Magic Tails

by Martin H. Greenberg (Editor), Jody Lynn Nye (Contributor), Michelle Sagara West (Contributor)

Fourteen original tales from fantastic authors that perfectly blend cats and fantasy in popular fables with a magically feline twist. From a cat genie who has a problem fulfilling human wishes, to the quest which only Sleeping Beauty's cat can complete, to a feline desperately seeking to best the devil, these fables are sure to please lovers of cats and fantasy.

Genres: Fantasy, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 6, 2005

About the author

Martin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.

For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice collection of fantasy and fairy tales featuring cats! As always with these collections, I really enjoyed some of the stories, but a few were just ok.

[Amélie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Michelle West's story is about an abused boy running away with his cat and his female friend trying to get him back. For that she has to go to the magical lands the cat has created for the boy.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was actually a 2.5 instead of a three. The idea behind the collection is good and different, fairy tales with a cat twist. The problem is that so many of the stories are okay. They're not bad, they're not good; they're just okay. I'm not sorry I read them, but I wasn't shocked to my socks by them either. I wasn't shocked at all, and its not due to the fact that I know the tales.

The real stand out of the collection is Jean Rabe's "Suede This time", which is a second part to Puss in Boots. Michelle West (writing with Debbie Ridpath Ohi)and Charles de Lint also have good offerings. West's "Snow Queen" makes the reader think, and de Lint works his usual magic. A few of the stories would have been better if they had been shorter, for instance "Pharaoh's Cat" by Lisanne Norman would have read better if it had been half the length.

[Nora Peevy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast read, this book delivered retold fables and tales, some of my favorite childhood stories, with the addition of a cat hero/ine. Some were more memorable than others, but all were enjoyable. For cat lovers looking for a good short collection for the beach this summer, I give it a three whisker twitch of approval.

[Tribefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute collection of short stories, all including a cat in one form or another!

[Raymond Rugg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any collection with a piece by Alan Dean Foster is worth reading!