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Beyond Grimm: Tales Newly Twisted
Not your grandmother's fairy tales...
From the far-ranging imaginations of Book View Café authors comes this delirious collection of classic tales newly twisted into dark, dangerous, and occasionally hilarious re-tellings. From the golden isles of Greece to the frozen north, from fairytale castles to urban slums, join us on an unforgettable journey!
Stories by Vonda N. McIntyre, Laura Anne Gilman, Sherwood Smith, Judith Tarr, and more.
From the far-ranging imaginations of Book View Café authors comes this delirious collection of classic tales newly twisted into dark, dangerous, and occasionally hilarious re-tellings. From the golden isles of Greece to the frozen north, from fairytale castles to urban slums, join us on an unforgettable journey!
Stories by Vonda N. McIntyre, Laura Anne Gilman, Sherwood Smith, Judith Tarr, and more.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 13, 2012
6 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Deborah J. Ross
91 books100 followersDeborah J. Ross writes and edits fantasy and science fiction. Her novels include Jaydium, Northlight, Lambda Finalist first-contact Collaborators, and The Seven-Petaled Shield epic fantasy trilogy. Besides continuing the "Darkover" series created by Marion Zimmer Bradley, she's edited the Darkover anthology series and the award-nominated Lace and Blade series. Her short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, F & SF, Realms of Fantasy, and many others, earning multiple Honorable Mention in Year's Best SF. When she's not writing, she knits for charity, plays classical piano, and goes hiking in the redwoods.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 19, 2012
Beyond Grimm a broad catch-all for stories of all sorts of flavors – humor, traditional, horror, adult, teen – that was probably intended as a something-for-everyone publication. I personally would have enjoyed it more if the editors had picked fewer flavors and specialized just with them. Any of the stories in this analogy are likely to appeal to a given reader; one single reader is unlikely to find all or even many of these stories appealing. I find it a pity that as an ebook it's unlikely to be found in a public library. This is one of those publications where picking and choosing to read only select stories is really the best way to go.
Three stars overall; I loved several of these stories, thought others were a waste of publication space, and channeled my inner 12-year-old girl in a couple cases -- the collection is that uneven. Still, I liked it more than I didn't. Recommended the most for older teen readers; there's plenty of silly stuff to appeal to the less mature in that crowd mixed in with the harder-edged tales that are the ones worth reading. Provincially recommended with parental awareness for tweens and young teens.
For adult readers? It's worth picking up if you are a fan of fairy tale retellings, but don't expect every story to be a perfect match. My own adult tastes are profoundly slanted towards the horror/fantasy short stories along the lines of Windling and Datlow's Snow White, Blood Red anthologies, and I found the Beyond Grimm tales as Windling and Datlow done light. (Their anthologies for young adults, Retold Fairy Tales, are probably the best comparison to this book.)
A finished ecopy of this book was provided to me by the publisher, given through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
Three stars overall; I loved several of these stories, thought others were a waste of publication space, and channeled my inner 12-year-old girl in a couple cases -- the collection is that uneven. Still, I liked it more than I didn't. Recommended the most for older teen readers; there's plenty of silly stuff to appeal to the less mature in that crowd mixed in with the harder-edged tales that are the ones worth reading. Provincially recommended with parental awareness for tweens and young teens.
For adult readers? It's worth picking up if you are a fan of fairy tale retellings, but don't expect every story to be a perfect match. My own adult tastes are profoundly slanted towards the horror/fantasy short stories along the lines of Windling and Datlow's Snow White, Blood Red anthologies, and I found the Beyond Grimm tales as Windling and Datlow done light. (Their anthologies for young adults, Retold Fairy Tales, are probably the best comparison to this book.)
A finished ecopy of this book was provided to me by the publisher, given through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
April 22, 2012
This is a collection of fairy tales, folklore, mythology stories that range from humorous, light, classic format, to new imaginings. My actual rating is 3.5 out of 5.
The light-hearted "Hair Raising" by Pati Nagle modernizes Rapunzel; this is no damsel in distress here. 3 out of 5.
"No Newt Taxes" by Patricia Rice is a biting satire of current political events and attitudes. The weakness here is that Rice came up with clever puns (No Newt Taxes) but it never quite fit into the story, which otherwise was clearly a jab at some of the more conservative party lines we hear today. 3 out of 5.
"Of Rats and Cats and Teenagers" by Irene Radford is an amusing glimpse into just how hard it is to be a fairy godmother sometimes, with having to tweak the situations until everyone is happy with what they asked for and no one else goes wanting. 4 out of 5.
I had forgotten how this fairy tale went, so when I came to "The Tinderbox" by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, I was entertained by the faithful retelling of a story about how a soldier takes matters into his own hands and gets the girl, despite her father's attempts to avoid that very prophesy. 3.5 out of 5.
"Any Brave Boy" by Laura Anne Gilman is told in a classic format about a boy's adventures with a giant. 3 out of 5.
"Elfleda" by Vonda N. McIntyre is beautifully set, tragic in tone, and bleak in outcome. Beautiful man-made hybrids are at the mercy of the humans who made them. Heart breaking. 4 out of 5.
Deborah J. Ross gives harpies a new face and agency in "Harpies Discover Sex." This is a fun read, with goofy humor. 3 out of 5.
Another fun story, "To Serve a Prince" by Brenda W. Clough gives our British Prince a chance to use his unique charm in getting out of a bad situation and making a new friend in the process. 3.5 out of 5.
"The Rapture of Ancient Danger" by Sherwood Smith brings us all back to our awkward teenage years with a story about a talented musician overshadowed by her pretty sister. Our hero has to find a way to reconcile her talent, family role expectations, temptation, and her dreams. 4 out of 5.
"Mending Souls" by Judith Tarr tells us that when we do good work and trust in our own skill, eventually someone will appreciate our hard work, even if we don't understand exactly what it is the customer needs from us. A magical story where my review just can't do it justice. 4.5 out of 5.
Bluebeard gets a sympathetic retelling in "Sister Anne" by Sylvia Kelso. In this imagining, Bluebeard is not a serial killer, but instead is stuck in a cursed arrangement, and he desperately searches for a cure. I think this would make a great full-length story by itself. 3.5 out of 5.
Sue Lange takes "Princess Dancer" in a new direction from the Grimm tale it is based on. The princess dancers are compelled to dance every night, but find a way to escape their duty, and eventually gain independence. 3.5 out of 5.
We go to Arthurian legend with "Nimue's Tale" by Madeleine E. Robins. This story is heavily influenced by Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Mists of Avalon" (one of my favorite stories). 3 out of 5.
"Ricky Cowlicky" by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff is a modernized morality fable about gifts and the right reason to use our gifts for. 3.5 out of 5.
Irene Radford gives us another amusing twisted telling in "Little Red in the Hood." Who's the predator, who's the prey, who's the hero? 3.5 out of 5.
"Hero/Monster" by Amy Sterling Casil explores Beowulf and wonders what would happen if we just broke the cycle and tried to understand our enemy rather than constantly battling them. 3 out of 5.
"To Ride Beyond the Wide World's End" by Judith Tarr is my favorite of the stories. This is a classic fantasy story about traveling and really listening to and trusting those close to us. Truly magical. 4.5 out of 5.
The last story, "Turnabout" by Deborah J. Ross, revisits the theme of altering our destiny and changing outcomes, this time from the perspective of the male dancer in popular ballet stories. 3.5 out of 5.
Overall, a wide assortment of stories that mostly succeed in taking us down familiar paths while surprising and entertaining us along the way. Some will make us think more about fate and circumstance, while others will make us dream.
A word about the publisher, Book View Cafe, as well. This is an author cooperative, meaning the authors themselves run all aspects of the business. I am a big fan of this model, especially since they offer their work DRM-free. I look forward to reading more stories from this cooperative.
The light-hearted "Hair Raising" by Pati Nagle modernizes Rapunzel; this is no damsel in distress here. 3 out of 5.
"No Newt Taxes" by Patricia Rice is a biting satire of current political events and attitudes. The weakness here is that Rice came up with clever puns (No Newt Taxes) but it never quite fit into the story, which otherwise was clearly a jab at some of the more conservative party lines we hear today. 3 out of 5.
"Of Rats and Cats and Teenagers" by Irene Radford is an amusing glimpse into just how hard it is to be a fairy godmother sometimes, with having to tweak the situations until everyone is happy with what they asked for and no one else goes wanting. 4 out of 5.
I had forgotten how this fairy tale went, so when I came to "The Tinderbox" by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, I was entertained by the faithful retelling of a story about how a soldier takes matters into his own hands and gets the girl, despite her father's attempts to avoid that very prophesy. 3.5 out of 5.
"Any Brave Boy" by Laura Anne Gilman is told in a classic format about a boy's adventures with a giant. 3 out of 5.
"Elfleda" by Vonda N. McIntyre is beautifully set, tragic in tone, and bleak in outcome. Beautiful man-made hybrids are at the mercy of the humans who made them. Heart breaking. 4 out of 5.
Deborah J. Ross gives harpies a new face and agency in "Harpies Discover Sex." This is a fun read, with goofy humor. 3 out of 5.
Another fun story, "To Serve a Prince" by Brenda W. Clough gives our British Prince a chance to use his unique charm in getting out of a bad situation and making a new friend in the process. 3.5 out of 5.
"The Rapture of Ancient Danger" by Sherwood Smith brings us all back to our awkward teenage years with a story about a talented musician overshadowed by her pretty sister. Our hero has to find a way to reconcile her talent, family role expectations, temptation, and her dreams. 4 out of 5.
"Mending Souls" by Judith Tarr tells us that when we do good work and trust in our own skill, eventually someone will appreciate our hard work, even if we don't understand exactly what it is the customer needs from us. A magical story where my review just can't do it justice. 4.5 out of 5.
Bluebeard gets a sympathetic retelling in "Sister Anne" by Sylvia Kelso. In this imagining, Bluebeard is not a serial killer, but instead is stuck in a cursed arrangement, and he desperately searches for a cure. I think this would make a great full-length story by itself. 3.5 out of 5.
Sue Lange takes "Princess Dancer" in a new direction from the Grimm tale it is based on. The princess dancers are compelled to dance every night, but find a way to escape their duty, and eventually gain independence. 3.5 out of 5.
We go to Arthurian legend with "Nimue's Tale" by Madeleine E. Robins. This story is heavily influenced by Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Mists of Avalon" (one of my favorite stories). 3 out of 5.
"Ricky Cowlicky" by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff is a modernized morality fable about gifts and the right reason to use our gifts for. 3.5 out of 5.
Irene Radford gives us another amusing twisted telling in "Little Red in the Hood." Who's the predator, who's the prey, who's the hero? 3.5 out of 5.
"Hero/Monster" by Amy Sterling Casil explores Beowulf and wonders what would happen if we just broke the cycle and tried to understand our enemy rather than constantly battling them. 3 out of 5.
"To Ride Beyond the Wide World's End" by Judith Tarr is my favorite of the stories. This is a classic fantasy story about traveling and really listening to and trusting those close to us. Truly magical. 4.5 out of 5.
The last story, "Turnabout" by Deborah J. Ross, revisits the theme of altering our destiny and changing outcomes, this time from the perspective of the male dancer in popular ballet stories. 3.5 out of 5.
Overall, a wide assortment of stories that mostly succeed in taking us down familiar paths while surprising and entertaining us along the way. Some will make us think more about fate and circumstance, while others will make us dream.
A word about the publisher, Book View Cafe, as well. This is an author cooperative, meaning the authors themselves run all aspects of the business. I am a big fan of this model, especially since they offer their work DRM-free. I look forward to reading more stories from this cooperative.
October 10, 2016
I should preface this review by stating short stories have to be pretty spectacular for me to really like them. So maybe I was just the wrong audience for a short story anthology - but on the other hand, I am the perfect audience because I love fairy tale retellings.
I had two main problems with this anthology: 1) the caliber of the stories, and 2) the disjointed nature of the book. There were a few stories I did enjoy while reading them, but overall none were very memorable. I honestly can't remember some of the stories from the beginning of the book.
All the stories in this book are billed as retellings of familiar tales. Which is true, yes, but which tales? The titles make me think fairy tales. So why then is there a full section that contained elements of Greek myths? And the random story about Nimue? Or the Bluebeard story that made me go WTF? Or the entire last section of the anthology which seemed like it was cobbled together to hold the three stories which really had no commonalities?
In addition to the common theme of the anthology not holding true, the feel of the different stories also varied to the point where they honestly shouldn't have been included in the same collection. There were tongue-in-cheek stories side-by-side with depressing and serious stories.
An okay collection, but there are much better anthologies of fairy tale rellings out there.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
I had two main problems with this anthology: 1) the caliber of the stories, and 2) the disjointed nature of the book. There were a few stories I did enjoy while reading them, but overall none were very memorable. I honestly can't remember some of the stories from the beginning of the book.
All the stories in this book are billed as retellings of familiar tales. Which is true, yes, but which tales? The titles make me think fairy tales. So why then is there a full section that contained elements of Greek myths? And the random story about Nimue? Or the Bluebeard story that made me go WTF? Or the entire last section of the anthology which seemed like it was cobbled together to hold the three stories which really had no commonalities?
In addition to the common theme of the anthology not holding true, the feel of the different stories also varied to the point where they honestly shouldn't have been included in the same collection. There were tongue-in-cheek stories side-by-side with depressing and serious stories.
An okay collection, but there are much better anthologies of fairy tale rellings out there.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
October 20, 2018
As any anthology a mixed bag, from the very good to the very boring ( but at least mercyfully short)
March 13, 2015
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Beyond Grimm, edited by Deborah J. Ross and Phyllis Irene Radford, joins a growing list of anthologies in which contemporary authors take on ancient fairy tales and give them a modern twist. As with all such anthologies, some stories are better than others; this particular volume comes to us (in e-book form only) from Book View Cafe, which is described as "a professional authors' cooperative offering DRM-free ebooks in multiple formats to readers around the world." I presume this means that the authors represented in this book are members of the coop; at any rate, there are a fair number of new-to-me authors listed. I initially thought these stories would be of the slight and humourous variety, as the opening stories ("Hair Raising," by Pati Nagle, a fun take on Rapunzel; "No Newt Taxes," by Patricia Rice, a Snow White remake; "Of Rats and Cats and Teenagers," by Irene Radford, concerning a fairy godsister's tasks) are all quite funny and silly; but then along comes Vonda N. McIntyre's "Elfleda," about genetically modified humans who have become creatures of mythology - mermaids, centaurs, unicorns - and that story just broke my heart. This is an uneven collection, and it's also a mixture of previously published stories and brand new ones, which is a little puzzling; in addition, the authors' "biographies" at the back of the book are all whimsical and fairy-tale based, which is kind of annoying. I'm also a bit suspicious when the editors of volumes like these include not one, but two stories written by themselves; it's a bit self-aggrandizing to do that, I think. I'm glad I read some of the stories, however, and on that basis I would mildly recommend it to people who enjoy re-imagined fairy tales.
Beyond Grimm, edited by Deborah J. Ross and Phyllis Irene Radford, joins a growing list of anthologies in which contemporary authors take on ancient fairy tales and give them a modern twist. As with all such anthologies, some stories are better than others; this particular volume comes to us (in e-book form only) from Book View Cafe, which is described as "a professional authors' cooperative offering DRM-free ebooks in multiple formats to readers around the world." I presume this means that the authors represented in this book are members of the coop; at any rate, there are a fair number of new-to-me authors listed. I initially thought these stories would be of the slight and humourous variety, as the opening stories ("Hair Raising," by Pati Nagle, a fun take on Rapunzel; "No Newt Taxes," by Patricia Rice, a Snow White remake; "Of Rats and Cats and Teenagers," by Irene Radford, concerning a fairy godsister's tasks) are all quite funny and silly; but then along comes Vonda N. McIntyre's "Elfleda," about genetically modified humans who have become creatures of mythology - mermaids, centaurs, unicorns - and that story just broke my heart. This is an uneven collection, and it's also a mixture of previously published stories and brand new ones, which is a little puzzling; in addition, the authors' "biographies" at the back of the book are all whimsical and fairy-tale based, which is kind of annoying. I'm also a bit suspicious when the editors of volumes like these include not one, but two stories written by themselves; it's a bit self-aggrandizing to do that, I think. I'm glad I read some of the stories, however, and on that basis I would mildly recommend it to people who enjoy re-imagined fairy tales.
January 7, 2013
I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings and was really looking forward to reading darker versions of the classic fairy tales. As always with short story anthologies, I loved some and disliked others. For Beyond Grimm: Tales Newly Twisted, I found myself enjoying most of the stories, however. As the title suggests, these stories are for those who enjoy more twisted, darker tales. It is even better that many are based off popular children's fairy tales.
Many of these authors are well established and I definitely enjoyed seeing more of their work. I requested this book because of Irene Radford, but I also loved reading stories from Sherwood Smith, Laura Anne Gilman, and Alma Alexander. "Hair Raising" made me want to read more of Pati Nagle, and "Ricky Cowlicky" was also a fun story by an author who was new to me.
I think that the first six stories are the strongest of the anthology, so the later ones were a bit of a disappointment for me. But I do think that there is something for everyone -- while I particularly enjoyed the twists on Rapunzel, Snow White, and Rumpelstiltskin, I think that fans of Arthurian legends will love "Nimue's Tale." I don't think that every single one of these stories will be favorites for one person, but anyone interested in fantasy will find at least one or two stories to love.
*I received a free copy from the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for my honest review.*
Many of these authors are well established and I definitely enjoyed seeing more of their work. I requested this book because of Irene Radford, but I also loved reading stories from Sherwood Smith, Laura Anne Gilman, and Alma Alexander. "Hair Raising" made me want to read more of Pati Nagle, and "Ricky Cowlicky" was also a fun story by an author who was new to me.
I think that the first six stories are the strongest of the anthology, so the later ones were a bit of a disappointment for me. But I do think that there is something for everyone -- while I particularly enjoyed the twists on Rapunzel, Snow White, and Rumpelstiltskin, I think that fans of Arthurian legends will love "Nimue's Tale." I don't think that every single one of these stories will be favorites for one person, but anyone interested in fantasy will find at least one or two stories to love.
*I received a free copy from the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for my honest review.*
May 15, 2012
A collection of 19 tales, some satirical, some hysterical, some just a bit scary. All were entertaining (although the overtly political satire of "No Newt Taxes" was wearying to me). Settings in the collection range widely from modern to medieval (or older).
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys retellings of fairy tales and folklore. Personally, I love to see what inventiveness an author can apply to a familiar story.
Because of the wide variety of writing styles and content, I wouldn't recommend reading straight through this volume. Rather read one story at a time.
(Disclaimer: This item was provided by Library Thing's Early Reviewer program.)
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys retellings of fairy tales and folklore. Personally, I love to see what inventiveness an author can apply to a familiar story.
Because of the wide variety of writing styles and content, I wouldn't recommend reading straight through this volume. Rather read one story at a time.
(Disclaimer: This item was provided by Library Thing's Early Reviewer program.)
August 24, 2013
Anthologies are always a mixture of stories, so there is usually at least one story I like. That was the way with this collection - there were only one or two stories I liked. Some of them started well or seemed to have good ideas but lost what ever it was they had pretty quickly. If your looking for twisted fairy tales, there are others who do it better.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews