2012 Challenge Suggestions

[Eleanor]

There are many fantasy novels using Asian myth and folklore, but fewer that retell the fairy tale as we think of it from a European perspective. Kara Dalkey's The Nightingale is probably the best example, it's part of a "Fairy Tale" fantasy series and the only one with an Asian setting. There are some Chinese Cinderella stories (the earliest form of this fairy tale comes from China), including several books by Adeline Yen Mah.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is an excellent choice; it incorporates many Chinese folktales and legends and is a delightful story. Another Chinese-set folklore novel is The Fairy of Ku-She by M. Lucie Chin.

For Arabian settings, these are a bit further afield but Catherynne M. Valente's In the Night Garden and In the Cities of Coin and Spice have an "Arabian Nights" flavor. And Tanith Lee's series starting with Night's Master are very evocative of myth and folklore.

[Melanti]

That's interesting, Jalilah. Well, I can't argue with how people think of themselves. So, given that, I'd say Russian tales wouldn't count as Asian - they'd be European. (Sorry for all the off-topic recs!)

I've always just thought that Russia is mostly above China and China was Asian, so therefore Russia must be Asian, even if the culture is completely different. Looking at a demographic map, though, it looks like the majority of the population lives in the European portion. That explains a lot.

There's probably thousands of collections and shorter retellings of Asian tales, especially when you get into children's picture books. I just usually want novel length retellings. And I do want to read Arabian Nights one of these days. If you have an e-reader, Jalilah, you can get the complete version online. I was shocked at how long the unabridged versions are!

Thanks for the recs, Eleanor. I'll keep an eye out for some of those books.

I love anything by Valente - she can do no wrong in my mind. In the Night Garden and In the Cities of Coin and Spice are definitely heavily influenced by the Arabian Nights - it's got a similar Scheherazade storyteller format - but I wouldn't call it a retelling, exactly. (To give her another plug, her Silently and Very Fast is an excellent sci-fi fairy tale.)

[Christine]

I find myself agreeing with Jalilah. However, if Beth (or anyone else) is having trouble finding Asian ones, we're take Russia as Asian in particular some of Ekaterina Sedia is more USSR in feel than Russian.

The problem seems to be finding Asian stories, is that? How about Mulan? There are a couple retellings and there is the actual poem itself. There is Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was which draw heavily from Chinese legend and is the start of a series. If we count Kitsune, than Kelley Armstrong's short story collection Men of the Otherworld will count.

[Christine]

Here are some more suggests for Asian tales.

Many of Andrew Lang's collections have Asia tales. There is Lafcadio Hearn has a few collections of Asian stories, mostly Chinese and Japanese (also copyright is up on these, so if you have an ereader you can get some for free).

Folktales of the Amur: Stories from the Russian Far East is the Russian area that most would consider Asian.

Lian Hearn has a series that is set in feudal Japan. There is a legendary feel to them, so they are considered acceptable for the challenge.

There is Binu and the Great Wall.

The work of Miyuki Miyabe, at least her fantasy (slightly YA) work has a fairy tale feel to it.

Kitty's Big Trouble makes use of Chinese myth/legend.

[Christine]

Actually Phillip, I was just going to ask you and Anne to move the Snow White section discusion to the promotion section. This thread is for the reading challenge.

I'm sorry if it sounds mean. I don't mean to.

Please, Philip feel free to promote all you want in the promotions section. It looks interesting.

[Anne]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spam this section - just got carried away...

Chris, don't worry, that didn't sound mean. Actually I'm glad everyone is so friendly here. I have to admit I only saw the promotion section too late.

Again, sorry! And now I'll delete those posts :)

[Christine]

You don't have to delete, just move. Please put it in the promotions.

And Anne, I didn't consider it spam. Just a mistake, which happens.

Philip and Anne, BTW, you can add the book to the bookshelf for this group. There is a special shelf for goodreads authors for this.

[Philip]

Sorry, I didn't see a "move" option - unless you meant good, old-fashioned copy+paste?

I have added the book to the goodreadsauthors bookshelf (thanks for the suggestion) and to the Snow-White bookshelf (hope that's okay). Additionally there was a compulsory third shelf choice (to read, currently reading, read); I put it in the "to read" shelf but you can move or delete it from there, of course, as you see fit. :-)

[Melanti]

Would Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess count as a biography of an artist?

It's more like a retrospective of his career than a traditional biography. It's 95% artwork and barely mentions any personal life. But it does cover where he went to school, who he studied under, what studios he worked for, what authors/editors he's worked with, how he comes up with his compositions, etc.

It's an absolutely gorgeous book, in any case. He's worked on a lot of obscure/limited edition projects and this book is practically the only way ever see some of these paintings.

[Christine]

Yes, it would count.

[Melanti]

Chris, I just noticed you said that Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was drew heavily from Chinese legend. Do you know what legend(s)? I looked when I read it because I was so sure it had to be inspired by something in particular, but I couldn't find any information about it. I just assumed that Hugart was really good at making up convincing legends of his own.

(For those of you who haven't read it, it's an excellent book!)

[Christine]

The story you want to find is "Cowherd and Weaver Girl". That seems to be the main source.

[Melanti]

Thanks. That'll come in handy for when I re-read it.

[Leah]

I would like to participate in the challenge - I have three categories done - but I have a question.

Do you consider Alice in Wonderland a fairy tale? I've read a lot of discussion on other sites: some academics / scholars are adamant it is not; others say it is. Where does it fall with this group and the challenge rules?

I ask because I have two retellings/reimaginings of Alice that I'll be reading this month: Alice in Deadland and The Looking Glass Wars.

P.S. I wasn't sure where to post this, so if this is the wrong place, I apologize.

[Christine]

Leah, this is the right place. I would, at the very least, consider Alice as fairy tale influenced so it would work for the challenge. But hey, you have raised a very good question. Let's start a thread about.

But please use it for the challenge. I would think it would count.

[Eleanor]

I'm not finding too many titles for the "mystery" category (but thanks for the earlier suggestions in this thread!), and am wondering if Lisa Goldstein's The Uncertain Places might qualify. This is set in our world present day, with the premise that one of the stories the Grimms collected and wrote down was stolen before publication as it's a real, ongoing tale. The book won the 2012 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature last month; it's quite good.

[Melanti]

The Uncertain Places is a very good book. Even though they're not explicitly "investigating" anything, I think there's enough researching and poking noses into things to qualify as a mystery.

[Christine]

It sounds fine Eleanor. It does sound intersting. Thanks for mentioning it.