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Scheherazade's Facade
“For starters, honey, I don’t believe in Hell–that’s just some old man’s way of telling me reasons why I can’t be me. Like “biology is destiny” means I have to be a boy.”
– “Lady Marmalade’s Special Place in Hell” by David Sklar
There have always been stories of those willing to blur or transcend the traditional gender roles. Some do it out of necessity, others are merely embracing their true selves. Sometimes it’s for fun, other times survival. Every culture has their gender benders, their cross-dressers, their rule breakers. From Bugs Bunny to Mulan, Alanna of Trebond to Klinger, our folk heroes and cultural icons push boundaries and challenge expectations.
In Scheherazade’s Façade, twelve of today’s most intriguing authors spin tales of magic, mystery, self-discovery and adventure, each with a twist. In these pages you’ll find shape-shifting dragons, triumphant drag queens, tragic selkies, lost princes and would-be warriors. You’ll find star-crossed lovers and mysterious travelers, cross-dressers and gender bending heroes of all sorts.
This launch title for Circlet’s new Gressive Press imprint features all-new fantasy and urban fantasy from Tanith Lee, Sarah Rees Brennan, Tiffany Trent, Aliette de Bodard, Alma Alexander, David Sklar, Melissa Mead, C.S. MacCath, Paolo Chikiamco, Sunny Moraine, Lyn C.A. Gardner, and Shanna Germain.
– “Lady Marmalade’s Special Place in Hell” by David Sklar
There have always been stories of those willing to blur or transcend the traditional gender roles. Some do it out of necessity, others are merely embracing their true selves. Sometimes it’s for fun, other times survival. Every culture has their gender benders, their cross-dressers, their rule breakers. From Bugs Bunny to Mulan, Alanna of Trebond to Klinger, our folk heroes and cultural icons push boundaries and challenge expectations.
In Scheherazade’s Façade, twelve of today’s most intriguing authors spin tales of magic, mystery, self-discovery and adventure, each with a twist. In these pages you’ll find shape-shifting dragons, triumphant drag queens, tragic selkies, lost princes and would-be warriors. You’ll find star-crossed lovers and mysterious travelers, cross-dressers and gender bending heroes of all sorts.
This launch title for Circlet’s new Gressive Press imprint features all-new fantasy and urban fantasy from Tanith Lee, Sarah Rees Brennan, Tiffany Trent, Aliette de Bodard, Alma Alexander, David Sklar, Melissa Mead, C.S. MacCath, Paolo Chikiamco, Sunny Moraine, Lyn C.A. Gardner, and Shanna Germain.
206 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 2, 2013
Excellent selection of stories. Particularly enjoyed Alma Alexander's, and of course Tanith Lee always delivers. There were one or two not to my taste but someone will love them.
December 17, 2012
Book Review: Scheherazade’s Façade: Fantastical Tales of Gender Bending, Cross-dressing and Transformation
Edited by Michael M. Jones
© 2012
Circlet Press
*Spoiler Alert*
A description of Adult material follows. Her Tangh-i-ness greatly appreciates pithy plot summaries. However, for those who must have a virgin reading experience, read no further and eyeball elsewhere.
*Spoiler Alert*
Introduction • Michael M. Jones
Many are familiar with The Thousand and One Nights and the premise of keeping an king engaged with a story or losing one’s life. Here an editor explains what went into keeping an anthology alive. Perish the thought that there wouldn’t be any anthos with Gender Bending, Cross-Dressing or fluidly Changing from one sex into another celebrated.
The Secret Name of the Prince • Alma Alexander
Start with someone in trouble. Check. Life and death kind of trouble. Check. Start with a frightened brother and sister swapping genders and roles as the protector and the protected. Check. Throw in the power of Naming to determine a character’s purpose and destiny and a reader will be ready to appreciate the retelling of entire backstory of The Thousand and One Nights squeezed into an adolescent’s coming-of-age. Check. Read it? Reading the review does not count. The mark off as many check marks as you like.
The Daemons of Tairdean Town • C.S. MacCath-Moran
Her Tangh-i-ness has a soft spot for ugly, crippled girls. First person makes it easy to slip inside the head of a clairsentient one for a bit especially one who hasn’t lost touch with her inner male. An ugly, crippled girl who guides the living and the dying equally from their known life to and from the great, interconnected Is-ness. Wait. And of the Daemons? Remember the less popular, less intimidating, non-computer technology definition of the word daemon, insert the word anima/animus instead and a reader makes Jung proud. Plus there is juicy daemon sex.
Kambal Kulan • Paolo Chikiamco
Be a literary Armchair Traveler. Two is not always enough company. Another first person tale about the little known Fillipino art of curse blocking, falling in-love with unexpected objects of affection, and dealing with the aftermath of painful break-ups. Dare to repeat the word mangkukulam ten times. Her Tangh-i-ness adores these lines of dialogue, said by one man to another, “I hope you realize the irony of saying that while wearing a pink dress” then, “Most people are bi anyway….” Kambal Kulan’s theme seems to ask: Is love a curse or a good thing? Best of all, the story’s not over until there’s a threesome.
Driftwood • Tiffany Trent
Don’t leave the deeps, Maebelle. Let others fill their own hollow places. Let them rediscover their own Wo/man within. Weep for the Water-kin. Seal. Selchie. Selkie. Sad. Take the original ending of Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid for a close parallel. Behold the awesome terribleness of human fear coupled with distrust and intolerance. Dive into the gazes of those humans who live by the seashore separated by sand and surf from those who could help them return to any self they chose if the humans would only choose love. Remember Maebelle.
Pride • Melissa Mead
Her Tangh-i-ness knows some folks who would gladly down jana berry supplements should they ever become available outside the confines of this story. Fighting sticks help to equalize combatants of either gender. Animal-identified tribespeople choose to serve their village as lions, rhinos, baboons, snakes and elephants. Kayin hunts and wars together with them on the savannah. Never did Her Tangh-i-ness imagine she’d come across a story where menstrual cramps would be a celebrated thing. She predicts Pride will become required reading during mooncycles
Keeping the World on Course • Tanith Lee
People doubt whenever dog meets cat that meeting will ever work itself without a lot of attendant growling and hissing. Now consider when bird meets cat. The World is absurd. Therefore, Her Tangh-i-ness must laugh. Tanith Lee fans notwithstanding, readers perk up at the mention of that author’s name in a Table of Contents. There’s bound to be brilliant, oddly amusing plot magic afoot. Who else could track the arc of Extreme Revulsion as it spins about into its opposite sentiment. Nope, this story doesn’t have a husband and wife with a gold watch or a head full of long tresses. Keeping the World on Course, however, shares a feel-good ending with another famous literary testament of situational irony.
A Bitter Taste • Aliette de Bodard
Like your fictional flavors hot and subtle as a curry? Her Tangh-i-ness adores Southeast Indian epics like the Mahabharata. Way to go, Alliette de Bodard, with this desperate act of a princess demigoddess pretending to be a common mortal in order to halt a heavenly war. Watch out for those Rakshashas. And still the Man-Woman rises. What price must Naryati pay in order to bring time and the worlds back into balance? What happens to avatars caught in unending conflict? Only a thorough reading will tell.
Going Dark • Lyn C.A. Gardner
Potent. This struck Her Tangh-i-ness as the ultimate Outsider-themed story of this anthology. It occurs in the hairline space between mixing the proper chemicals to develop a desired photographed image and creating a lethal chemical reaction. That Imogene got troubles. First person account of what it feels like to be not only to be genderless or male or female all at the same time but also an unintentional energy thief. Remember, through it all, Imogene is innocent. Imogene simply desires the freedom to be loved for being Imogene.
The Cloak of Isis • Sunny Moraine
Enjoyed the work of Sunny Moraine in a previously reviewed Circlet anthology: The Kitsune’s Laughter included within Like A Cunning Plan so the question becomes: can this reader be enchanted again? A lover of Quirky Romances nods enthusiastically. The Cloak of Isis shares with Melissa Mead’s Pride the wonder of shifting from male into female and an upbeat ending. Could this be a re-imagining of a tale from Ovid’s Metamorphoses combined with the backstory of a certain falcon-headed god who hailed from ancient Egypt? Ask Ianthe and Iphis.
How to Dance While Drowning • Shanna Germain
First person start tosses the reader into the dark waters of Showbiz. Behold those men who would be mermaids. Details such as the pliancy of a silicon breast firmly anchor the sensation of being mise en scène. Follow Dalilah: the makeup-artist witch and Jojo, and Gianna: the little Mermaids onto the stage. Marvel at the line “…may the best man drown so I can take his place.” Xenografted face transplants oust face-lifts in this desperate milieu. Fear the Colors. The spirit of Hans Christian Andersen sheds a tear.
Treasure and Maidens • Sarah Rees Brennan
Her Tangh-i-ness espies a dragon. Therefore, this tale must take place somewhere in Queens, NY. Why not share a bowl of Cheerios with a mythical, magical being? Apparently, jumping out of windows is the only way for dragons to get around in NY these days. They do it all the time. And I want to see the dragon cookbook that lists all the dishes prepared from maiden hearts. It can’t be that complicated. Unless your name is Emma. BTW, if there is daemon sex in this anthology then sex with shape-changing dragons becomes more than likely.
Lady Marmalade’s Special Place in Hell • David Sklar
C’mon. Just about anyone who has read a title like that wants to know what the heck is going on. Bet it isn’t just Patti LaBelle fans. Last story in an antho has the dual effect of being the last experience a reader takes with them and it answers and amplifies the tone set up by the first story. Marmalade AKA Roger marches into the Inferno as if s/he were born to be the top at the top. Kinky readers smirk knowingly. Wait…wait! But then, Marmalade finds her/his parents, a play/group space in Hell and forgiveness. Work that damnation, Girl, all the way to wherever and with whomever you choose to be.
Note: This copy of Scheherazade’s Façade: Fantastical Tales of Gender Bending, Cross-dressing and Transformation was an electronic edition acquired from an editor upon the reviewer's request. Her Tangh-i-ness usually reviews on a for-the-love basis. No lucre has been involved.
Edited by Michael M. Jones
© 2012
Circlet Press
*Spoiler Alert*
A description of Adult material follows. Her Tangh-i-ness greatly appreciates pithy plot summaries. However, for those who must have a virgin reading experience, read no further and eyeball elsewhere.
*Spoiler Alert*
Introduction • Michael M. Jones
Many are familiar with The Thousand and One Nights and the premise of keeping an king engaged with a story or losing one’s life. Here an editor explains what went into keeping an anthology alive. Perish the thought that there wouldn’t be any anthos with Gender Bending, Cross-Dressing or fluidly Changing from one sex into another celebrated.
The Secret Name of the Prince • Alma Alexander
Start with someone in trouble. Check. Life and death kind of trouble. Check. Start with a frightened brother and sister swapping genders and roles as the protector and the protected. Check. Throw in the power of Naming to determine a character’s purpose and destiny and a reader will be ready to appreciate the retelling of entire backstory of The Thousand and One Nights squeezed into an adolescent’s coming-of-age. Check. Read it? Reading the review does not count. The mark off as many check marks as you like.
The Daemons of Tairdean Town • C.S. MacCath-Moran
Her Tangh-i-ness has a soft spot for ugly, crippled girls. First person makes it easy to slip inside the head of a clairsentient one for a bit especially one who hasn’t lost touch with her inner male. An ugly, crippled girl who guides the living and the dying equally from their known life to and from the great, interconnected Is-ness. Wait. And of the Daemons? Remember the less popular, less intimidating, non-computer technology definition of the word daemon, insert the word anima/animus instead and a reader makes Jung proud. Plus there is juicy daemon sex.
Kambal Kulan • Paolo Chikiamco
Be a literary Armchair Traveler. Two is not always enough company. Another first person tale about the little known Fillipino art of curse blocking, falling in-love with unexpected objects of affection, and dealing with the aftermath of painful break-ups. Dare to repeat the word mangkukulam ten times. Her Tangh-i-ness adores these lines of dialogue, said by one man to another, “I hope you realize the irony of saying that while wearing a pink dress” then, “Most people are bi anyway….” Kambal Kulan’s theme seems to ask: Is love a curse or a good thing? Best of all, the story’s not over until there’s a threesome.
Driftwood • Tiffany Trent
Don’t leave the deeps, Maebelle. Let others fill their own hollow places. Let them rediscover their own Wo/man within. Weep for the Water-kin. Seal. Selchie. Selkie. Sad. Take the original ending of Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid for a close parallel. Behold the awesome terribleness of human fear coupled with distrust and intolerance. Dive into the gazes of those humans who live by the seashore separated by sand and surf from those who could help them return to any self they chose if the humans would only choose love. Remember Maebelle.
Pride • Melissa Mead
Her Tangh-i-ness knows some folks who would gladly down jana berry supplements should they ever become available outside the confines of this story. Fighting sticks help to equalize combatants of either gender. Animal-identified tribespeople choose to serve their village as lions, rhinos, baboons, snakes and elephants. Kayin hunts and wars together with them on the savannah. Never did Her Tangh-i-ness imagine she’d come across a story where menstrual cramps would be a celebrated thing. She predicts Pride will become required reading during mooncycles
Keeping the World on Course • Tanith Lee
People doubt whenever dog meets cat that meeting will ever work itself without a lot of attendant growling and hissing. Now consider when bird meets cat. The World is absurd. Therefore, Her Tangh-i-ness must laugh. Tanith Lee fans notwithstanding, readers perk up at the mention of that author’s name in a Table of Contents. There’s bound to be brilliant, oddly amusing plot magic afoot. Who else could track the arc of Extreme Revulsion as it spins about into its opposite sentiment. Nope, this story doesn’t have a husband and wife with a gold watch or a head full of long tresses. Keeping the World on Course, however, shares a feel-good ending with another famous literary testament of situational irony.
A Bitter Taste • Aliette de Bodard
Like your fictional flavors hot and subtle as a curry? Her Tangh-i-ness adores Southeast Indian epics like the Mahabharata. Way to go, Alliette de Bodard, with this desperate act of a princess demigoddess pretending to be a common mortal in order to halt a heavenly war. Watch out for those Rakshashas. And still the Man-Woman rises. What price must Naryati pay in order to bring time and the worlds back into balance? What happens to avatars caught in unending conflict? Only a thorough reading will tell.
Going Dark • Lyn C.A. Gardner
Potent. This struck Her Tangh-i-ness as the ultimate Outsider-themed story of this anthology. It occurs in the hairline space between mixing the proper chemicals to develop a desired photographed image and creating a lethal chemical reaction. That Imogene got troubles. First person account of what it feels like to be not only to be genderless or male or female all at the same time but also an unintentional energy thief. Remember, through it all, Imogene is innocent. Imogene simply desires the freedom to be loved for being Imogene.
The Cloak of Isis • Sunny Moraine
Enjoyed the work of Sunny Moraine in a previously reviewed Circlet anthology: The Kitsune’s Laughter included within Like A Cunning Plan so the question becomes: can this reader be enchanted again? A lover of Quirky Romances nods enthusiastically. The Cloak of Isis shares with Melissa Mead’s Pride the wonder of shifting from male into female and an upbeat ending. Could this be a re-imagining of a tale from Ovid’s Metamorphoses combined with the backstory of a certain falcon-headed god who hailed from ancient Egypt? Ask Ianthe and Iphis.
How to Dance While Drowning • Shanna Germain
First person start tosses the reader into the dark waters of Showbiz. Behold those men who would be mermaids. Details such as the pliancy of a silicon breast firmly anchor the sensation of being mise en scène. Follow Dalilah: the makeup-artist witch and Jojo, and Gianna: the little Mermaids onto the stage. Marvel at the line “…may the best man drown so I can take his place.” Xenografted face transplants oust face-lifts in this desperate milieu. Fear the Colors. The spirit of Hans Christian Andersen sheds a tear.
Treasure and Maidens • Sarah Rees Brennan
Her Tangh-i-ness espies a dragon. Therefore, this tale must take place somewhere in Queens, NY. Why not share a bowl of Cheerios with a mythical, magical being? Apparently, jumping out of windows is the only way for dragons to get around in NY these days. They do it all the time. And I want to see the dragon cookbook that lists all the dishes prepared from maiden hearts. It can’t be that complicated. Unless your name is Emma. BTW, if there is daemon sex in this anthology then sex with shape-changing dragons becomes more than likely.
Lady Marmalade’s Special Place in Hell • David Sklar
C’mon. Just about anyone who has read a title like that wants to know what the heck is going on. Bet it isn’t just Patti LaBelle fans. Last story in an antho has the dual effect of being the last experience a reader takes with them and it answers and amplifies the tone set up by the first story. Marmalade AKA Roger marches into the Inferno as if s/he were born to be the top at the top. Kinky readers smirk knowingly. Wait…wait! But then, Marmalade finds her/his parents, a play/group space in Hell and forgiveness. Work that damnation, Girl, all the way to wherever and with whomever you choose to be.
Note: This copy of Scheherazade’s Façade: Fantastical Tales of Gender Bending, Cross-dressing and Transformation was an electronic edition acquired from an editor upon the reviewer's request. Her Tangh-i-ness usually reviews on a for-the-love basis. No lucre has been involved.
May 30, 2013
32. [Scheherazade's Facade]: Fantastical Tales of Gender Bending, Cross-Dressing, and Transformation, edited by Michael M. Jones (****1/2)
Category: Unicorns from Space! (Part I)
As the title suggests, this anthology features fantasy stories with characters that exist outside the gender binary. Various characters in these stories shift genders at whim, have secret selves of the opposite gender, cross dress to hide their identity, are transgender, or perform other acts of gender bending. Through the book, the stories are consistently good with strong writing, interesting multi-dimensional characters, and fascinating worlds. Here are a few of my favorites:
"The Daemons of Tairdean Town," by CS MacCath — A scarred woman drifts into a small town, singing to plants along the way, breathing life into them and the world with her tunes. She brings with her a secret self, who connects with the secret selves of others and helps them to heal.
"Kambal Kulam" by Paolo V Chikiamco — As a kambal kulam, Erikson gets hired to protect his clients from evil curses. He does this by transforming himself into his clients and taking on the burden of the curse. He gets more that he's bargained for, however, when a woman hires him for protection. This one was a lot of fun.
"Keeping the World on Course," by Tanith Lee — The fantastical elements of this story are slim, allowing it to rely more on delightful humor, word play, and situational irony. It's hard to describe this story without ruining it, but it begins with two people who loathe each other.
"A Bitter Taste," by Aliette de Bodard — This compelling story about a goddess who abandons her companions in order to try to prevent war is full of bloodshed and regret. It's beautifully done.
"Going Dark," by Lyn C.A. Gardner — Such a beautiful tale of loneliness, love, and grief, at once eerie and moving, about a genderless (or both gendered) child that unintentionally steals the life force of others and finds comfort in the confines of a photography darkroom.
"How to Dance While Drowning," by Shanna Germain — Dancers cling to their beauty in a world where mermaids have been discovered and are exploited for their scales and faces (which can be surgically grafted onto humans). A bit dark and grim, but I loved this story.
"Treasure and Maidens," by Sarah Rees Brennan — Sexy dragon!
"Lady Marmalade's Special Place in Hell," by David Sklar — A transgender woman gets sent to hell for just being herself and completely takes control of the situation, along the way she manages to find forgiveness for herself and others.
Category: Unicorns from Space! (Part I)
As the title suggests, this anthology features fantasy stories with characters that exist outside the gender binary. Various characters in these stories shift genders at whim, have secret selves of the opposite gender, cross dress to hide their identity, are transgender, or perform other acts of gender bending. Through the book, the stories are consistently good with strong writing, interesting multi-dimensional characters, and fascinating worlds. Here are a few of my favorites:
"The Daemons of Tairdean Town," by CS MacCath — A scarred woman drifts into a small town, singing to plants along the way, breathing life into them and the world with her tunes. She brings with her a secret self, who connects with the secret selves of others and helps them to heal.
"Kambal Kulam" by Paolo V Chikiamco — As a kambal kulam, Erikson gets hired to protect his clients from evil curses. He does this by transforming himself into his clients and taking on the burden of the curse. He gets more that he's bargained for, however, when a woman hires him for protection. This one was a lot of fun.
"Keeping the World on Course," by Tanith Lee — The fantastical elements of this story are slim, allowing it to rely more on delightful humor, word play, and situational irony. It's hard to describe this story without ruining it, but it begins with two people who loathe each other.
"A Bitter Taste," by Aliette de Bodard — This compelling story about a goddess who abandons her companions in order to try to prevent war is full of bloodshed and regret. It's beautifully done.
"Going Dark," by Lyn C.A. Gardner — Such a beautiful tale of loneliness, love, and grief, at once eerie and moving, about a genderless (or both gendered) child that unintentionally steals the life force of others and finds comfort in the confines of a photography darkroom.
"How to Dance While Drowning," by Shanna Germain — Dancers cling to their beauty in a world where mermaids have been discovered and are exploited for their scales and faces (which can be surgically grafted onto humans). A bit dark and grim, but I loved this story.
"Treasure and Maidens," by Sarah Rees Brennan — Sexy dragon!
"Lady Marmalade's Special Place in Hell," by David Sklar — A transgender woman gets sent to hell for just being herself and completely takes control of the situation, along the way she manages to find forgiveness for herself and others.
July 26, 2014
oh man, i can't believe it took me so long to read this
like i put it on my list because of the sarah rees brennan story but as it turns out this is one of those rare anthologies where i like every single thing i read within it
i should have guessed tbh, like genderbending is one of my favourite things and this is an entire anthology dedicated to the theme
in case i'm not being clear enough what i'm saying is read this immediately people. descend upon your library in droves demanding the genderbending brilliance that is your readerly right
4 stars
like i put it on my list because of the sarah rees brennan story but as it turns out this is one of those rare anthologies where i like every single thing i read within it
i should have guessed tbh, like genderbending is one of my favourite things and this is an entire anthology dedicated to the theme
in case i'm not being clear enough what i'm saying is read this immediately people. descend upon your library in droves demanding the genderbending brilliance that is your readerly right
4 stars
November 12, 2012
Great set of short stories, writing quality was consistently good through the whole book. A fantastic and wonderfully varied set of stories :)
I got this as a member of the kickstarter run to get this book to print, and as my first kickstarter I was very impressed with what I got.
Really hope we get to see another one like this someday soon. I think there are a lot more great stories in this genre that should see print.
I got this as a member of the kickstarter run to get this book to print, and as my first kickstarter I was very impressed with what I got.
Really hope we get to see another one like this someday soon. I think there are a lot more great stories in this genre that should see print.
April 2, 2013
Gorgeous tales, gorgeously written.
March 7, 2013
I love the premise of this collection, and was surprised to discover I was drawn most to the darker and more morally complex stories within.
long-list-tbr
July 30, 2014WHAT? A collection of short stories about gender-bending with both Sarah Rees Brennan AND Aliette de Bodard? How on earth did I miss this!?!?!?! WANT GIVE ME NOW
Read
December 11, 2012I'm very happy to be a part of this book. Out of 12 stories, every single one had a flash of brillance somewhere within, and I didn't find a single story I didn't like.
Overall, the stories in this book don't just explore gender but also the space between darkness and light, always seeming to bring up a flash of doubt within glory or a moment of beauty in despair. The book starts on a relatively bright note with "The Secret Name of the Prince" by Alma Alexander, and gets subtly darker until...well, I don't want to give away the ending. But often there is something redemptive, when you don't expect it.
Themes and tropes are sometimes repeated, in a rippling sort of way, but no two stories are alike, and there is a surprising wealth of different approaches to the central theme of the book: a young nobleman is raised as a woman to hide him from usurpers, a goddess becomes a man so her brothers will let her go into battle, a young man becomes a woman to follow in his mother's footsteps, a dragon becomes a woman in order to court a lesbian, and other, more convoluted reasons. And of course there are recreational transformations as well.
The rippling of themes and tropes is also something that Michael M. Jones does especially well in choosing and arranging the stories in this book. Even as the expected themes go through multiple variations and iterations, there are unexpected parallels that pop up again and again, giving the feeling of a single hand behind it all. I don't think I could have asked for a better story than Shanna Germain's "How to Dance while Drowning," about a burlesque dancer looking for his big break, to set the stage for my own "Lady Marmalade's Special Place in Hell," which closes the volume. Lady Marmalade is a story I'm particularly proud of, and I am thrilled that it found itself such exquisite surroundings.
"The Daemons of Tairdean Town" by C.S. McCath is also an especially well-crafted story, in which a traveler draws up people's shadow selves and suppressed desires, so that they can seek out the dreams they've hidden from themselves.
But again, I found no bad stories in this book. Some are heavier, others are lighter. Some might not accomplish everything they set out to. But all carry moments of wonder, and all accomplish something unexpected.
Overall, the stories in this book don't just explore gender but also the space between darkness and light, always seeming to bring up a flash of doubt within glory or a moment of beauty in despair. The book starts on a relatively bright note with "The Secret Name of the Prince" by Alma Alexander, and gets subtly darker until...well, I don't want to give away the ending. But often there is something redemptive, when you don't expect it.
Themes and tropes are sometimes repeated, in a rippling sort of way, but no two stories are alike, and there is a surprising wealth of different approaches to the central theme of the book: a young nobleman is raised as a woman to hide him from usurpers, a goddess becomes a man so her brothers will let her go into battle, a young man becomes a woman to follow in his mother's footsteps, a dragon becomes a woman in order to court a lesbian, and other, more convoluted reasons. And of course there are recreational transformations as well.
The rippling of themes and tropes is also something that Michael M. Jones does especially well in choosing and arranging the stories in this book. Even as the expected themes go through multiple variations and iterations, there are unexpected parallels that pop up again and again, giving the feeling of a single hand behind it all. I don't think I could have asked for a better story than Shanna Germain's "How to Dance while Drowning," about a burlesque dancer looking for his big break, to set the stage for my own "Lady Marmalade's Special Place in Hell," which closes the volume. Lady Marmalade is a story I'm particularly proud of, and I am thrilled that it found itself such exquisite surroundings.
"The Daemons of Tairdean Town" by C.S. McCath is also an especially well-crafted story, in which a traveler draws up people's shadow selves and suppressed desires, so that they can seek out the dreams they've hidden from themselves.
But again, I found no bad stories in this book. Some are heavier, others are lighter. Some might not accomplish everything they set out to. But all carry moments of wonder, and all accomplish something unexpected.
Read
May 19, 2013I supported this anthology through Kickstarter and received an e-copy in return for my support. As is usual with anthologies, not every story was of equal interest to me.
I decided to discuss my favorite story in this review. "Driftwood" by Tiffany Trent deals with gender shifting mer people and the intolerance of humans. A mer being becomes involved with an ostracized woman. It's so very transgressive within the human social matrix described in the story. I just love these liminal (outside the bounds of society) types of characters, and the conflict is presented so dramatically in this story.
I decided to discuss my favorite story in this review. "Driftwood" by Tiffany Trent deals with gender shifting mer people and the intolerance of humans. A mer being becomes involved with an ostracized woman. It's so very transgressive within the human social matrix described in the story. I just love these liminal (outside the bounds of society) types of characters, and the conflict is presented so dramatically in this story.
March 16, 2014
Individually, a few of the stories in this collection were amazing, a few were okay, and at least one I actively disliked. But for me, the strength of the amazing ones more than made up for the rest, and also helped to illustrate the whole point of the collection, as put forth by Jones in his delightful introduction.
This is an important and timely collection about the mutability of gender and sex, with fantastical elements at the forefront but ultimately serving to express real truths. A very broad array of stories with something for everyone!
This is an important and timely collection about the mutability of gender and sex, with fantastical elements at the forefront but ultimately serving to express real truths. A very broad array of stories with something for everyone!
January 26, 2021
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Like all short story collections there are some that are fantastic and some that are less so, but there's nothing horrible, and the main premise--messing with gender--is something I love. It does have a little bit more of a horror bent than I would usually enjoy, with many of the stories having fairly dark endings, but there are enough with lighter endings to balance it out. Worth a read if you want a bunch of gender-questioning stories.
September 20, 2018
It's an anthology, so there was some hit and miss but mostly hits. And Sarah Rees Brennan's story just gutted me (in a good way).
July 27, 2025
This collection of short stories was fascinating, and I definitely think it adds a lot to any fantasy anthology lover’s shelf, but especially anyone who enjoys queer and gender nonconforming narratives.
The last two short stories, “Treasure and Maidens” by Sarah Rees Brennan and “Lady Marmalade's Special Place in Hell” by David Sklar were my favorite.
I wished there was more specifically related to Sheherazade and Arabian Nights in this collection, instead of just the one short story.
The last two short stories, “Treasure and Maidens” by Sarah Rees Brennan and “Lady Marmalade's Special Place in Hell” by David Sklar were my favorite.
I wished there was more specifically related to Sheherazade and Arabian Nights in this collection, instead of just the one short story.
November 15, 2014
I wanted to like this more than I did (such a cool premise for an anthology!), but between the really bad editing (so many spelling mistakes! such bad-resolution font/print! such a cheap-looking cover!) and the disappointing number of stories that either didn't really deliver on the theme and/or ended in an anti-climactic "and then his/her gender got magically fixed by MAGIC! Huzzah!", three stars is all I can justify.
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