A review by bodagirl
The Secret History of Fantasy, by Peter S. Beagle
4.0
I truly enjoyed this collection of fantasy stories that Beagle out together, mostly because it stayed away from the "epic" or "sword and sorcery" sub-genre that seems to dominate the genre as a whole and serves as a stereotype for fantasy geeks.
Some of the stories I didn't care for as much, but there weren't any I completely hated, and some of them I loved.
The standouts:
"The Lady of Skulls" by [a:Patricia McKillip|25|Patricia A. McKillip|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1220752490p2/25.jpg]: This story is as close the anthology gets to sword and sorcery. A fable-like tale of knights who must correctly choose the most valuable item in a tower holding the greatest treasures in the world or die when they leave. Told through the POV of the tower's inhabitant: the Lady of the Skulls.
"Snow, Glass, Apples" by [a:Neil Gaiman|1221698|Neil Gaiman|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1234150163p2/1221698.jpg]: A re-telling of Snow White from the POV of the queen/stepmother who might not actually be evil. With elements of vampirism and necrophilia, this rendition would make the Brothers Grimm proud.
"The Empire of Ice Cream" by [a:Jeffery Ford]: This was my favorite of the collection. It's protagonist is William, a boy with synesthesia, who composes music based on the colors associated with the notes. He discovers he can see a girl named Anna when he eats coffee ice cream and struggles with the strange relationship that develops. Great twist in the end!
Besides the stories, [a:Peter S. Beagle|1067608|Peter S. Beagle|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1360970921p2/1067608.jpg] and [a:David G. Hartwell|13390|David G. Hartwell|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1247584058p2/13390.jpg] supply some essays about the history of the genre which I enjoyed. [a:Ursula LeGuinn] also supplied an essay, but hers was a defense of the genre that rambled a bit too much for my taste.
Overall a definite read for any fantasy reader, or someone who wants to read something non-realistic for a change.
Some of the stories I didn't care for as much, but there weren't any I completely hated, and some of them I loved.
The standouts:
"The Lady of Skulls" by [a:Patricia McKillip|25|Patricia A. McKillip|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1220752490p2/25.jpg]: This story is as close the anthology gets to sword and sorcery. A fable-like tale of knights who must correctly choose the most valuable item in a tower holding the greatest treasures in the world or die when they leave. Told through the POV of the tower's inhabitant: the Lady of the Skulls.
"Snow, Glass, Apples" by [a:Neil Gaiman|1221698|Neil Gaiman|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1234150163p2/1221698.jpg]: A re-telling of Snow White from the POV of the queen/stepmother who might not actually be evil. With elements of vampirism and necrophilia, this rendition would make the Brothers Grimm proud.
"The Empire of Ice Cream" by [a:Jeffery Ford]: This was my favorite of the collection. It's protagonist is William, a boy with synesthesia, who composes music based on the colors associated with the notes. He discovers he can see a girl named Anna when he eats coffee ice cream and struggles with the strange relationship that develops. Great twist in the end!
Besides the stories, [a:Peter S. Beagle|1067608|Peter S. Beagle|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1360970921p2/1067608.jpg] and [a:David G. Hartwell|13390|David G. Hartwell|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1247584058p2/13390.jpg] supply some essays about the history of the genre which I enjoyed. [a:Ursula LeGuinn] also supplied an essay, but hers was a defense of the genre that rambled a bit too much for my taste.
Overall a definite read for any fantasy reader, or someone who wants to read something non-realistic for a change.