Nightshades: Thirteen Journeys into Shadow

by Tanith Lee

A collection of fantasy writings.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies

311 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Tanith Lee was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She also wrote four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.

Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.

Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.

Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.

Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.

Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.

Reviews

[Karl]

The book was published by Headline in the UK and is not a Book Club.

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tanith Lee has always been the epitome of lush dark fantasies set in exotic locales or mundane England. And her writing has always been near and dear to my heart. In this collection of her short stories, headlined by the same-titled novel "Nightshade," Lee collects a variety of stories that showcase her talents, a strange cat-tale that was one of her very first stories, to the more mature and deadly The Janfia Tree. As typical and pursuant to individual tastes, there are some stories here that shine more brightly than others. For Lee, though, even the most dull of stories is a feast of words. Nicely done!

Contents: Nightshade; The Mermaid; After The Guillotine; Meow; Il Bacio (Il Chiave); A Room With A Vie; Paper Boat; Blue Vase Of Ghosts; Pinewood; The Janfia Tree; The Devil's Rose; Huzdra; Three Days.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sad I did not get the awesome cover with the big cat in the tree. Look how cool that cover is.

The stories are all… so intriguing. Some are just so Tanith, and a few pinged my story brain HARD. in that ‘I think this is what should have happened’ sense.

But she is so good with the short format. I can’t work out HOW she does it, but I intend to read more to find out. And the Il Chiave one where the young girl in the village meets the devil??? My heart; dear god, I was so ANGRY.

4 stars

[Sarah Koz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She was a victim of the bizarre juxtaposition which made a woman imagine she had fallen in love with a man, when in fact she had actually fallen in love with the masculine facet of her own self as projected in this man’s image.” Hot stuff motherfucker.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Room with a Vie (1980)
After the Guillotine (1985)
Blue Vase of Ghosts (1983)
Huzdra (1977)
Il Bacio (Il Chiave) (1983)
Meow (1981)
Nightshade (1993)
Paper Boat (1978)
Pinewood (1984)
The Devil's Rose (1988)
The Janfia Tree (1989)
The Mermaid (1991)
Three Days (1984)

[bluetyson]

Nightshades by Tanith Lee (1994)