bride-themed fairy tale (and that confirmed my guess that Lee envisioned the Beast as a feline, because 2 in 4 retellings by her that I read had feline Beasts. She sure loved cats, big and small!).
-"The Abominable Child's Tale" by Carol Emshwiller, a bittersweet story based on the Bigfoot legend. The style is like a YA "Harry and the Hendersons" story, but not as happy.
- "Coyote and Valorosa" by Terra L. Gearhart-Serna, which is the most fairy tale-like story of all, and appears to be set in an indeterminate Colonial setting (back when part of the US belonged to the Spanish crown), and is also very reminiscent of the traditional Beauty and the Beast, mixed with local lore and legends (the Beast is a coyote). I do wish, however, that the author had toned down her overenthusiasm for using Spanish phrases and terms of endearment excessively and unnecessarily, probably trying to make the story sound more "culturally authentic," but that had quite a distracting effect because she'd insist in translating each and every single word and phrase, with the result being that too many things were said twice over: once in Spanish and again in English, side by side. Too much clutter.
The three above I'd rate four stars each, but the anthology as a whole I'd rate somewhat lower. It's worth a read in any case, and other readers might like many more stories than I did.
February 16, 2019
Yet another outstanding anthology by Datlow & Windling! Not only did the contributors weave beautiful stories based on ancient myths, but most managed to also include phenomenal characterizations of gender fluidity and the honest intricacies of human relationships! I loved every minute of this book and found some new authors in the process! A+!
My “top five” stories were:
Map of Seventeen
The Hikikomori
Ganesha
Pishaach
The Children of the Shark God
My “top five” stories were:
Map of Seventeen
The Hikikomori
Ganesha
Pishaach
The Children of the Shark God
August 30, 2010
I am a fan of short stories. Don’t run away! I felt the need to place that command right there because I know many of you (my dear readers) are NOT into short stories. Well, I have a solution. Or correction, or whatever. It has two steps, and is guaranteed to create a love for short stories. Want to know what it is?
Okay, since you asked nicely, I offer the Official Cecelia Bedelia Recipe for Inspiring Short Story Love. Step 1 – read an Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling anthology. Step 2 – if you haven’t already, lose your attention span. It’s easy to do, really. Just surf the web, click from channel to channel on the television, and try not to focus very hard on any one thing. If you find yourself slipping, I recommend drinking coffee, perusing magazines half-heartedly and people-watching in crowded public places. THEN, when you’ve whittled it down (your concentration level), short stories will be the perfect length. You’ll be able to pick up an anthology, read one entry, and put it back down, all with the satisfaction of having finished an entire story. Genius, eh?
So obviously step 2 is hogwash, but I do recommend step 1 for creating a love for the short story form. Datlow and Windling draw from the best authors, and their collections are always top notch.
I felt that all of the stories in this anthology were strong, and many were stunning. Amazing quality across the board. BUT. Several entries created such evocative images that they will stay with me for a long time, perhaps forever. I can’t review each story, but I can say a little bit about a couple of them in the hopes that you’ll pick up this book too. It is certainly worthy.
“The Puma’s Daughter” by Tanith Lee – It was beautiful for its characterization of the wild nature of a girl and an animal. Also eloquently described one young man’s distrust of that wildness. Set in a fascinating fantasy world.
“The Selkie Speaks” by Delia Sherman – There were a couple of poetry pieces included in this anthology. This one poem was a simple paean to the mythical selkie and the different ways in which humans interact with nature.
“The Hikikomori” by Hiromi Goto – A haunting tale of human-to-animal transformation, and a commentary on acute social anxiety and withdrawal. It also addressed the continuing trend of forgetting and abandoning the rituals of the past, and how small actions can mend a larger world.
“The Comeuppance of Creegus Maxin” by Gregory Frost – A much-needed humorous piece, that added both light and dark tale flavors to the anthology. Witty, clever, odd and wonderful, set in 19th century America.
“Pishaach” by Shweta Narayan – A sinuous tale of a snake-shifter and an isolated girl who can only communicate through silence music, set in India.
“The Flock” by Lucius Shepard – A mysterious, atmospheric tale reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. About life in and moving past small-towns, and growing up to realize that not all friends and friendships are created equal.
Recommended for: those interested in myth, story-telling, fantasy and fairy tales from every corner of the world, and the ways in which each tale is told over in different ways in different places. Beautiful, sinister, strange, breathtaking, and altogether awesome.
Okay, since you asked nicely, I offer the Official Cecelia Bedelia Recipe for Inspiring Short Story Love. Step 1 – read an Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling anthology. Step 2 – if you haven’t already, lose your attention span. It’s easy to do, really. Just surf the web, click from channel to channel on the television, and try not to focus very hard on any one thing. If you find yourself slipping, I recommend drinking coffee, perusing magazines half-heartedly and people-watching in crowded public places. THEN, when you’ve whittled it down (your concentration level), short stories will be the perfect length. You’ll be able to pick up an anthology, read one entry, and put it back down, all with the satisfaction of having finished an entire story. Genius, eh?
So obviously step 2 is hogwash, but I do recommend step 1 for creating a love for the short story form. Datlow and Windling draw from the best authors, and their collections are always top notch.
I felt that all of the stories in this anthology were strong, and many were stunning. Amazing quality across the board. BUT. Several entries created such evocative images that they will stay with me for a long time, perhaps forever. I can’t review each story, but I can say a little bit about a couple of them in the hopes that you’ll pick up this book too. It is certainly worthy.
“The Puma’s Daughter” by Tanith Lee – It was beautiful for its characterization of the wild nature of a girl and an animal. Also eloquently described one young man’s distrust of that wildness. Set in a fascinating fantasy world.
“The Selkie Speaks” by Delia Sherman – There were a couple of poetry pieces included in this anthology. This one poem was a simple paean to the mythical selkie and the different ways in which humans interact with nature.
“The Hikikomori” by Hiromi Goto – A haunting tale of human-to-animal transformation, and a commentary on acute social anxiety and withdrawal. It also addressed the continuing trend of forgetting and abandoning the rituals of the past, and how small actions can mend a larger world.
“The Comeuppance of Creegus Maxin” by Gregory Frost – A much-needed humorous piece, that added both light and dark tale flavors to the anthology. Witty, clever, odd and wonderful, set in 19th century America.
“Pishaach” by Shweta Narayan – A sinuous tale of a snake-shifter and an isolated girl who can only communicate through silence music, set in India.
“The Flock” by Lucius Shepard – A mysterious, atmospheric tale reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. About life in and moving past small-towns, and growing up to realize that not all friends and friendships are created equal.
Recommended for: those interested in myth, story-telling, fantasy and fairy tales from every corner of the world, and the ways in which each tale is told over in different ways in different places. Beautiful, sinister, strange, breathtaking, and altogether awesome.
don-t-count
June 29, 2024Even I know that's not how you use colons.
January 16, 2012
At least as far as genre fiction goes, Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling may just be the best editors/anthologists currently working. Together or individually, their anthologies usually manage to feature a wide variety of authors and story-telling styles under whatever theme they are gathering stories for.
The Beastly Bride is the fourth volume in what they call their "mythic fiction" series, "each volume dedicated to a different aspect of world mythology." (The previous volumes were The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest; The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm; and The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales.) This time out, the focus is clearly on shape-shifters of all sorts: gods masquerading as human to woo humans, animal spirits taking human form, humans who can transform into animals for any number of reasons, and in one case animals that don't really bother to even pretend they're human in order to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting community.
Clocking in at 500 pages, there is bound to be something to appeal to everyone in the book but of course not every story will work for every reader. That's the blessing, and the curse, of short story collections. My favorite stories were Steve Berman's "Thimbleriggery & Fledglings," Lucius Shepard's "The Flock," Ellen Kushner's "The Children of Cadmus," Tanith Lee's "The Puma's Daughter," E. Catherine Tobler's "Island Lake," and Gregory Frost's "The Comeuppance of Creegus Maxin."
The Beastly Bride is the fourth volume in what they call their "mythic fiction" series, "each volume dedicated to a different aspect of world mythology." (The previous volumes were The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest; The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm; and The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales.) This time out, the focus is clearly on shape-shifters of all sorts: gods masquerading as human to woo humans, animal spirits taking human form, humans who can transform into animals for any number of reasons, and in one case animals that don't really bother to even pretend they're human in order to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting community.
Clocking in at 500 pages, there is bound to be something to appeal to everyone in the book but of course not every story will work for every reader. That's the blessing, and the curse, of short story collections. My favorite stories were Steve Berman's "Thimbleriggery & Fledglings," Lucius Shepard's "The Flock," Ellen Kushner's "The Children of Cadmus," Tanith Lee's "The Puma's Daughter," E. Catherine Tobler's "Island Lake," and Gregory Frost's "The Comeuppance of Creegus Maxin."
October 19, 2016
One or two clinkers, and too YA, full of melodramatic melancholy, but definitely worth reading if you're interested. Plenty of lovely writing. Some stories didn't deviate far from their inspiration, while others were entirely original, so, whichever you prefer, it's here. I found the ones by Nan Fry, Richard Bowes, and Midori Snyder most intriguing & worthy.
Stewart Moore's story wasn't the best, but it did have a great line: "Every one of you knows the wonders that God made in the six days of Genesis. But have you seen what his hands made in those same six nights, in the dark, when no one was looking?"
Stewart Moore's story wasn't the best, but it did have a great line: "Every one of you knows the wonders that God made in the six days of Genesis. But have you seen what his hands made in those same six nights, in the dark, when no one was looking?"
June 29, 2012
Every anthology is a mixed bag, especially when the stories are collected from many authors. Luckily, this is a very nice mix overall. I can't think of a single story that I really disliked, and most of the stories were quite good. For me, the two best were Tanith Lee's The Puma's Daughter and Peter S. Beagle's The Children of the Shark God. There are a lot of great stories in here besides those, though, and I was pleased that merfolk/selkies were well represented.
November 11, 2013
Full Review at Booklikes
Not all the stories in this collection are stand-outs, and not all, thankfully, have to do with brides. Datlow and Windling, however, should get a huge round of applause and much credit for bringing back the female beast and male looker instead of just staying to the whole typical Beauty and the Beast format.
Stand out stories include:
“Puma’s Daughter” by Tanith Lee.
Not all the stories in this collection are stand-outs, and not all, thankfully, have to do with brides. Datlow and Windling, however, should get a huge round of applause and much credit for bringing back the female beast and male looker instead of just staying to the whole typical Beauty and the Beast format.
Stand out stories include:
“Puma’s Daughter” by Tanith Lee.
March 17, 2020
Чи не найбільше мені сподобався вступ до збірки: тут упорядники розказали про традицію історій про перевертнів а також про складну долю казки "Красуня і чудовисько". Самі оповідання переосмислюють образи та сюжети казок і легенд на тему перевертнів, вони дуже різні стилічтично, але всі дуже приємні.
October 20, 2010
The trick for the editors in a themed anthology is to choose a subject that is inclusive enough to give the a variety of writers their individual choices in setting, characters and theme but that is tight enough so that the book is cohesive. In the latest addition to their series that began with "The Green Man" and includes, "The Faery Reel" and "The Coyote Road", editors Windling and Datlow manage to include Marly Youman's tale of a rural glassblower encounter with a salamander and Lucius Shepard's high school football players in a local curse, Peter Beagle's shark god's wife and children and Christopher Barzak's artist returning home with an aquatic boyfriend.
July 28, 2021
It's exactly what it says on the cover - a collection of tales featuring "animal people". Some of the stories have a bit of a traditional folklorey flavour, but others are modern. Most of them do not have any point to them. As in, you are told that Person A is an animal person, blah blah blah, then story ends. Could you have gone without reading it? Most definitely. Some of the stories were mildly interesting, but most were unsatisfying, since they went nowhere.
July 14, 2010
A good collection as to be expected from the Mythic Anthology series put together by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. However it's not as strong as The Faerie Reel or The Coyote Road (the previous two anthologies in the series). The stories at times suffer from being too similar to their mythological source.
The beauty of this series is that the stories are such fresh and inventive takes on older themes so for the stories to be too close to their inspiration is merely disappointing in this case. However, the fact that the worst thing I can say is that some of the fiction in this book is derivative still goes to demonstrate just how good the book is. The stories that are as innovative as I hoped are beautiful and amazing works of fiction. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
The beauty of this series is that the stories are such fresh and inventive takes on older themes so for the stories to be too close to their inspiration is merely disappointing in this case. However, the fact that the worst thing I can say is that some of the fiction in this book is derivative still goes to demonstrate just how good the book is. The stories that are as innovative as I hoped are beautiful and amazing works of fiction. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
September 24, 2010
I really liked the story "The Children of Cadmus" because I love Greek mythology and love the goddess Artemis. I also really liked "Thimbleriggery and Fledglings" because I love the tale of Swan Lake. I also enjoyed the poems. The other stories I liked to varying extents, but overall I liked the anthology.
November 20, 2012
I am never disappointed by anthologies from Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, but The Beastly Bride is even more enjoyable because it enters my favorite territory--shapeshifting--and includes many of the authors I like best--Peter S. Beagle, Ellen Kushner, Jane Yolen--and introduces me to new ones. As usual, Windling shares her knowledge of mythology in the introduction.
April 22, 2024
После проходных "Легенд о призраках" решил взяться за следующую антологию Элен Датлоу - "Невесту зверя".
Рассказы из сборника поведают нам про множество ситуаций, когда звери-оборотни связывают свою жизнь с людьми (чаще всего с женщинами). Большая часть рассказов заимствует сюжеты из старых проверенных временем сказок, но развивают или дополняют их, то есть назвать их полной калькой я бы не стал. Тематика довольно интересная для меня, такие сказки я люблю.
Но у Датлоу, не мой взгляд, не получилось и на этот раз. У Датлоу не получилось найти хороших толковых авторов, а у авторов не получилось придумать интересные захватывающие сюжеты. Большая часть авторов, чьи рассказы вошли в сборник, для меня полные ноунеймы. Кто-то преподает в универе, кто-то написал вместо курсовой сказку... Получился такой очень "американский" сборник. Винегрет всяческих идей и сказок из разных частей мира. Кто-то тянет сюжет оттуда, откуда он родом - Мексика, Индия, Северная Америка, Япония и т.д. и т.п. Разный цвет кожи, разный пол. Да, часть авторов решили развить тему однополых отношений. К сожалению, в основном все для галочки, чтобы просто было. Например, в одном рассказе вся магия и волшебство заключается только в том, что возлюбленный парня - тритон. Если тритона заменить на человека, тогда вообще не понятно, о чем рассказ и причем тут фэнтези.
Часть рассказов становится понятна только после прочтения послесловия от автора, в котором он объясняет, что хотел сказать и с чего брал идеи для сюжета.
Запомнились только 3 рассказа (все получили от меня 7 баллов). "Дочь пумы" - самый лучший рассказ от автора, которую я знаю - Танит Ли. Невесты в нем нету, но есть муж и пума, у которой есть только одна цель - родить ребенка. А от кого - какая разница? "Хикикомори" - на эмоции повлияла только моя любовь к Японии (а термин хикикомори именно оттуда). Рассказ о магическом превращении в мышь. "Огонь саламандры" - запутанный рассказ о саламандре, появившейся из огня, и пленившей своей красотой кузнеца.
Остальные рассказы для меня сплошные пятерки и шестерки, которые мало чем меня зацепили, поэтому и не сильно запомнились.
Сборник - проходняк и разочарование. Читать только если совсем читать больше нечего. 5/10
Рассказы из сборника поведают нам про множество ситуаций, когда звери-оборотни связывают свою жизнь с людьми (чаще всего с женщинами). Большая часть рассказов заимствует сюжеты из старых проверенных временем сказок, но развивают или дополняют их, то есть назвать их полной калькой я бы не стал. Тематика довольно интересная для меня, такие сказки я люблю.
Но у Датлоу, не мой взгляд, не получилось и на этот раз. У Датлоу не получилось найти хороших толковых авторов, а у авторов не получилось придумать интересные захватывающие сюжеты. Большая часть авторов, чьи рассказы вошли в сборник, для меня полные ноунеймы. Кто-то преподает в универе, кто-то написал вместо курсовой сказку... Получился такой очень "американский" сборник. Винегрет всяческих идей и сказок из разных частей мира. Кто-то тянет сюжет оттуда, откуда он родом - Мексика, Индия, Северная Америка, Япония и т.д. и т.п. Разный цвет кожи, разный пол. Да, часть авторов решили развить тему однополых отношений. К сожалению, в основном все для галочки, чтобы просто было. Например, в одном рассказе вся магия и волшебство заключается только в том, что возлюбленный парня - тритон. Если тритона заменить на человека, тогда вообще не понятно, о чем рассказ и причем тут фэнтези.
Часть рассказов становится понятна только после прочтения послесловия от автора, в котором он объясняет, что хотел сказать и с чего брал идеи для сюжета.
Запомнились только 3 рассказа (все получили от меня 7 баллов). "Дочь пумы" - самый лучший рассказ от автора, которую я знаю - Танит Ли. Невесты в нем нету, но есть муж и пума, у которой есть только одна цель - родить ребенка. А от кого - какая разница? "Хикикомори" - на эмоции повлияла только моя любовь к Японии (а термин хикикомори именно оттуда). Рассказ о магическом превращении в мышь. "Огонь саламандры" - запутанный рассказ о саламандре, появившейся из огня, и пленившей своей красотой кузнеца.
Остальные рассказы для меня сплошные пятерки и шестерки, которые мало чем меня зацепили, поэтому и не сильно запомнились.
Сборник - проходняк и разочарование. Читать только если совсем читать больше нечего. 5/10
April 30, 2024
I enjoyed almost all the stories in this book. I still do not quite understand poetry, but even those I enjoyed regardless.
You might think that having one theme in a book would make it boring, but you would be wrong. The stories in this felt very different from each other despite the similar overarching theme, and I really enjoyed the often female-centric views (which is not really surprising when the editors are both women), especially in the retellings or new versions of old, traditional tales and folklore where such a view has not been very common. Well, I mean it is now, but this book also came out well before the current "Retellings from a feminist perspective" hype started.
I'm so very glad that Johanna Sinisalo, the reason I bought this book (for my Master's Thesis), is in such good company here.
I also remembered how much I love reading short stories, it's been a while.
You might think that having one theme in a book would make it boring, but you would be wrong. The stories in this felt very different from each other despite the similar overarching theme, and I really enjoyed the often female-centric views (which is not really surprising when the editors are both women), especially in the retellings or new versions of old, traditional tales and folklore where such a view has not been very common. Well, I mean it is now, but this book also came out well before the current "Retellings from a feminist perspective" hype started.
I'm so very glad that Johanna Sinisalo, the reason I bought this book (for my Master's Thesis), is in such good company here.
I also remembered how much I love reading short stories, it's been a while.
April 19, 2024
I read Marly Youmans' salamander story and ultimately only Marly Youmans' salamander story but there's no other way to note it. An interesting read when my only other Marly story is Glimmerglass (a favorite), but I liked the flavor. It made me very...I gotta come up with a phrase for this...like a bird nesting, there were so many magpie-bright things I wanted to grab and carry home and build into something else. Inspiring to say the least!
May 7, 2024
One of the most fantastic collections on the topic! The editors took great care of making sure women were either the protagonists or the propulsive force of the story, revealing a whole new shade of narrative where the feminine aspect is deeply explored in all its nuances without being limited to the erotic tropes.
No tale is similar to the other, no setting tries to imitate the other, and the book is further enriched by contributions of several cultures around the world.
No tale is similar to the other, no setting tries to imitate the other, and the book is further enriched by contributions of several cultures around the world.
May 5, 2019
Hard to rate an anthology, as each story is by a different author. Some I liked and some I didn’t like. Some were 5 stars, especially the poem about the selkies and the story of Ganesh and how our thoughts can be distractions that prevent us from creativity. I was not a fan of the story that heavily reliant on football, or the one that had way too many details about being a smithy. I enjoyed the diversity of origins for the stories - India and Hawaii and any places in between.
dnf
September 6, 2021DNF at 35%, so no star rating. I was not enjoying this, so I moved on to something else, intending to come back and finish it. My library borrow expired and I do not feel inclined to check it out again.
August 16, 2017
Excellent stories - new takes on folk tales of the intersection between animal and human -- what happens when they are blurred
November 30, 2017
Lots of interesting stories here, and lots of variety. The plots and ideas came from many places and went many places.
January 30, 2021
A good anthology, but definitely the weakest of Datlow/Windling's Mythic Fiction series.
January 11, 2023
A good read
May 17, 2023
Short story collection
December 11, 2023
The retellings weren't to my liking. The only one that interested me was the selkie poem because selkies are fascinating and I really like the movie "Song of the Sea."
February 12, 2025
I only read the Tanith Lee.
June 24, 2019
2.5 -> 2
Some stories were really weak, others were so-so, and the standouts were really enjoyable. Sadly, this is the fate of anthologies.
Some stories were really weak, others were so-so, and the standouts were really enjoyable. Sadly, this is the fate of anthologies.
June 15, 2022
Oof. This book was honestly a snooze-fest for me. I’ve never really been a “short story gal”, so if anyone would like to offer up some good short story books, I’ll give them a try. A friend had lent this book to me, saying I’d love it. When he told me they were romance stories I was like YEAH!!! But then I realized, his idea of a love story, and mine, are entirely different. Just not for me.
February 26, 2014
Review from November 8, 2012
“The Abominable Child’s Tale" by Carol Emschwiller is about happens when the title character leaves her mountaintop home for the suburbs. “The Children of Cadmus” by Ellen Kushner is about Acteon and his sister. “The Comeuppance of Creegus Maxin” by Gregory Frost features a phouka. A very nice collection.
Review from 2/25/14
My favorite-est writers who are usually in these volumes, either aren’t, or their stories aren’t worth mentioning. “The Abominable Child’s Tale” by Carol Emshwiller is about the orphaned preteen daughter of a human and the abominable snowman who ends up in the suburbs, looking for community. Salim’s loyalty is rewarded in “The Monkey Bride” by Midori Snyder. His father, the emir, picked a bride for him when he was born. She loves someone else now. “’I call upon the hunter’s right to let my spear find a wife for me.’ And with that, he had cast his spear far out into the desert.” (290)The spear lands in a tree a female girda (monkey) lives in. “The Salamander Fire” by Marly Youmans is about a glassblower Xan, who creates a living salamander in his oven. “The Flock” by Lucius Shepard takes place in a small town in South Carolina ruled by its football rivalries, lack of opportunity and killer grackles. This is a fun collection!
“The Abominable Child’s Tale" by Carol Emschwiller is about happens when the title character leaves her mountaintop home for the suburbs. “The Children of Cadmus” by Ellen Kushner is about Acteon and his sister. “The Comeuppance of Creegus Maxin” by Gregory Frost features a phouka. A very nice collection.
Review from 2/25/14
My favorite-est writers who are usually in these volumes, either aren’t, or their stories aren’t worth mentioning. “The Abominable Child’s Tale” by Carol Emshwiller is about the orphaned preteen daughter of a human and the abominable snowman who ends up in the suburbs, looking for community. Salim’s loyalty is rewarded in “The Monkey Bride” by Midori Snyder. His father, the emir, picked a bride for him when he was born. She loves someone else now. “’I call upon the hunter’s right to let my spear find a wife for me.’ And with that, he had cast his spear far out into the desert.” (290)The spear lands in a tree a female girda (monkey) lives in. “The Salamander Fire” by Marly Youmans is about a glassblower Xan, who creates a living salamander in his oven. “The Flock” by Lucius Shepard takes place in a small town in South Carolina ruled by its football rivalries, lack of opportunity and killer grackles. This is a fun collection!
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