Monstrous Alterations

by Christopher Barzak

In this new collection from Shirley Jackson Award winning author Christopher Barzak, discover stories where fairy tales, gothic narratives, and classic monster stories are transformed into new wonders. A princess who yearns only for freedom dances her nights away at clubs in defiance of tradition. A young man plots revenge on his murderer from the underworld. Two friends discover a goblin market where they are offered the fruit of forbidden love. On the streets of London, a man destroys the life of a little girl in an instant. The caretaker for a woman confined to her room frees her from the circumstances that have bound her. A maid at an inn discovers the powerlessness and power of invisibility. A teenager, locked into Kensington Gardens after closing time, is brought face to face with the reality of a childhood icon. A man is born, grows up, and dies, all within the span of a day. A bank clerk determines to save himself and his friend from the destinies their overbearing fathers have made for them. From the Brothers Grimm to Kafka, Barzak imaginatively traverses the history of the dark and the fantastic, and returns with new tales for an ever-changing world.

"In Monstrous Alterations, Christopher Barzak fashions old tales into modern marvels, trimming, embellishing, and turning them inside out. A spellbound tailor, he is both witty with his scissors and entranced by his source material, enmeshed in Poe, Kafka, Christina Rossetti, and the vast fairy tale tradition. These stories display not only the power of craft but the helplessness of desire: that intoxicating stuff we call inspiration." -Sofia Samatar, World Fantasy Award winning author of A Stranger in Olondria

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

216 pages, Paperback

Published September 8, 2023

About the author

Christopher Barzak is the author of the Crawford Fantasy Award winning novel One for Sorrow which has been made into the Sundance feature film Jamie Marks is Dead. His second novel, The Love We Share Without Knowing, was a finalist for the Nebula Award and the James Tiptree Jr. Award. His third novel, Wonders of the Invisible World, received the Stonewall Honor from the American Library Association and most recently was selected for inclusion on the Human Rights Campaign’s list of books for libraries in LGBTQ welcoming schools. He is also the author of three short story collections: Birds and Birthdays, a collection of surrealist fantasy stories, Before and Afterlives, a collection of supernatural fantasies, which won Best Collection in the 2013 Shirley Jackson Awards, and Monstrous Alterations. His most recent novel, The Gone Away Place, received the inaugural Whippoorwill Award, and was selected for the Choose to Read Ohio program by the State Library of Ohio, the Ohioana Library Association, and the Ohio Center for the Book.

Christopher grew up in rural Kinsman, Ohio, has lived in the southern California beach town of Carlsbad, and the capital of Michigan; he taught English outside of Tokyo, Japan, where he lived for two years. He teaches creative writing at Youngstown State University, in Youngstown, Ohio.

Reviews

[Bill Hsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite is "The Boy who Grew Up", a riff on Peter Pan. Fascinating play with Barrie's various Peter Pan texts, and the tangled story threads.

[Couri Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barzak lends each of these rerellings a unique, new voice and reignites the spark of what made the originals so memorable. Lovers of fairytale and the fantastic will delight to see what he's done with some classic favorites.

[Chandler Myer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Barzak, once again, shows what a fantastic writer he is. This excellent set of short stories masterfully moves among writing styles as he presents well-known stories from the perspectives of a different character than the original. The writing (and homage) is so good I plan to read and re-read the original stories on which his works are based. So much scrumptious reading here!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading retellings of fairy tales, so this short story collection was a must-read for me. ‘Kafka’s Circus’ was my favorite!

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories that revisit and add a twist to classic stories from authors like Poe, Kafka, and Baum. I love Barzak's prose: reflective, melancholic, a little spooky, and very queer.

Each story is accompanied by a note from the author, providing additional context and insight into his creative vision. As he said in one of the notes, these stories are very much in conversation with the original narratives. Due to this, a few of the stories missed for me I think mainly because I wasn't familiar with the original work. Overall, Before and Afterlives was a stronger collection for me personally, but I really loved The Creeping Women, Kafka's Circus, The Trampling, and Dorothy Rising.

[Liz Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of short stories reimagine old tales by writers such as Poe and Kafka, as well as some classic fairy tales. Barzak's versions are imaginative and beautifully crafted and include details that perfectly suit them to our current sensibilities. Though this was not the author's intention, I can see teachers using his tales as teaching tools for a better understanding of the originals. A very enjoyable and insightful read.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

On today's flight, I finally finishes reading Christopher Barzak 's short story collection Monstrous Alterations ( published by Lethe Press ). Another brilliant set of stories by an author whose work I greatly enjoy and admire. All of the tales in the book are tweaks (mostly queer) on well known fairy tales (Red Riding Hood; the Twelve Dancing Princesses), poems (Christina Rossetti's The Goblin Market), or small moments from larger novels (The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde; The Wizard of Oz). The volume closer (and only piece original to the collection) is a paean to longing and loss of self in the face of parental expectations and control that many of us have felt (queer or not) through the lens of characters from Franz Kafka stories (most of which I am unfamiliar with, and yet the story still made me cry).

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little compilation that I totally enjoyed. Reviewed each story individually so check out my thoughts!

The Party Monster review - Never heard of the story this was based on but that was no problem! The original is explained clearly so any reader will get the story with ease. Takes you in like reading a full novel and sweeps you away. Mind expanding and simply amazing. Would give this story 6 stars if I could.

For The Applause of Shadows review - Never understood the original by Poe. Didn't really understand this one either. May need a lot more psych than I took in my teens. Well written and could draw the reader deeper into the workings of the mind. Didn't really work for me but it was based on something that didn't either. 3.5 stars

Eat Me, Drink Me, Love Me review - Not familiar with this story but the recap totally made sense. The writing here is just so enjoyable. The presentation of the Goblins is the best part of this. They are so creatively presented, it is incredible. A brilliant little tale worth 6 stars too!

The Trampling review - Very familiar with the original story. An incredible original take on it here. The story is harsh and steely. A telling example of how what is here is reflective of life today. Consider how your i-phone is made and read this story. 5 stars

The Creeping Women review - Unlike anything I have ever read. Mind altering in its flow. Didn't know the story. Don't think I need to read the original now. Truly a creative original that I struggled to get. 4.5 stars

Invisible Men review - Love the original story and simply loved this alteration. Excellent writing. This could bring the original to a whole new audience. Just transfixing. 5 stars

Dorothy Rising review - If you have read or seen The Wizard of Oz, then you must read this story. It's a take on Oz like I never considered before. 4.5 stars

The Little Boy Who Grew Up review - Creativity is the key to this work. No one would think of a story about Peter Pan from this perspective. I recommend this story to everyone. 6 stars

The 24 Hour Brother review - As a big fan of the Brad Pitt oldie from 08, this story really worked for me. A wow factor here. I kept picturing Pitt in the scenes. Very well written and worth the time to read in depth. 6 stars

The Kafka Circus review – This book showed me once more that I have trouble getting Kafka. The great aspect here is the author totally gets Kafka and that makes it a great little read. Since my gf got me to read Kafka originally, I am making her read this story! Very well done. 5 stars

This anthology is a really great read I recommend to fans of classic stories with a modern twist.

My Rating: 5+ stars

Reviewed by: Tiger

This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of Christopher Barzak’s short stories for almost 20 years, so it’s no surprise that I enjoyed his new collection of short stories. Like Angela Carter, Barzak excels at transforming familiar stories into something entirely new.

He frequently refocuses the theme by switching the narrator from the hero to an overlooked side. This change is a clever way to draw attention to social issues like classism and homophobia that might be embedded in the original work. And Barzak’s elegant prose makes it feel like an extension of the original tale.

I especially enjoyed “Eat Me, Drink Me, Love Me” (adaptation of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”), “The Creeping Women” (adaptation of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper), and “Dorothy, Rising” (adaptation of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum).

I’m a fan of each of the original works, especially “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Barzak made me see each of the stories with fresh eyes.

I also enjoyed reading Barzak’s introduction and story notes, where he offers insight into his approach to each story. Don't miss the story embedded in the introduction.

[Kim Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story collection in which the stories are retelling of other famous stories. Some are pretty good such as the 12 dancing princess. Some fall a little short. Recommend if you like short stories.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Because if you don't love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else? Can I get an amen?" -RuPaul

[Hannah Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories are masterful and creative retellings of classic tales, viewing narratives that we often take for granted through a modern lens.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. A few I wasn't keen on but that's because I am not into the originals - Peter Pan, Wizard of OZ for instance.

Others - The Invisible Man, were great