Review by Booklist Review
This is a collection that gets at the heart of its source material, distills it down to its essence, and reimagines it in fantastic settings. There is a satisfyingly global variety of mythological sources, and the reimagined versions take on a similarly pleasing variety of genre trappings, from cyberpunk to urban fantasy to space opera. As if this wasn't enough on its own, it's an excellent crew of writers at work, from the opener by Seanan McGuire to the closer by Amal El-Mohtar. While absolutely standing on its own, this volume might also serve as a useful introduction to the variety of work to be found in the authors' portfolios. There's some critical engagement within the stories addressing traditional inconsistencies; particularly memorable is Kat Howard's Curses Like Words, Like Feathers, Like Stories. The authors' notes are a nice touch, each a little glimpse into one experience of the myth chosen to retell. All told, an excellent collection for anyone interested in contemporary retellings of old stories or the breadth of current genre fiction.--Regina Schroeder Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wolfe and Parisien (Robots vs. Fairies) have compiled an impressively varied compendium of myth reimaginings by numerous well-known speculative fiction writers. Rebecca Roanhorse riffs on the ever-present danger of obsessive love in the futuristic "A Brief Lesson in Native American Astronomy," based on the Tewa Native American story of Deer Hunter and White Corn Maiden. Alyssa Wong modernizes Artemis and Actaeon, examining the timely question of female safety, solidarity, empowerment, and consent in "Live Stream." Seanan McGuire relocates the myth of Hades and Persephone to the heart of carnival life in "Phantoms of the Midway," while Amal El-Mohtar ("Florilegia; Or, Some Lies About Flowers") and Sarah Gailey ("Wild to Covet") confront questions of female agency and resistance in their respective reinterpretations of the myths of Blodeuwedd, a wife created from flowers for an unworthy husband, and Thetis, the mother of Achilles. This eclectic, often subversive collection will appeal to fairy tale fans who want something new and different. (Sept.)
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