Witches' Brew

by Yvonne Jocks (Editor), Erica Jong, Benjamin Franklin

Throughout history and throughout cultures, witches have always enthralled us. Be they good witches or bad witches, ancient sorcerers or modern-day Wiccans, their aura of magic, nature, and power is irresistible. Here, the greatest authors of all time are gathered together to stir up a little trouble. From Shakespeare’s Wyrd Sisters in Macbeth to Dean Koontz’s doddering old crone in “Snatcher” to Erica Jong’s Mother Goddess in “Smoke,” these works of prose and poetry capture the witch in all her guises: wicked, empowering, romantic, and pagan.

No longer relegated to fairy tale villains, witches have become potent personifications of feminine power—and have found a place in every genre of writing.  So, leave your preconceived notions at the door and dive headfirst into Witches’ Brew, the ultimate collection of witch literature.

Let the world’s greatest writers put you under a spell…

Erica Jong • Dean Koontz • Louise Erdrich • William Shakespeare • Ursula K. Le Guin • Harlan Ellison • Sir Arthur Conan Doyle • Shirley Jackson • W.B. Yeats • Brothers Grimm • Ben Franklin • Emily Brontë • Louisa May Alcott • Ray Bradbury • Anton Chekhov • Emily Dickinson • H.P. Lovecraft • Nathaniel Hawthorne • Ambrose Bierce • H.P. Blavatsky • Mary Coleridge • Rosemary Edghill • P.N. Elrod • Anita Endrezze • Mary Wilkins Freeman • David Gerrold • M.V. Ingram • Mercedes Lackey • Cotton Mather • Charles Perrault • Kathryn Ptacek • Doreen Valiente • Evelyn Vaughn • Lady Wilde

 

 

Genres: Anthologies, Fantasy, Short Stories, Horror, Fiction, Witches, Short Story Collection

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Katie Viola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quirky little book of short stories. Did not read them all but Witch’s Hollow was my favorite one.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic Premise: This one's all about witches: good, bad, ugly, empowered, ALL types.

Short story collections are my favorite thing to read before bed, especially now that I have a baby. This one includes everything from Shakespeare to Lovecraft, and everything in between. I've been working my way through it for over a year now, in bits and pieces. I finished it last night, and I must say, all in all, it was well worth buying. If you are a pagan/wiccan, you'll appreciate the examples of what other people see witches as as well as the inclusion of a beautiful poetic rendering of the Rede. If you aren't pagan/wiccan, and you enjoy fantasy or want to understand a pagan/wiccan friend more, this will help put things into perspective. I'll probably re-read it many times in the future.

On a more personal note- every time I picked up this book it really seemed as if the story I read really pertained to my life and the things going on in it. I've been going through a rough few days, and one of the last stories in the book- a Solstice tale about the conflict between the Oak and Holly kings- really put my personal issues into perspective and helped me to move past despair and into action.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like anthologies. One can choose a short story, poem, or essay to read to take your mind off your troubles or to relax your brain from reading heavier tomes. This anthology is, as its title says, a collection of short stories (some shorter than others) and poems dealing either directly or tangentially with witchcraft. Though a few of the stories/poems are from the 18th and 19th centuries (and one from Shakespeare) most are from the second half of the 20th century. The editor/author has a paragraph before each story/poem commenting on the author and the story. I recommend it for light, entertaining reading, perhaps during a solstice or equinox and a few are appropriate for All Hallows Eve.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit, I didn't like some of the stories. A few of the perspectives were odd. But there is plenty of variety here to keep the reader interested, and the number of authors appealing.

[Jackie Deleon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marking this as three because, while there were some really outstanding witch stories that made me think, there were also as many bad ones, like, hilariously bad.

I'll get those out of the way first:

"Snatcher" by Dean Koontz - very boring, one-dimensional main character.
"The Tea Room Beasts" by P.N. Elrod - WORST. Cringe-worthy dialogue. Unbelievably poor characterization.
"Nightside" by Mercedes Lackey - disappointed by this one because ML is such a popular fantasy writer. It read like bad YA, complete with a vampire who abuses French phrases.
"The Spell" by David Gerrold - misogyny and the R word.
"Reunion" by Kathryn Ptacek - more of a difference of taste than actual writing criticism. Didn't much care for the girl-on-girl, holier-than-thou hate. In a witch anthology, you'd think there'd be more sister love.

Now the outstanding ones!
"Feathertop" - by Nathaniel Hawthorne - great reflection on what it means to be human and merely playing the part.
"Fleur" - Louise Erdrich - Great sultry, scary writing.
"A Pair of Eyes; or, Modern Magic" by Louisa May Alcott - Who knew ol' Little Women Alcott had it in her to make this crazy, Gothic story? Fantastic! I want to make a script adaptation of it.
"The Humming of Stars and Bees and Waves" by Anita Endrezze - Really great story that explores a Native American woman's identity and how to keep the old ways in a modern world. Made me wish there were more non-European/Wiccan stories in the book.

Fun book, replete with ups and downs. Not the best anthology, but as mentioned, there were some amazing stores to make up for the others' lack.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any anthology there are some stories that were excellent and some that are, at best, disappointingly mediocre. The Leather Funnel, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Witches' Hollow, by H. P. Lovecraft; The Goddess in the Ice, by Harlan Ellison; Fleur by Louise Erdrich; and April in Paris, by Ursula K Le Guin were all excellent reads and I loved them instantly. They each tell their own story and move quickly without feeling rushed or incomplete. Snatched, by Dean Koontz was my absolute favorite and if you like horror then I suspect it'll be a favorite read for you as well.

[Judaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love to pull this book out in the fall. It is full of stories about wicked, natural, empowered witches. Authors include Shakespeare, Dean Koontz, Anton Chekov, and H.P. Lovecraft. It is a fun read during a cool fall night while drinking a cup of hot cider.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The masters of Horror out did themselves in this volume of folklore, wicked witch tales and in the witch empowerment stories as well. I didn't feel much like doing anything on this 100 degree weather day. So I lie on my bed and devoured this little wicked book with much enjoyment.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice collection of short stories, old and new. Some were really good, some just ok, but a good read if you like the genre.