Product Description
A collection of short works of fantasy and horror. Drawing on a very wide variety of sources, the editors have put together a selection of stories from arguably today's best story writers, including Gene Wolf, Ian Watson, Lucius Shepard, Ramsey Campbell, Joan Aiken and many more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Snow white blood red
Okay, I picked this up from a thrift store and other from the seriesSilver Birch Blood Moon, This is not really a review but I hopeing whoever reads this can answer my question. Do you have to read these in order? I have this one,Snow white blood redand SilverBirch Blood Moon which i think is the 5th one. Thanks for the help!

Inspiring!
Beautiful.Dark.Haunting.These fairy tales are going to stick in that subconscious, so be ready to dream!Datlow and Windling conquer a genre.
Amber LaShea Holmes
Snow White on Acid:Nine Fantastical Nightmares

Not Free SF Reader
This book is perhaps somewhat responsible for what seems like more fairy tales having been written in the last 15 years or so than in the history of the known universe prior.

That being said, some decent stuff here, if not particularly memorable to me personally.It was certainly worth a look for some stuff that is definitely not designed for the little kids.

Snow White Blood Red : Like a Red Red Rose - Susan Wade
Snow White Blood Red : The Moon Is Drowning While I Sleep - Charles de Lint
Snow White Blood Red : The Frog Prince - Gahan Wilson
Snow White Blood Red : Stalking Beans - Nancy Kress
Snow White Blood Red : Snow-Drop - Tanith Lee
Snow White Blood Red : Little Red - Wendy Wheeler
Snow White Blood Red : I Shall Do Thee Mischief in the Wood - Kathe Koja
Snow White Blood Red : The Root of the Matter - Gregory Frost
Snow White Blood Red : The Princess in the Tower - Elizabeth A. Lynn
Snow White Blood Red : Persimmon - Harvey Jacobs
Snow White Blood Red : Little Poucet - Steve Rasnic Tem
Snow White Blood Red : The Changelings - Melanie Tem
Snow White Blood Red : The Springfield Swans - Caroline Stevermer & Ryan Edmonds
Snow White Blood Red : Troll Bridge - Neil Gaiman
Snow White Blood Red : A Sound Like Angels Singing - Leonard Rysdyk
Snow White Blood Red : Pwss - Esther M. Friesner
Snow White Blood Red : The Glass Casket - Jack Dann
Snow White Blood Red : The Snow Queen - Patricia A. McKillip
Snow White Blood Red : Breadcrumbs and Stones - Lisa Goldstein



3.5 out of 5

Unique retellings!
This book is full of unique twists to some popular fairy tales.In my opinion - the best story in the book is the first story - which is also the books title.Some of the stories fell a little short for me.But overall - some good reading.

Some of the scenes are a bit erotic and some just plain sickening, but that is true to the world we live in - and true to human nature.

not for the faint hearted
I am dissapointed but not surprised at the bad reviews for this book and for the all the fairy tale collections compiled by Ellen Datlow.These are not fairy tales with "fairies".If you're expecting a dirty version of Cinderella look elsewhere.Many of these stories are about present times, real people, and current situations.Child abuse, molestation, rape, obesity, murder, slavery.These are the things the Ellen Datlow collections are comprised of.Most of these stories are not "light fare".They are deep and sometimes bloody, even when there is no blood to be seen.They are indeed fairytales though because the exist in the half-light time where horror exist simultaneously with beauty.The part of the car crash that is like a flower in bloom.If you like "The Bloody Chamber" you'll like these.If your looking for fairies, rent Disney. ... Read more

Product Description
Faeries, or creatures like them, can be found in almost every culturethe world over—benevolent and terrifying, charming andexasperating, shifting shape from country to country, story to story,and moment to moment. In The Faery Reel, acclaimed anthologistsEllen Datlow and Terri Windling have asked some of today’s finestwriters of fantastic fiction for short stories and poems that draw onthe great wealth of world faery lore and classic faery literature.This companion to the World Fantasy Award–winner and Locusbestseller The Green Man is edgy, provocative, and thoroughlymagical. Like the faeries themselves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Loved this book
I thought this collection of stories were incredible.There were only one or two that I didn't like that much, but as a whole, the book was great.I picked it up at the library because there were stories from a few of my favorite authors and liked it so much that I bought a copy.The stories were unique and captivating.A few, I really wished would have gone on much longer, although they were complete in themselves the stories were so fascinating.

Several noteworthy stories
I really enjoyed this collection. For me the standouts were Elvenbrood by Tanith Lee, Never Never (nice re-working of Peter Pan that plays on our sympathies for the devil) by Bruce Glassco, and The Annals of Eelin-Ok by Jeffrey Ford. Ford's subtly philosophical meditation on the brevity of lifewas so touching I could cry thinking about it. Other notable authors include Charles de Lint, Holly Black, Patrica A. McKillip, Gregory Maguire and Neil Gaiman.

Not Free SF Reader
This is better than I thought it would be, as it is considerably less twee than I expected.

The story average is an ok 3.29, but the book has some added extras.

Windling produces a quite lengthy introduction in the form of an essay on the history of the Faerie in literature/art as a background to people.

At the end, a reading guide of books in this sub-genre is given for those with a further interest.This makes the publication definitely of interest for peoplelooking to find books like this, so well done there.

Faery Reel : Catnyp - Delia Sherman
Faery Reel : Elvenbrood - Tanith Lee
Faery Reel : Your Garnet Eyes - Katherine Vaz
Faery Reel : Tengu Mountain - Gregory Frost
Faery Reel : The Faery Handbag - Kelly Link
Faery Reel : The Price of Glamour - Steve Berman
Faery Reel : The Night Market - Holly Black
Faery Reel : Never Never - Bruce Glassco
Faery Reel : Screaming for Faeries - Ellen Steiber
Faery Reel : Immersed in Matter - Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Faery Reel : Undine - Patricia A. McKillip
Faery Reel : The Oakthing - Gregory Maguire
Faery Reel : Foxwife - Hiromi Goto
Faery Reel : The Dream Eaters - A. M. Dellamonica
Faery Reel : The Shooter at the Heartrock Waterhole - Bill Congreve
Faery Reel : The Annals of Eelin-Ok - Jeffrey Ford
Faery Reel : De La Tierra - Emma Bull

Changer library danger.

3 out of 5


Sister swap.

3.5 out of 5


Sea loss.

3 out of 5


Skinny goblin relation lopping.

3 out of 5


Accessory home hunt.

4 out of 5


Retail magic.

2.5 out of 5


Elf boy gear.

3.5 out of 5


The reverse crocodile dork Hook.

3.5 out of 5


Stinky boy nookie.

4 out uof 5


Pat the horsey, monkeyish boy.

3 out of 5


Hubby nicking practice.

3.5 out of 5


Woodman and a lot of Jerry.

2.5 out of 5


Doglets and monsterspiders.

3 out of 5


Oneiroreavers.

3 out of 5


Dead swap.

4 out of 5


Mini sandkings.

3 out of 5


Resource allocation reality.

4 out of 5




3.5 out of 5

Fantasy Must-Have
I loved this book, particularly "Never, Never" by Bruce Glassco and "The Annals of Eelin-Ok" by Jeffrey Ford. While all the stories involve faeries of some sort, there is much variety and each story has a different feel. Additionally, the wonderful illustrations at the beginning of each story by Charles Vess and the comments by the author at the end of each story make this book an absolute must-have for anyone who loves fantasy.

A Summary of Stories: Minor Spoilers
I enjoyed the Faery Reel quite a bit. Something that Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling do well is give you a flavor of many different authors' styles. This anthology is no exception to that. So without further ado, the stories:

THE BOYS OF GOOSE HILL by Charles deLint
An interesting poem about mischevous faires. it is supposed to go to the tune of "The Meet Was at Matthews" by Jimmy Crowley.

CATNYP by Delia Sherman
A short story about a girl living in a fairy New York who tries to win a bet that humans know more than fairies about love. Throw in a personable library database, a boy searching to get to the human world, and boons--you've got the story. I enjoyed it so much that I am going to read The Changeling the newly released book about the main character in this story.

ELVENBROOD by Tanith Lee
A haunting modern-day story about fairies taking young children back to their land. They can't take the child unless one of the parents "sells" them for something better, whether or not the parents are aware of it.

TENGU MOUNTAIN by Gregory Frost
An interesting story with an intriguing basis in legend and history. The story is about a Japanese boy visiting his aunt only to find himself in a sticky situation: he is to be the main course at a feast!

THE FAERY HANDBAG by Kelly Link
A creative story about a handbag that contains a whole fairy world. The main character is forever searching for this handbag because she was supposed to look after it after her grandmother died. She also has personal connection to it by someone who jumped into the handbag.

THE PRICE OF GLAMOUR by Steve Berman
I have to admit I did not care for this story particularly but that is a matter of taste. It's rather dark. Poor Tup is in charge of collecting stolen goods for his demanding boss. In order to disguise oneself as a human, the fey must either have glamour (a sort of powder) or the Sight because all the iron in the city destroys their natural ability to disguise themselves. Caught one day trying to steal glamour, Tup ends up being endentured for 12 years. When Tup has his secret cache stolen, his ticket to freedom, he is determined to catch the thief.

THE NIGHT MARKET by Holly Black
A fast paced tale about a girl trying to save her sister from an elf's curse. Tomasa, the main character, goes to the night market, the fairies' market, in order to break it. Soon the elf does not seem so bad afterall.

NEVER NEVER by Bruce Glassco
"What could I have possibly done to deserve eternity as the plaything for some...juvenile godling? (pg. 235)" Captain Hook asks Tiger Lily. Tinkerbell, because of Peter's requests, brings in new amusefments for him that never leave the enchanted land--such as Tiger Lily's village or Captain Hook's ship. Cursed to live there forever, or at least until madness takes over, Hook is miserable. Tinkerbell takes pity on him and grants him one wish.

SCREAMING FOR FAIRIES by Ellen Steiber
A very facinating tale that is definately grown up in its tone. Two fairies appear to Cherry. She feeds and talks to them. Enter boyfriend who Cherry longs to make love to but is afraid because she is a virgin. The story is definately a glorification of "primal instincts" insisting we all have a connection with the earth and a beautiful chord of intense passion hidden within. It's an interesting sotry in the fact that it makes you feel airy but rather too dangerous in its message to continually read.

IMMERSED IN MATTER by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
A faery mother + a human father = basically faery with specializations
A human mother + a faery father = half faery/half human
An interesting short story introducing the concept that the half faeries are also, deep down, related to animals. Owl, through his desire to meet horses, learns to notice others and learns about the world. See "Flotsam" in Firebirds for a story of a similar nature.

UNDINE by Patricia A. McKillip
All undines capture mortal men and bring them back to their underwater homes. Eventually, if the men don't escape, they die and the undines find others to take their places. This sthort story tells of an undine trying to catch her first man but things don't go exactly as planned.

THE OAKTHING by Gregory Maguire
When the Grandomtoher is left behind after her family abandons their farm she finds herself alone in a village with impending advance of enemy soldiers. She befreinds an oakthing-a twiggy creature that inhabits the oak tree on the farm. The woman learns to fend for herself. This is primarily a tale of death and life, showing the fine lines between the two.

FOXWIFE by Hiromi Goto
Quite an interesting story about an unlucky girl named Yumeko. She seems to find bad luck wherever she goes and the day the story takes place is no exception. When her boat capsizes she soon finds herself in the midst of a wedding procession for kitsune and becomes their prisoner.

THE DREAM EATERS by A.M. Dellamonica
This story starts out bizarre and confusing. From what I can gather, Mo and Liz are both girls from a group home. Mo, through stealing some money, starts her own business,-Lopside Fashions-which takes off. Now one of Mo's friends, a little girl named Peg, has disappeared, spirited off by fairies. Mo and Liz are determined to get her back. Together they go to Kasqueam, a fairy city that co-exists with their own. There fairies store dreams for it is through dreams that fairies are able to gain items. But Mo and Liz aren't about to let the fairies steal Peg's dreams.

The description of fairies is to be particularly noted. Fairies live one day (even though it is a very long day) and can grow 30-50 feet tall. They are born in the morning and reproduce at twilight. Their eggs are "incubated" in human lungs, inhaled when humans breathe.

THE FAERY REEL by Neil Gaiman
A poem about a man, when young, split his soul in two. While one part stayed in the human world the other lived in faerie.

THE SHOOTER AT THE HEARTROCK WATERHOLE by Bill Congreve
A young man is hired to stay at an oasis-like area in the Australian wilderness in order to shoot animals not native to Australia. His employers hope that the young man will stop invading animals before they reach the agricultural areas. And so the young man lives out a fairly boring existence until he accidentally shotots and kills a strange woman. And thus begins the young man's rigorous examination of death and life. Interesting themes dealing with life, death and the supernatural. Great symbolism with water. I understand why this story won an award.

THE ANNALS OF EEALIN-OAK by Jeffrey Ford
Facinating and creative story about fairies that inhabit sandcastles (Twilmish they are called). A Twilmish lives only as long as the castle exists so they must choose their castle wisely. They usually look for castles which are made by children by hand, don not have sand crabs, have a protective wall in order to hold back the sea, and ones that are already named (pg. 473). This story is mostly comprised of a "diary" of a certain Twilmish--his adventures, activities and contemplation.

DE LA TIERRA by Emma Bull
The authoer obviously put some thought into the story. De la Tierra is a tale of old and new. Somewhat nebulous, the story hints at right and wrong but never states it clearly. The tale involves a modified human doing the "dirty work" for shapechanging fairies. These fairies, in order to protect their way of life, hire hitmen to take out fairies who do not blend in with the urban world.

HOW TO FIND FAERY by Nan Fry
A poem not only describing how to find a fairy but also how to appreciate the magic found in nature and ourselves.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent
This book is an anthology of twenty short stories, each something of a retelling of a classic fairytale. The stories are all very well written, with the leadoff story being written by the sensational Tanith Lee. As a matter of fact, my absolute favorite story is Tanith Lee's reworking of the story of Repunzel.

These stories run the gamut between humorous and upsetting. Some of the storylines are too much for young children, but none are unnecessarily violent or sexual. Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of these stories, and I recommend it without reservations. ... Read more

Product Description

Carefully combing his ears and tail and wearing his finest red felt boots, a furry young faery named Sneezle prepares for the Midwinter festival in Old Oak Wood -- the oldest faery court in the British Isles. All the denizens of the wood have gathered for this grand winter holiday...but this year something is strangely wrong. By now the forest should be blanketed with snow, but the air remains warm, the leaves have not fallen, and branches remain laden with autumn's fruit. Somehow, the cycle of nature has been halted, and even the faery king, Oberon, cannot fathom why winter has not arrived. From this mystery will come a great adventure, one in which young Sneezle and his best friend, Twig, will confront menacing goblins and an evil sorcerer.

By turns charming, menacing, and hilarious, The Winter Child follows Sneezle and Twig as they bravely ferret out the terrible truth behind Winter's absence and witness a dramatic duel of sorcerers in which the future of the faery kingdom hangs in the balance. In this marvelous collaboration between renowned doll maker Wendy Froud and award-winning writer Terri Windling, the entrancing story twists and turns its way through the magical beauty and ominous shadows of the faeries' world. Art-directed by Brian Froud, beloved creator of such classics as Good Faeries/Bad Faeries, the book's spectacular photographs capture Sneezle, Twig, King Oberon and Queen Titania, the sorcerer Malagan, the Royal Council of Sorcerers, and the faeries of Old Oak Wood, all in such vivid detail that they seem to come alive...as indeed, perhaps, they are.

Following the success of Wendy Froud and Terri Windling's first Sneezle adventure, A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale, this new volume opens the magical window of enchantment once more with an extraordinary combination of story and art. A mythic tale of nature humbled by whim and ambition -- and of good and simple souls triumphant -- The Winter Child will be a classic among lovers of fairy tales, fantasy literature, and all things Froudian. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Get away for awhile
a very big concern for the residents of the Old Oak Woods is why the winter snows haven't come! So go on an adventure with little Sneezle and his friend Twig, to find out the mystery as to what happened to winter.
A lovely tale of good aganist evil, with the fairy art of Wendy Froud. Enjoyable for both young and old.

Delightful book
I love this book!The stoiry is pretty,but the best part of it are Wendy Froud's figures,all those beautiful faery ladies,not to mention the evil wizard,he's so beautiful,in a sinister way...By the way,the Autumn spirit (page 40)looks like one of the Mystics from Dark Crystal,my favourite film,and exactly like one of the pictures from The Land of Froud book by Brian Froud.(A picture that inspired Jim Henson to create the Mystics).

Must have
Like all Froud books this one is incredible. This isn't just for children. People of all ages will enjoy it. Especially if you are a Froud fan. The pictures are beautiful and the story is really nice. This is must have for all children and Froudians

A magical Journey
On the Midwinters Eve the faeries are having their annual celebration to welcome winter. But something is a miss and they all know it..where is winter? Why are there still flowers and fruit on the trees? Where has lady winter gone?
This book is illustrated with beautiful faerie figures in the traditional Froud family fashion. The story is a little familiar of many fantasy stories, and yet unique and steeped in lore.
Almost looking as a young childrens book at first this book is pretty and soft but the story is almost that of a short chapter books. The story is long enough and yet simple enough to be enjoyed by all. This book is great for children and adults alike

Another Great Book by Wendy Froud!
Wendy Froud is the wife of Artist Bryan Froud ( Good Fairies, Bad Fairies). She is a great artist and this book reflects her abilities, the books has pictures of the dolls she created for the story. The pictures say a thousand words. If you are a doll maker, you will greatly enjoy this book. The story is good but the pictures are better. It has different kind of trolls, fairies and wizards. If you love fantasy you will love the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Charles de Lint, Ellen Kushner, Stephen R. Boyett, and Bellamy Bach collaborate on a tale of the Borderlands, where humans and highborn Elves mix. Reprint. AB. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Borderworld
Bordertown...
dear lovers of urban fantasy and faery lore,
.... is a place where magic and technology have formed an unstable alliance and to which teenagers runaway to find that thing that is missing in their lives. Alas, the elves are usually portrayed as being rather like spoiled rich kids, still we loved this series, although like most short story collections some stories appealed to us more than others. There are three other collections in this series, Bordertown: Where Magic Meets Rock & Roll, Life On The Border (Borderlands) and The Essential Bordertown (Borderlands), all of which we enjoyed. We also recommend the novels associated with it, Emma Bull's Finder: A Novel of the Borderlands, which while not as good as War for the Oaks: A Novel, nor a classic like that one, is still fun to read. Also, Will Shetterly's Elsewhere and Nevernever. We simply wished they'd write more in the series, and perhaps realize that not all elves are of the Unseelie variety.
kyela,
the silver elves

The Land of Fairy before LKH
LKH suggests she created the Urban Fantasy genre...how wrong she is.

Borderland emerged over a decade before her Merry Gentry (Faery) series.

The land of fairy returns, and its a messy reunification at best. The land between the normal human world and fairy is called "The Border" a place where one can easily become lost--or found. In the rements of evacuated cities from this rebirth the two worlds come together in Bordertown, where magic and technology don't always work. The town is teeming with the outcasts, run-aways and dreamers of both fairy and earth children.

The stories are fabulous rich in mythology, Aurthurian legend, and fairy tales. The characters are heartbreakingly real and flawed. I wish the series would continue.

Great urban fantasy geared towards a teen audience
I'm no longer a teenager, but I still really enjoyed this book, which consists of four novellas. All deal with the Borderland, a place where elves & humans coexist uneasily, where technology & magic are bothunreliable, & where lots of down-on-their-luck youths gather to playgreat music & attempt to live their dreams. Very original, excellentlywritten, & I think that almost everyone will find something to identifywith. I particularly liked the examination of the issues that 'halfies'(those who are half-elf, half-human) face. This is another of TerriWindling's fine projects, & it's a shame that this series is so hard toget hold of!

Borderland: The Lord of the Rings meets Rolling Stone
I discovered this book by accident, and I am glad that I did.

Borderland is about a world like ours in which the Elves and their magic have returned to earth. Magic and technology both work sporadically in Bordertown (which lies at the heart of the Borderlands) where teenagers runaway to hang out in rock and roll clubs where fairie dust is a drug and music is magic.

The book is the first in an anthology series featuring such talents as Emma Bull and Charles de Lint.

After losing some of my interest in works of fantasy, this book reignited a spark in me like gasoline on a bbq pit. I haven't felt this way about a work of fantasy since Conan or Fahfrd and Greymouser.These books are nearly impossible to get ahold of but Essential Bordertwon is a new one coming out soon.

I cannot recommend this book and this series highly enough. ... Read more

Product Description
While searching for shelter from a rainstorm, a little faery named Sneezle is pursued by a band of strange creatures with wooden swords. They're not faeries, they're not goblins...in fact, he doesn't know what they are. With their long sticklike limbs, gnarled faces, and mouths full of knife-sharp teeth, they aren't like anything the denizens of Old Oak Wood have ever seen. Sneezle barely escapes, but another band of the ugly little creatures chases him out of the safety of the woods. Fleeing for his life, the little faery is forced to find refuge in a place that is almost as frightening as the stick men themselves -- in an old stone cottage at the edge of the forest. It is here that Sneezle must confront his greatest adventure and biggest fear.

In The Faeries of Spring Cottage, fans of young Sneezle will be delighted to see that their reluctant hero is journeying out of Old Oak Wood (even if it is against his will) and encountering humans for the first time, as well as other enchanting, mysterious -- and sometimes scary -- new beings. This dazzling collaboration between renowned doll maker Wendy Froud and award-winning writer Terri Windling introduces a host of magical new characters, including a strange faery court beneath a kitchen sink, rat-faery warriors, and faery dolls that magically come to life. Art-directed by Brian Froud, creator of Good Faeries/Bad Faeries, this latest volume in the Sneezle series captures the diminutive hero on his latest adventure in vivid detail.

Following the success of Wendy Froud and Terri Windling's first two Sneezle stories, A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale and The Winter Child, this new volume opens the magical window of enchantment once more with an extraordinary combination of story and art. The Faeries of Spring Cottage is destined to charm and captivate lovers of fairy tales, fantasy literature, and all things Froudian.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wendy Froud and Terri Windling are masters of the Whimsical...
You feel as though youre peaking into a magical world...cohorting with magical beings and caught in a realm that was lost to your childhood....
I have all the books by these two talented artists/writers...
They have a special place in my collection....they inspire, infuse imagination and you just cant put them down...takes hours to look at the images which jump right off the pages!
5 stars is just too little a review for these books...Winter Child and A MidSummers Night Fearie Tale are also among my favorites!!! You will love them too! ;)

Best one yet in the series
Here is the third (and in my opinion)and the best adventure yet in the Sneezle series written by Terri Windling and with beautiful artwork by the doll maker Wendy Froud.In this new adventure, Sneezlewort Rowanberry Rootmuster Boggs the Seventh, who is a tree root faery, is on his way to tell the King Oberon news about these violent twig type looking creatures that have been attacking the creatures that live in the forest.But by accident, Sneezle is taken to a humans house instead!Sneezle is very frightened, he has never seen a human, much less been in theirhouse.Sneezle needs to get out of this humans cottage but how?I will leave the rest for you to find out when you buy this book and read it but I will tell you that you are in for many nice and beautiful surprises because this book truly is a work of art and I would recomend you buy it. ... Read more

Product Description
One of our most universal myths is that of the Green Man—the spirit who stands for Nature in its most wild and untamed form. Through the ages and around the world, the Green Man and other nature spirits have appeared in stories, songs, and artwork, as well as many beloved fantasy novels, including Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Now Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, the acclaimed editors of over thirty anthologies, have gathered some of today’s finest writers of magical fiction to interpret the spirits of nature in short stories and poetry. Folklorist and artist Charles Vess brings his stellar eye and brush to the decorations, and Windling provides an introduction exploring Green Man symbolism and forest myth. The Green Man is required reading—not only for fans of fantasy fiction but for those interested in mythology and the mysteries of the wilderness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Magically Captivating
I've read their other compilation of stories, "The Faery Reel", and this one is just as amazing. I couldn't wait for the book to get here; and once I got it, I couldn't put it down. Each story was just as magical and intriguing as the last, but each was just as different in mythology as they were amazing. From Fairy Queens of Central Park, to the Green Man himself, you will be enveloped in a world of wonderful folklore and won't want to leave. I highly reccomend it.

Stories that Bring Together a Common Goal!
Short stories certainly have a place in our society. These particular stories and poems in this anthology focused on The Green Man of lore.

"-the Green Man- the spirit who stands for Nature in its most wiled and untamed form, a man with leaves for hair, who dwells deep within the mythic forest."

That explains it better than I ever could and that gives you a brief taste of what is to come. The variety of authors, some that I knew of some that I didn't made the book come even more alive. My favorites were Going Wodwo (poem) by Neil Gaiman, Grand Central Park by Delia Sherman, Hunter's Moon by Patricia A. McKillip, A World Painted by Birds by Katherine Vaz, Grounded by Nina Kirki Hoffman, Overlooking by Carol Emshwiller, Joshua Tree by Emma Bull, The Pagodas of Ciboure by M. Shayne Bell, and The Green Word by Jeffrey Ford. There was only one in the book that just didn't seem to fit and that was Fee, Fie, Foe, et Cetera by Gregory Maguire only because it was a re-telling of Jack and the Bean Stalk and I didn't see how it truly fit into the nature category even with the bean stalk.

I loved this book and will definitely be one I am going to keep. The variety was great and it was nice to read a good clean young adult book for a change. The editors did a fantastic job and I might even seek out more of their work!

Almost a children's book
It is true, as other reviewers have stated, that this anthology of mythology is not meant for adults.However, it doesn't seem strong enough for young adults either.Except for some of the themes, many of the stories seem more appropriate for younger children.The fact is, they are predictable and not terribly imaginative.A few are better written, with beautiful use of the language.Perhaps this is one of the difficulties with themed anthologies.

Green and Refreshing
The short story is a dreadfully difficult art to master. Most collections have but one or two tales truly worth reading---and this collection is no different---there are perhaps two stand-outs. But, and this is the important thing: almost every story in this book captures the essence of the mythic Greenwood in a new vision. A few of the stories are remarkable for their sheer playful writing, and I wonder if this is merely the nature of the genre (fantasy/sf/speculative), or of genre writing (or writers)? Or perhaps a little bit of childhood wonder infects YA-level works? Whatever it is, it is worth reading. Go sit in the hammock, under the trees, and read.

15 short stories + 3 poems
"In this book, we've asked the writers to journey deep into the Mythic Forest, to bring back tales of those wild lands, and of the creatures who dwell within them. Thus in these pages you'll find witches, wolves, dryads, deer men, a faery or two, and numerous magical spirits of nature..."
- from the editors' preface

Windling's "Introduction" outlines the origins of the archetype of the Green Man and other forest beings.

--

Bell, M. Shayne: Sickly little Maurice Ravel meets "The Pagodas of Ciboure" - creatures out of French legend - on his grandmother's estate, and asks them to heal him. But what can he do for them?

Bull, Emma: The narrator, a girl with a taste for raves who doesn't fit in with either base kids or townies, is busy growing up in a Marine base town on the border of "Joshua Tree" National Park. (The rave reads like a faery celebration, nice touch.)

Cadman, Michael: "Daphne" narrates the tale of Apollo's attempted seduction.

de Lint, Charles: "Somewhere in My Mind There Is a Painting Box" Twenty years ago, two painters walked into the woods covering the hills outside Newford, but only Frank Spain has returned to a world he no longer belongs to. How can he return when he only tagged along with his mentor in the first place? His mentor, who once said "Many times the only painting box I take is in my head."

Dunn, Carolyn: Braided format, one thread following the ill-fated deer hunt of "Ali Anugne O Chash (The Boy Who Was)", the other narrated by the clubfooted girl who loved him but brought about his downfall.

Emshwiller, Carol: The narrator, matriarch of the hidden forest people who amuse themselves "Overlooking" mountain climbers, alternately talks about her experiences with humans and about one day's company of an old man the youngsters brought to her.

Ford, Jeffrey: "The Green Word" The forest people's revolt draws to a close as Moren Kairn accepts the last gift the witch of the forest has to offer: a mysterious seed that grants him easy dying even as he faces execution. The witch, in turn, creates a champion from the earth watered by Kairn's spilled blood: Vertuminous, a manlike tree with fruit where his heart should be, who regenerates every time he's killed. *That* attracts the king's attention...

Gaiman, Neil: "Going Wodwo" (poem) "I'll leave the way of words to walk the wood..."

Hoffman, Nina Kiriki: The narrator's mother Meg and her prospective stepfather Vernon both work at keeping people "Grounded", Meg in a hospice, Vernon as a psychologist from his home in the woods bordering Silicon Valley. Tale relates Meg and Fiona's first face-to-face meeting with Vernon and his kids, as Fiona keeps looking for the snags of living among these fair folk.

Koja, Kathe: The narrator's forest is made of "Remnants", but the 'Department of People Watching' doesn't like it.

Lee, Tanith: Two half-sisters, Bergette and Ghilane, are the unloved daughters of the village prostitute by two different woodcutters, conceived "Among the Leaves So Green" and often sent back on errands as their mother secretly hopes to be rid of them. Interesting twist, along the lines of Lee's RED AS BLOOD stories, that the hateful older sister needing redemption is the focus rather than the decent younger sister.

Lewis, Bill: "Green Men" (poem) "Foliate faces flower and the/memory of an antique hour/unwinds beneath/a carpenter's craft;/masons, too, saw their shape/sleeping in the stone."

Maguire, Gregory: "Fee, Fie, Foe, et Cetera" Retelling of the Beanstalk story, with the action split between two Jacks - the adventurer and his daft younger brother - and their mother, none of whom are very bright. The king's mismanagement of the treasury leads to trying the family for "agricultural treason", for instance.

McKillip, Patricia A.: "Hunter's Moon" Dawn and her little brother Ewan, lost in the woods during deer-hunting season, are returned to their family in a way the hunters will never forget.

Sherman, Delia: The narrator, a girl living near "Grand Central Park", must play Truth or Dare for her life against one of the fairies living there. "'We ain't in the Old Country no more. We're in New York' - Noo Yawk is what she said - 'New York, US of A. We ain't got no Queens, except across the bridge.'"

Snyder, Midori: "Charlie's Away" to the Greenwood the day after receiving his college acceptance letter, his grief for his lost baby sister and the weight of responsibility for filling two children's places in his parents' lives finally having been too much for him. Something like TAM LIN in reverse.

Vaz, Katherine: "A World Painted by Birds" told in a traditional fairy-tale style. The General ruling Rio Seco condemns those who defy him to a detention camp on the far side of the forest - though not the young lacemaker Lucia, since the General's Wife has a weakness for lace. When Lucia falls in love with a young violinist who has played songs protesting the General's tyranny, the lovers flee into the forest and join the Gardener, who as a man already half a plant found it easy to vanish, but still fights to free the prisoners.

Yolen, Jane: "Song of the Cailleach Bheur" (poem): "She is the winter, the wind, the snow,/Her breath both warm and chilling./A single word from her icy lips,/A single kiss is killing."
... Read more

Product Description

Just as fairy-tale magic can transform a loved one into a swan, the contributors to this book have transformed traditional fairy tales and legends into stories that are completely original, yet still tantalizingly familiar.

In this book you will find:

• a Rapunzel whose most confining prison is her loneliness

• a contemporary rendering of the Green Man myth

• two different versions of Red Riding Hood

• a tale that grew out of a Celtic folk song

• Sleeping Beauty's experience of her enchantment

• two works inspired by the Arabian Nights

• and more

In the follow-up to A Wolf at the Door, thirteen renowned authors come together with a selection of new and surprising adaptations of the fairy tales we think we know so well. These fresh takes on classic tales will show you sides of each story you never dreamed of. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Highly Recommended!
I love this book.It really took me away completely.I became absorbed in the stories.I've always been a fairy tale afficando.This is stellar, spectacular, and truly a joy to read.Highly Recommend!

seems light, but is haunting
Several months after reading this collection, the final story, "My Swan Sister," continues to pop up in my mind in strange ways. "Greenkid" as well. I enjoyed the entire collection and would recommend it to fairytale-loving kids and adults.

Retold Fairy Tales Strike Again! :)
This collection of tales includes:
Greenkid by Jane Yolen
When the main character meets his beautiful female next door neighbor he wants her to like him. He thinks his chances at school will be slim so he tries to see her as much as he can during the summer. When a Greenkid stumbles upon them the girl flees but the boy ignores her warnings much to his later chagrine.

Golden Fur by Midori Snyder
A facinating tale I have never heard before about a young hero seeking his fortune. He stumbles upon a castle with an oasis in the back and meets a little hamster like creature (modeled off of a hamster or two the author had). Although the hero has little food he shares it with the hamster and in turn the hamster helps him surmount the obstacles the guardians of the castle have placed in order to marry the beautiful princess.

Chambers of the Heart by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
An eerie retelling of Bluebeard told by his next door neighbor and later his wife.

Little Red and the Big Bad by Will Shetterly
A hilarious retelling of Little Red Riding Hood retold with modern language. It includes phrases such as "So Red puts on her hoodie, leaves a note for the Moms, and BMXes away." Pg. 49

The Fish's Story by Pat York
A delightful retelling of that story where the fisherman catches the magic fish and his wife makes him get bigger and bigger houses for her. In this story a little girl also catches the same fish although, as she later finds out, the fish is already familiar to her.

The Children of Tilford Fortune by Christopher Rowe
I have never heard this tale before. Three children must go out to sell their only belongings to make it in the world: a rooster, a scythe, and a cat. It's a very, very good story, especially for the world today.

The Girl in the Attic by Lois Metzger
After her father dies, Ava refuses to talk to her stepmother and speaks little in class. One night she wishes for someone to talk to and finds this person soon after.

The Harp that Sang by Gregory Frost
There really isn't any other way to retell this story except a creepy way. The story is creepy to begin with. Jealous of her sister, Karla pushes her into the river where the sister drowns. Later a man stumbles upon the sister's bones and hair making them into a harp. When he happens to play at the wedding of Karla she is overwrought with guilt.

A Life in Miniature by Bruce Coville
An interesting retelling of Tom Thumb that takes place in the future. Tom lives inside a laboratory for a while under the suspicious care of Dr. Lyon.

Lupe by Kathe Koja
An interesting twist on the Red Riding Hood tale, Lupe is actually a name of a girl in the retelling. She goes into the woods to find a "witch" for her mother because her mother is grief stricken by the lose of her baby.

Awake by Tanith Lee
This retelling of Sleeping Beauty answers the question, "What exactly did Sleeping Beauty do those hundred years besides sleep? Did she dream?" The story supposes that Sleeping Beauty actually awoke during the night and had magical companions that showed her the world.

Inventing Aladdin by Neil Gaiman
A poem about how poor Scheharazade has to make up stories every night to save her life.

My Swan Sister by Katherine Vaz
A great story that takes place in the modern world, My Swan Sister is especially good for those mourning the loss of a tiny baby. Baby Rachel doesn't have long to live but while she is living she causes miraculous changes in the people she comes into contact with.

Really Enjoyed The Twist On The Old...
... and the fesh take each author brought to familiar tales.Definite appeal for the right age group--perhaps eleven and up--and probably more for girls than boys, though boys would enjoy it if they would give it a chance!(Hate to be stereotypical, but my experience is that it is the rare male child who will pick up fairy tales, more's the pity.)

A Gorgeous Collection of Stories
This book is a gorgeous collection of stories, each at once familiar
and strange.  From the slick prose and grungy setting of Shetterly's
"Little Red and the Big Bad" to the opulence of Snyder's "Golden Fur,"
to Hoffman's haunting "Chambers of the Heart," these reinvented fairy
tales are crafted to whisper on even after you've closed the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Relates the magical adventures of twelve-year-old Gwen and her twin brother Devin on the island of fairies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wonderful!
I have to completely disagree with the earlier reviewer for this book is wonderful in particular BECAUSE of the prose and the authors' knowledge ofthe period. Windling is well know for her beautiful writing and thecollaboration with Steiber works seamlessly particularly in the way theyhave each caught the different voices of the characters in their prose,Devon being steadier and more down to earth and Gwen being more breathlessand self-absorbed, at least until her adventures change her. The faery loreis a treat and as a Pre-Raphaelite art lover I really enjoyed all the slyreferences to the real history of that crowd. I would particularlyrecommend this book for any child who is artistic, a dreamer or just plaindifferent for it reaffirms the value of art and of being just who you are.The Tanith Lee book was an enjoyable adventure I agree but this one sticksin the heart. It has a power I wasn't expecting and I want to read more byeither of these writers. The information at the end of the book isparticularly good and helps children to learn more about folklore andPre-Raphaelite art.

An enjoyable mix of fairy lore
The Raven Queen is actually not so much a sequel to Tanith Lee's Islands in the Sky as a completely different story with only the Basset, a magical ship that sails in the seas of imagination, connecting the two.(The third one, Sherwood Smith's Journey to Otherwhere, is being published in thesummer).

Windling and Steiber mix a large number of themes I like--European fairy myths, the Pre-Raphaelite movement (my favorite butoh-so-obscure art movement), and the integration of some of my favoriteballads ("The Twa Sisters," "Thomas the Rhymer").Theplot, though simplistic, is enjoyable and creatively embellished.However,a few loose ends are left dangling at the end, and the language coulddefinitely be improved.A few very modern phrases jump out every once inawhile; it just doesn't feel very 19th century-ish.The Raven Queen alsodoesn't have as much of the gentle humor and good-hearted tweaking of mythsas Islands in the Sky. That said, though, it was an enjoyable,light-hearted children's fantasy full of fairy lore and likable characters. Recommended for those in a mood for something lighter and less complexthan Narnia.

Ailanna

Magical, fun, a real treat!
My whole family has become fans of Terri Windling's writing, the kids love the adventures and magic and furry critters and my husband and I love her poetic writing. Ellen Steiber is a real find too and we plan to read moreof her work. I highly recommend this book to Harry Potter-loving kids andany adults who like folklore and myth. It's a moving story, with a messageat its heartabout kids finding the magic in art and in themselves. I alsorecommend Miss Windling's 'The Wood Wife' for adults and 'A MidsummerNight's Faery Tale' for children, with breath-takingly beautiful art byWendy Froud. Long live the faeries! ... Read more