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Wicked Pretty Things: 13 Dark Faerie Romances
13 Tales of Twisted Faeries on the Dark Side. These are dirty, sticky and sweet stories, beautifully crafted and filled with alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, magic, and dark intrigue. These are modern, urban, 'tattooed' stories, not retellings of fairy tales, about beautiful, dangerous fey, or fairies and the mortals who hunger for them.
This anthology was never published, and was officially cancelled by the publisher in late 2011 after a series of confrontations between authors and editor.
This anthology was never published, and was officially cancelled by the publisher in late 2011 after a series of confrontations between authors and editor.
384 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2011
2 people are currently reading
621 people want to read
About the author
Trisha Telep
23 books244 followersTrisha Telep was the romance and fantasy book buyer at Murder One, a London crime, mystery, and romance bookstore; she's now co-owner of the virtual bookstore www.murderone.co.uk and an editor of romance and supernatural anthologies for Mammoth. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, she now lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
stricken
July 20, 2011Yeah, no anthologies edited by Telep for me. I like love stories, regardless of character orientation, and asking an author to make the m/m couple a m/f couple because you're avoiding "alternative sexuality" does not fly with me.
Update: 4/4/11
Leila Roy gives an update
Update: 4/4/11
Leila Roy gives an update
September 18, 2011
Literally five seconds ago I found about this book and the controversy surrounding it, and I simply couldn't fight the urge to share my own thoughts about it, no matter how patchy, muddled or slighty squiffy they may be.
Dumbed down to the bare bones, one of the authors, Jessica Verday, pulled out of the anthology because the editor asked her to change her story of romance between two boys to a heterosexual romance. Verday refused and pulled out, and I don't think I will ever be able to put it into words how much I respect her decision.
The story goes like this:
My younger brother came out almost two years ago now during the first term of the school year when he was in year twelve. I had just started University, and was living away from home for the first time. Now, I had always known my brother was gay; hell, my parents knew as well (it wasn't like he was ever that subtle about it), so when he came out it wasn't so much to us as it was to his 'friends' at school. I never worried about it because I assumed they'd known each other so long it wouldn't be an issue.
So, about a week later I came home for the first time. I waited at the train station for my family to come and pick me up, and when the car pulled up I was surprised to see my dad all alone, looking tired and worried. On the drive home he told me that my brother had been being bullied at school by his old friends, and had locked himself in his room for the last three days, refusing to even eat anything.
Now, my brother is a very bright, energetic guy who is always laughing and joking around, the kind of guy who puts a positive spin on everything and rarely, if ever, gets down about something. Naturally, as soon as I got home I surprised everyone by getting my dad to park the car under my brothers window, and climbed in.
He was crying, slumped over on the floor next to his bed. For the next two hours we just talked, and for the next two hours, for the first time, I really got an indication of how out supposedly liberal western society treats these so called 'unnatural' minorities. And I was horrified that anyone could look at my brother, especially people who had been his friends for so long, and immediately shun him and hurt him just because of his sexuality.
My brother eventually switched schools and made new friends and his sexuality no longer became an issue, but I shall forever be haunted by the image of my cheerful, optimistic brother as that broken, emotional mess on his bedroom floor. It should never have mattered to his friends what his sexual preferance was, because that has nothing to do with his personality or what kind of person he is; either way he's an amazing person that anyone would be lucky to know.
But what we really have to ask it, why was it even an issue?
I couldn't possibly go into all of it; even the bare bones of why homophobia exists today in such an open and blatant way could easily be the subject of a doctoral thesis. I can't claim to understand what it's like to be pushed aside or ridiculed because of who I might fall in love with, or even why someone's sexual preference should immediately colour all views of them. I couldn't even begin to explain what goes through the heads of the people who hold a view as medieval and backward as 'all gays are wrong and unnatural'.
But what I can say, is that it's stories like the one surrounding this anthology which goes some way to explaining why homosexuality is viewed as alien and weird. Verday's story was singled out because it contained a relationship between two boys, something perfectly natural, and turned into an issue by the editor. Of course there are going to be people who say being gay is wrong so long as we continue to treat it that way.
You know what would help? If we stopped making homosexuality an issue and just accepted it as a natural part of everyday life. You know why? BECAUSE IT IS. There is absolutely no reason why mature readers shouldn't be able to look upon a relationship between two men and view it as anything but normal. It's not like there isn't similar things being portrayed in other aspects of the media; aside from other gay characters and relationships in other YA books, there are many examples in modern day media.
Aside from soaps, The Simpsons had contained openly gay characters for years. And what about the hillarious Modern Family? If more couples like Cam and Mitchell with Lily were portrayed in mainstream media, then soon enough you'll find that no longer shall homosexuality be seen as an unnatural choice selected by the strange minority, but just another path in life that some of us take that can lead to loving, long term relationships and lay a happy basis for many same sex families.
Although I'm perfectly aware that my arguments are neither clear nor clever, I hope you can at least understand my point that homosexuality is a natural part of life, and something we should continue to embrace as the norm. It pains me to think of other people going through what my brother did, and hopefully one day such incidents shall be eradicated.
Thank you for reading.
Dumbed down to the bare bones, one of the authors, Jessica Verday, pulled out of the anthology because the editor asked her to change her story of romance between two boys to a heterosexual romance. Verday refused and pulled out, and I don't think I will ever be able to put it into words how much I respect her decision.
The story goes like this:
My younger brother came out almost two years ago now during the first term of the school year when he was in year twelve. I had just started University, and was living away from home for the first time. Now, I had always known my brother was gay; hell, my parents knew as well (it wasn't like he was ever that subtle about it), so when he came out it wasn't so much to us as it was to his 'friends' at school. I never worried about it because I assumed they'd known each other so long it wouldn't be an issue.
So, about a week later I came home for the first time. I waited at the train station for my family to come and pick me up, and when the car pulled up I was surprised to see my dad all alone, looking tired and worried. On the drive home he told me that my brother had been being bullied at school by his old friends, and had locked himself in his room for the last three days, refusing to even eat anything.
Now, my brother is a very bright, energetic guy who is always laughing and joking around, the kind of guy who puts a positive spin on everything and rarely, if ever, gets down about something. Naturally, as soon as I got home I surprised everyone by getting my dad to park the car under my brothers window, and climbed in.
He was crying, slumped over on the floor next to his bed. For the next two hours we just talked, and for the next two hours, for the first time, I really got an indication of how out supposedly liberal western society treats these so called 'unnatural' minorities. And I was horrified that anyone could look at my brother, especially people who had been his friends for so long, and immediately shun him and hurt him just because of his sexuality.
My brother eventually switched schools and made new friends and his sexuality no longer became an issue, but I shall forever be haunted by the image of my cheerful, optimistic brother as that broken, emotional mess on his bedroom floor. It should never have mattered to his friends what his sexual preferance was, because that has nothing to do with his personality or what kind of person he is; either way he's an amazing person that anyone would be lucky to know.
But what we really have to ask it, why was it even an issue?
I couldn't possibly go into all of it; even the bare bones of why homophobia exists today in such an open and blatant way could easily be the subject of a doctoral thesis. I can't claim to understand what it's like to be pushed aside or ridiculed because of who I might fall in love with, or even why someone's sexual preference should immediately colour all views of them. I couldn't even begin to explain what goes through the heads of the people who hold a view as medieval and backward as 'all gays are wrong and unnatural'.
But what I can say, is that it's stories like the one surrounding this anthology which goes some way to explaining why homosexuality is viewed as alien and weird. Verday's story was singled out because it contained a relationship between two boys, something perfectly natural, and turned into an issue by the editor. Of course there are going to be people who say being gay is wrong so long as we continue to treat it that way.
You know what would help? If we stopped making homosexuality an issue and just accepted it as a natural part of everyday life. You know why? BECAUSE IT IS. There is absolutely no reason why mature readers shouldn't be able to look upon a relationship between two men and view it as anything but normal. It's not like there isn't similar things being portrayed in other aspects of the media; aside from other gay characters and relationships in other YA books, there are many examples in modern day media.
Aside from soaps, The Simpsons had contained openly gay characters for years. And what about the hillarious Modern Family? If more couples like Cam and Mitchell with Lily were portrayed in mainstream media, then soon enough you'll find that no longer shall homosexuality be seen as an unnatural choice selected by the strange minority, but just another path in life that some of us take that can lead to loving, long term relationships and lay a happy basis for many same sex families.
Although I'm perfectly aware that my arguments are neither clear nor clever, I hope you can at least understand my point that homosexuality is a natural part of life, and something we should continue to embrace as the norm. It pains me to think of other people going through what my brother did, and hopefully one day such incidents shall be eradicated.
Thank you for reading.
March 19, 2013
As other reviewers have pointed out, the editor Trisha Telep tried to get Jessica Verday to change the sexuality of her characters. After Verday refuses and pulls out, Lesley Livingston and Brenna Yovanoff pull out their stories as well, supposedly in support of Verday's decision. The controversy that ensued caused the cancellation of this anthology's publication. Telep could have backed off in favor of embracing views different from her own, but unfortunately she did not. The publisher could have gotten a different editor that isn't opposed to LBGTQ characters and romances, but they didn't. Whoever's fault the cancellation is isn't the point, the point is that we live in the 21st century, and people are still being censored for who they are and what they believe in. I think this whole situation says a lot about today's society. On the part of the authors, what is said is good. Telep and the publisher, however, not so much.
April 5, 2011
No desire to read a book that pulls a story because the story line involves a romantic homosexual relationship. Disappointing to say the least.
June 25, 2017
Sadly, I will not be reading this or anything else Telep has edited. Jessica Verday's blog for more info.
abandoned
March 26, 2011This could have been an interesting read, but apparently one story which might have been of interest to me has been pulled by its author, thanks to the sad bigotry of the editor and/or publisher. I understand some other authors have now pulled their stories as well. I will not read this, when (and if) it comes out.
abandoned
September 28, 2011I won't be reading this book. I think it's a matter of principal now, isn't it
Want to read
April 29, 2012I am very excited about this book, and I applaud Telep for not permitting P.C. - ness to intervene with her vision of the types of works she wishes to edit. Art does not apologize.
I am not the least bit averse to GBLT romances. I read and write romance fiction featuring both het and GBLT romance. I absolutely support my right to read and write the stories I like with the characters I want ... and I absolutely support Telep's right to do the same. I wish her and all contributors to this anthology the very best.
I am not the least bit averse to GBLT romances. I read and write romance fiction featuring both het and GBLT romance. I absolutely support my right to read and write the stories I like with the characters I want ... and I absolutely support Telep's right to do the same. I wish her and all contributors to this anthology the very best.
my-morals-say-fuck-no
March 26, 2012If you are not a homophobic prick than you should boycot this book! I have never read it and I never will!
You freakin rock Miss Verday!
You freakin rock Miss Verday!
September 17, 2013
What a stupid reason to ban someone else's story. I am officially never going to read anything written by Trisha Telep simply because of that atrocious response to someone elses beliefs.
no
December 11, 2014This book makes me happy. We have one homophobic editor, one author who wanted to write a story about a same sex couple and enough backlash at the homophobia that the book was never published. That's a positive. Don't get me wrong, we aren't anywhere near perfect. We still have a long way to go when it comes to homophobia, but we're moving in the right direction. I mean, it was illegal in my country only two years before I was born. And now we're getting a gay marriage referendum next year.
Maybe I'm just too optimistic. But 20 years ago, would an author have submitted a same-sex couple into this book? Would the book have been pulled because of a backlash against homophobia? Baby steps, people.
Maybe I'm just too optimistic. But 20 years ago, would an author have submitted a same-sex couple into this book? Would the book have been pulled because of a backlash against homophobia? Baby steps, people.
March 3, 2011
Jeepers Creepers this cover is awesome!! looks so smexy and grool!! Fall is so far away now!!!
March 8, 2012
Yip, glad I found this so I know to avoid Telep . Her anthologies are probably boring as dirt anyway.
not-even-gonna-touch
September 20, 2013I wonder if Telep might be Allie Condie in disguise?
/dances out
/dances out
December 18, 2013
One single word:
HOMOPHOBIC
HOMOPHOBIC
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews