First published 2013
This collection transforms familiar fairy tales into strange new territories. Puss prowls through a near-future New York while an empress negotiates with a dragon for her kingdom's survival. A princess bears the curse of raven form as twelve dancing daughters guard secrets that could topple their father's throne. These eighteen stories pull readers into worlds where Christopher Barzak explores the hunger of "Eat Me, Drink Me, Love Me" and Caitlín R. Kiernan walks "The Road of Needles." Nathan Ballingrud examines giants at rest while Jane Yolen gives voice to spinning wheels themselves. The tales span from Tanith Lee's subterranean realms to Ekaterina Sedia's sleeping beauties in distant lands. Authors like Theodora Goss, Genevieve Valentine, and Angela Slatter craft stories that embrace both shadow and light. These reimagined fairy tales speak to contemporary fears and desires while honoring the archetypal power of their sources.
Genres: short-stories, anthologies, fantasy, fairy-tale-retellings
Vibes: atmospheric, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, transformation
384 pages · Paperback · Prime Books