by Author Reviewer Series Editor Cristina Bacchilega
First published 2021
Cristina Bacchilega and Jennifer Orme collect stories, comics, and visual works that transform familiar fairy tales into something entirely different. These contemporary pieces reject the traditional fairy tale formula of heteronormative romance and happily-ever-after conclusions that reinforce conventional values. Instead, the authors tackle intersectional identity questions involving race, ethnicity, class, disability, non-normative sexuality, addiction, power abuse, and internalized self-hatred from external pressures. The collection divides into two parts. "Inviting Interruptions" treats invitations as offers requiring acceptance, featuring Emma Donoghue's "Hansel and Gretel" retelling, David Kaplan's Little Red Riding Hood film stills, Bryan Kamaoli Kuwada's Hawaiian-rooted narrative, and visual works by Shary Boyle, Shaun Tan, and Dan Taulapapa McMullin that challenge mainstream beauty standards. "Interrupting Invitations" frames interruption as survival strategy, including pieces by Diriye Osman, Sofia Samatar, Nalo Hopkinson on migration and sexuality, plus works by Anne Kamiya, Rosario Ferré, Veronica Schanoes, and Susanna Clark exploring human and non-human relationships. Each piece includes editorial notes with discussion questions and critical resources. The anthology demonstrates how wonder tales continue evolving in the twenty-first century while maintaining their capacity for celebration, whimsy, and beauty.
Genres: fiction, fantasy, 21st-century, fairy-tale-retellings
Vibes: thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, subverted-expectations
251 pages · Kindle Edition · Wayne State University Press
Content warnings: abuse