Such a Pretty Face: Tales of Power and Abundance

by Lee Martindale (Editor / Contributor), Judy Sullivan (Contributor), Jane Yolen (Contributor)

Think all heroes have washboard abs? Think all heroines wear Size 3 Junior Petite? Think again! Come join Gene Wolfe, Elizabeth Anne Scarborough, Jane Yolen, Jody Lynn Nye, and Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, who along with nineteen other authors, introduce you to some of the funniest, wildest, sexiest, most powerful, and normal (considering these are science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories) fat people on earth and a few other planets. Meet a pirate named "Valkyrie" and a cardsharp named "Fat Moriah". Meet a xeno-fitness instructor and an earth-mage who don't apologize for taking up space. Meet fat cats on a mission and a very different kind of vampire. Meet characters for whom "plus-size" is about body size and heart. Brought together in this first-of-its-kind collection are stories that raise the set point on adventure and redraw the picture of "the hero" along the way. Tales of power and abundance that prove that heroes and heroines come in all sizes.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Fiction

Hardcover

First published May 25, 2000

About the author

Writer, editor, and activist Lee Martindale has been called “a force of nature” and “Hell on Wheels” for very good reasons. She's edited a groundbreaking anthology (SUCH A PRETTY FACE), released a CD of original filk music (THE LADIES OF TRADE TOWN) and an audiochapbook CD (TO STAND AS WITNESS: THREE ARTHURIAN TALES). Her recent works include PREJUDICE BY THE POUND, a collection of essays and editorials from ten years of Rump Parliament Magazine, and stories in TURN THE OTHER CHICK, CATOPOLIS, WITCH WAY TO THE MALL, WARRIOR WISEWOMAN 2, and FANGS FOR THE MAMMARIES. Lee recently celebrated the release of THE LADIES OF TRADE TOWN, an anthology of genre stories on “the world’s oldest profession” from HarpHaven Publishing.

When not slinging fiction, Lee is a Named Bard, Lifetime Active Member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (where’s she’s currently on the Board of Directors), a fencing member of the SFWA Musketeers, and a member of the SCA.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just awful writing. Boring, uninteresting.

[M.C. Hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I was one of the original contributors to this anthology, under the pen name Marian Crane.

I came back to this book after ten years, and enjoyed it even more the second time around. Some of the stories spoke more to me than others. It gets three stars from me only because I'm not much of a New Weird reader, and some stories seemed to be preaching too much.

Still, I wish that the publisher had survived long enough to offer a second volume of Martindale's size-wise spec fiction. This one was ahead of its time.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

More good stories than bad. I prefer fluffy fantasy over edgy sci-fi and most of the stories catered to me. The sci-fi was good, as sci-fi goes but it was more laborious for me to read those. Overall, a decent mix of fat acceptance (and dare I say glorifying?) short stories. For those of us who know our real value and are impatiently waiting for the rest of the world to catch on and get up to speed!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was feeling bad about myself and needed a bit of a boost. This collection of plus-size fairy stories was just what I needed. The collection is mixed in quality, but there are a couple of gems, especially the Elizabeth Anne Scarborough story which I loved and wish it was a full length novel!

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

AN anthology of short short fantasy stories with plus size themes. It was interesting, the stories were too short. Just as you had started to get interested, a punchline and too quickly over--

[JoyfulK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed these stories. A lot. At the same time I was just sad that stories with positive images of fat characters are so uncommon that we needed a special anthology of them.