Enchanted Forests

by Katharine Kerr (Editor), Lawrence Schimel (Contributor), Dave Smeds (Contributor)

The enchanted forest is a place both terrifying and inviting, a region where monsters lurk and treasure may be found, a world peopled by evil witches and wise hermits, woodcutters and hunters, enchanted creatures and those of elfinkind. Here are 25 tales created especially for this volume by some of today's most imaginative crafters of the fantastic.

WOODWORK – Humor and ingenuity are part of the job requirements
The Forest's Not for Burning by Katherine Lawrence
"I'll Give You Three Wishes...." by Kevin Andrew Murphy
The Triple Death by Ken St. Andre
Out of the Woods by Lawrence Watt-Evans

SPEAKING WORDS – The view from the branches
Viridescence by Connie Hirsch
Fiat Silva by Jack Oakley
Weeds by Brook West and Julia H. West
Benbow by Nancy Etchemendy

INHERITANCES – Different dances to a single tune
The Prism of Memory by Jo Clayton
The Force That Through the Green Fuse by Mark Kreighbaum
My Soul Into the Boughs by Teresa Edgerton

THE SCARS OF WAR – Echoes in flesh and wood
These Shoes Strangers Have Died Of by Bruce Holland Rogers
The Clearing by Lois Tilton

VICTORIAN VARIATIONS – New shoots from an old trunk
How the Ant Made a Bargain by Karawynn Long
In Fear of Little Nell by Gregory Feeley

THE NEW WORLD THAT NEVER WAS – Branchings from history
Wood Song by Kate Daniel
Virginia Woods by Janni Lee Simner

IMPOSSIBLE LOVES – Joy comes in many shapes
Ties of Love short fiction by Lawrence Schimel
The Heart of the Forest by Dave Smeds
Holy Ground by Thomas S. Roche
Ghostwood novelette by Michelle West

SANCTUARY – There is danger in the Forest but also peace
The Monsters of Mill Creek Park novelette by Susan Shwartz
The Memory of Peace novelette by Kate Elliott
Everything Has a Place by Barbara A. Denz
Trees Perpetual of Sleep by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

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

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Born in Ohio, 1944. Moved to San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and has lived there ever since. Katharine Kerr has read extensively in the fields of classical archeology, and medieval and dark ages history and literature, and these influences are clear in her work. Her epic Deverry series has won widespread praise and millions of fans around the world.

Reviews

[Susan]

The Forest's Not for Burning • (1995) • shortstory by Katherine Lawrence
"I'll Give You Three Wishes...." • (1995) • shortstory by Kevin Andrew Murphy
The Triple Death • (1995) • shortstory by Ken St. Andre
Out of the Woods • (1995) • shortstory by Lawrence Watt-Evans
Viridescence • (1995) • shortstory by Connie Hirsch
Fiat Silva • (1995) • shortstory by Jack Oakley
Weeds • (1995) • shortstory by Julia H. West and Brook West [as by Brook West and Julia West ]
Benbow • (1995) • shortstory by Nancy Etchemendy
The Prism of Memory • (1995) • shortstory by Jo Clayton
The Force That Through the Green Fuse • (1995) • shortstory by Mark Kreighbaum
My Soul Into the Boughs • (1995) • shortstory by Teresa Edgerton
These Shoes Strangers Have Died of • (1995) • shortstory by Bruce Holland Rogers
The Clearing • (1995) • shortstory by Lois Tilton
How the Ant Made a Bargain • (1995) • shortstory by Karawynn Long
In Fear of Little Nell • (1995) • shortstory by Gregory Feeley
Wood Song • (1995) • shortstory by Kate Daniel
Virginia Woods • (1995) • shortstory by Janni Lee Simner
Ties of Love • (1995) • shortfiction by Lawrence Schimel
The Heart of the Forest • (1995) • shortstory by Dave Smeds
Holy Ground • (1995) • shortstory by Thomas S. Roche
Ghostwood • (1995) • novelette by Michelle West [as by Michelle Sagara ]
The Monsters of Mill Creek Park • (1995) • novelette by Susan Shwartz
The Memory of Peace • (1995) • novelette by Kate Elliott
Everything Has a Place • (1995) • shortstory by Barbara A. Denz
♦Trees Perpetual of Sleep by Nina Kiriki Hoffman RE-read 10/23/2015

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite flights of fancy included: Out of the Woods by Lawrence Watt-Evans; Fiat Silva by Jack Oatley; and These Shoes Strangers Have Died Of by Bruce Holland Rogers. There are a lot of great stories in this group.

[Salimbol · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3 and 1/2 stars]
Solid if mostly unremarkable collection of tree-themed fantasy stories. Kudos, though, to the editors for assembling such an variety of stories around that theme, and it gets an extra half star for a few standouts, including Kate Elliott's 'The Memory of Peace'.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars because... this is just such a cool idea for an anthology! Forest settings that still run the gambit (we've got it all: isekai, woodcutters in ye olden times that can't afford the permit needed to cut wood, college students turning into trees on a camping trip, and young men who fall for botanical beauties). As with all anthologies, these are the bees knees:

-Woodwork
*"I'll Give You Three Wishes..."-Kevin Andrew Murphey
*"Out of the Woods"-Lawrence Watt Evans

-Speaking Woods
*"Weeds"-Julia and Brook West
*"Benbow"-Nancy Etchemendy

-Inheritances
*"The Force That Through the Green Fuse"-Mark Kreighbaum
*"My Soul into the Boughs"-Teresa Edgerton

-The New World that Never Was
*"Wood Song"-Kate Daniel

-Impossible Loves
*"Ties of Love"-Lawrence Schimel
*"The Heart of the Forest"-David Smeds
*"Ghostwood"-Michelle Sagara

-Sanctuary
*"Trees Perpetual of Sleep"-Nina Kiriki Hoffman

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and diverse collection of stories about 'forests'. Not all forests are natural.