The Dark of the Woods: Fairy Tales for Modern Times

by Ellen Datlow (Editor), Terri Windling (Editor), Nancy Farmer

Twenty-one award-winning fantasy and science fiction writers have transformed traditional fairy tales and legends—including Snow White, Cinderella, Ali Baba, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, and many more—into stories that are completely original, yet still tantalizingly familiar.

Discover some of the funniest, strangest, and, at times, darkest and most disturbing fairy tales you've never read.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Anthologies, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Middle Grade

331 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Ellen Datlow has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for forty years as fiction editor of OMNI Magazine and editor of Event Horizon and SCIFICTION. She currently acquires short stories and novellas for Tor.com. In addition, she has edited about one hundred science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthologies, including the annual The Best Horror of the Year series, The Doll Collection, Mad Hatters and March Hares, The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea, Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories, Edited By, and Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.

Reviews

[Magenta Cooly · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were more okay stories in this collection than really good segments. However, I enjoyed it well enough. I liked Bruce Coville's anthologies better than this.
Although, the last story in this book had tears falling from my eyes for a whole minute after I'd finished reading it. (Very similar to "99 Balloons." Watch it on YouTube).

[Christie Park · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, like any anthology, most stories are meh, some are good and a couple really stand out.

The last one ends the anthology well- made me cry. According to the author’s note, it’s based on a real person, which explains why the emotions hit so hard.

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do like the concepts that most of these stories have but to me they really do not go far enough in my opinion. Also I was shocked seeing writers like Jane Yolen and Neil Gaimen in here.

[Dale Safford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book. Was reading along OK, but the fairy tale-themed short stories got a little repetitious.

[Ashley Cheung · Rating 4 out of 5]

A childhood favorite

[M.P. Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellen Datlow knows how to cater to my obsession with fairytale anthologies.

[Marcie Faulds · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s really good

[Nicole Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had to choose one word to describe this book overall, it would be "fun". It was fun to read retellings from so many different authors with such vastly different writing styles. It was fun to see familiar fairy tales alongside the not-so-very-familiar. It was fun to have a few of the same tales, told completely differently in the same book. Some stories were goodish, some stories were much better, but all in all, it was a fun and easy read! One that you'll be happy you read and then be happy to pass along to the next fairy tale lover.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly sure what to say about this book because it was so mixed up. There were multiple stories, and some of them were a waste of paper, just plain out dumb. Others were creepy, but in a well-written way. And then there were the little gems hidden between the paper-waster that I'll always treasure in my heart. I recommmend reading the parts about the author and what they thought when writing the story. It usually says what story it was based on, and sometimes they were hard to guess! Other times they would be really stupid, exactly the same as the original story only with a slightly different main character's name. Sometimes it was pretty much the same names, but with a totally different twist on the story. So...if you already have it, read it. If you don't have it, don't buy it brand new for close to 10 dollars. If you really want to read it,then buy it from a yard sale or the DI.

[Katherine Relf-canas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book of short stories written by various fantasy and sci-fi genre writers. I am normally not one for short stories but now I am. With some stories being recognizable fairy tales re-imagined for a different readership there were only a few that I didn't want to read to my 11-year old. I absolutely was in awe of a few stories like the one about the child who was born deformed as a swan in a New York City hospital and whose family would spend the child's short life trying to drink in as much experience as possible before she died by taking her around the city. Seemed an apt and poignant metaphor of any life.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this at a bookstore I used to work at. A hard cover for 7.99 (got 30% off) of short re-tellings of fairy tales. AHHHHHH I had to have it. For the most part it was a three to one sort of deal.
1. would be bad
2. would be amazing
3. would be either one I've already read or was ok.

There was about fifty stories, I may or may not be over exaggerating, and it was a really nice find and that I really did enjoy and will be reading again.

A good book for bedtime you could just read one story or two, for a classroom, or even like a class for an intro into creative writing or fairy tale reworking.

[Kate K. F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this anthology that is chock full of amazing retellings of classic fairy tales by some of the finest fantasy writers out there. Every story is worthwhile and some are funny, some are sad but all made me go, I wouldn't have approached that tale that way or provided a new insight into a fairy tale. I plan on gifting this book to my two nieces who are currently reading Dahl as it will introduce them to some of my favorite authors and get them considering fairy tales.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed reviews and ended up giving this book three stars because although I did really enjoy some of the stories, I thought that a lot them I had to force myself to finish.. I even closed the book in the middle of some because I jst couldn't get myself to read them. (and they're really short stories!)

[Nicole Javvaji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-known authors wrote modern day fairy tales based on classics like Cinderella and Snow White. It is a fun, creative collection of short stories that my fiancee and I read to each other for fun. Expect to laugh a bit, and maybe shed a tear or two. I did.

[Ryan Ceresnak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of stories, by some fantastic authors. Not all the stories are amazing, but overall entertaining. A great book to just leave on your nightstand and a read a story or two each night before bed.

[Kristy McRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of re-told fairy tales! Some are twisted, some are modernized. There were some humorous ones, and some creepy ones. Great selection of authors--some of my all-time favorites were included--Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, Patricia McKillip. A very enjoyable read!

[Magicicada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omnibus containing stories from "A Wolf at the Door" and "Swan Sister".

[MJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Popular fantasy authors give their take on common fairy tales...I have to say I got a bit bored...which is not like me. I’d have to read it again to find out why!

[Keli Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some stories were better than others.

[Chloe Walton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good