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One Horn to Rule Them All: A Purple Unicorn Anthology
Unicorns, with their single ivory horn, are elusive and magical creatures of myth. Yet even more elusive are the purple unicorns. First sighted at the Superstars Writing Seminar, their legend has grown year after year until it could only be contained in this anthology. Nineteen storytellers, including Peter S. Beagle, Todd McCaffrey, and Jody Lynn Nye, as well as new and rising authors, invite us into worlds both near and far, across a desert oasis, a pet shop, a Comic-Con exhibition floor, and more, and show us the many variations of purple unicorns, from the imaginary to the actual—and one very memorable half-unicorn, half-potato. One Horn to Rule Them All is an unforgettable collection of imagination and creativity. So, saddle up, and take a ride beyond the rainbow.
312 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2014
12 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Mangum
28 books897 followersLisa Mangum has loved and worked with books ever since elementary school, when she volunteered at the school library during recess. Her first paying job was shelving books at the Sandy Library. She worked for five years at Waldenbooks while she attended the University of Utah, graduating with honors with a degree in English. An avid reader of all genres, she has worked in the publishing department for Deseret Book since 1997.
Besides books, Lisa loves movies, sunsets, spending time with her family, trips to Disneyland, and vanilla ice cream topped with fresh raspberries. She lives in Taylorsville, Utah, with her husband, Tracy. She is the author of the Hourglass Door trilogy and After Hello.
Besides books, Lisa loves movies, sunsets, spending time with her family, trips to Disneyland, and vanilla ice cream topped with fresh raspberries. She lives in Taylorsville, Utah, with her husband, Tracy. She is the author of the Hourglass Door trilogy and After Hello.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 12, 2014
As the editor of this anthology, I naturally read all the stories in it. :) I thoroughly enjoyed each and every story in this collection. Some stories are serious, some are humorous, but all of them are about purple unicorns.
September 30, 2014
I bought this book at Dragon Con, when freaks and fans take over Atlanta for an epic Labor Day weekend. For the second time I followed the Writers Track to learn about everything from plot development to social media to realistic villains... to purple unicorns.
This anthology is the brainchild of Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. Every year at Dragon Con, this husband-wife team present “Things I Wish A Pro Had Told Me”, i.e. advice for the aspiring author. One piece of advice was always put forth your best work. Never, never phone it in. “If you agree to write a story for a purple unicorn anthology,” they said, “you better write the best d*** purple unicorn story you can.” In addition to this being a good business practice and helping you get more writing gigs, they emphasized that any individual novel, short story, article, etc. might be one reader’s first encounter with your work. If they read a blasé purple unicorn story, why would they read your swashbuckling pirate novel or edgy coming-of-age poetry?
After years of giving this advice, Anderson and Moesta got people’s attention. Authors began volunteering purple unicorn stories. Then an editor volunteered to edit it. And an artist to draw up the cover. There was so much interest that they decided, finally, to give the world what it never knew it was missing: a purple unicorn anthology.
It’s a wonderful tale, but I confess I was skeptical. The short stories are by a mix of famous authors and newbies from their Superstars Writing Seminars. I’ve read several short story collections over the past few months, and you inevitably get a mix of stunning, good, and “uhhhh….” With the focal point of purple unicorns, I was wary of the silliness, like walking into a restaurant where the waiters are wearing tiaras or 37 pieces of flare. It was also like knowing the punchline of the joke. How is the author going to introduce purple unicorns this time? Still, I bought the book, because I like to support new authors, all the profits go to the Superstar Writing Seminars, and I was downright curious.
I was not disappointed.
This collection was surprising and impressive. Rather than placing purple unicorns on a dais, the authors did an excellent job of weaving them in among many other creative elements. Purple unicorns (like their real-life equivalents, no doubt) were spices to enhance a dish, teasers and MacGuffins for an otherwise rich plot, and rockets to shoot the story up to new heights. The stories spanned the gamut, finding far more ways to incorporate the violet equines that I could ever come up with. To give you an idea:
Get the picture?
Many of the stories I loved. Many I liked, and only one or two I thought were not as good as the rest of the collection. There will always be something that’s not to your taste, just as you don’t like every ice cream in a parlor. But what’s butter pecan to you is triple chocolate decadence to someone else, and you’ll be going back for seconds, third, or more.
I see a lot of other 5 star reviews. I’m always hesitant to trust the reviewers when a book only has a handful of ratings, particularly when half of them are people associated with the book. I’m glad I quit my waffling, because this truly is an enjoyable collection. Again and again I was blown away by the creativity, lyricism, and humor of the stories. It's both fun for readers and a challenge for writers.
And let’s be honest: can you name a better purple unicorn anthology?
This anthology is the brainchild of Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. Every year at Dragon Con, this husband-wife team present “Things I Wish A Pro Had Told Me”, i.e. advice for the aspiring author. One piece of advice was always put forth your best work. Never, never phone it in. “If you agree to write a story for a purple unicorn anthology,” they said, “you better write the best d*** purple unicorn story you can.” In addition to this being a good business practice and helping you get more writing gigs, they emphasized that any individual novel, short story, article, etc. might be one reader’s first encounter with your work. If they read a blasé purple unicorn story, why would they read your swashbuckling pirate novel or edgy coming-of-age poetry?
After years of giving this advice, Anderson and Moesta got people’s attention. Authors began volunteering purple unicorn stories. Then an editor volunteered to edit it. And an artist to draw up the cover. There was so much interest that they decided, finally, to give the world what it never knew it was missing: a purple unicorn anthology.
It’s a wonderful tale, but I confess I was skeptical. The short stories are by a mix of famous authors and newbies from their Superstars Writing Seminars. I’ve read several short story collections over the past few months, and you inevitably get a mix of stunning, good, and “uhhhh….” With the focal point of purple unicorns, I was wary of the silliness, like walking into a restaurant where the waiters are wearing tiaras or 37 pieces of flare. It was also like knowing the punchline of the joke. How is the author going to introduce purple unicorns this time? Still, I bought the book, because I like to support new authors, all the profits go to the Superstar Writing Seminars, and I was downright curious.
I was not disappointed.
This collection was surprising and impressive. Rather than placing purple unicorns on a dais, the authors did an excellent job of weaving them in among many other creative elements. Purple unicorns (like their real-life equivalents, no doubt) were spices to enhance a dish, teasers and MacGuffins for an otherwise rich plot, and rockets to shoot the story up to new heights. The stories spanned the gamut, finding far more ways to incorporate the violet equines that I could ever come up with. To give you an idea:
- Jody Lynn Nye wrote a more traditional fantasy of witches and monsters, yet sneaked in real heart, even a lesson.
- Mary Pletsch crafted a melodic and harsh tale of family and tradition in a Middle Eastern desert.
- Sharon Dodge landed us on a new planet with sentient amoeba-like life.
- Quincy J. Allen set a hard-boiled detective novel in fairyland.
- Nathan Barra introduced us to an artistic chica at the Olympia Comic-Con (perhaps how he met Anderson and Moesta?).
- Peter S. Beagle invited a rhinoceros to a philosophical discussion.
Get the picture?
Many of the stories I loved. Many I liked, and only one or two I thought were not as good as the rest of the collection. There will always be something that’s not to your taste, just as you don’t like every ice cream in a parlor. But what’s butter pecan to you is triple chocolate decadence to someone else, and you’ll be going back for seconds, third, or more.
I see a lot of other 5 star reviews. I’m always hesitant to trust the reviewers when a book only has a handful of ratings, particularly when half of them are people associated with the book. I’m glad I quit my waffling, because this truly is an enjoyable collection. Again and again I was blown away by the creativity, lyricism, and humor of the stories. It's both fun for readers and a challenge for writers.
And let’s be honest: can you name a better purple unicorn anthology?
July 14, 2016
So far I've read 4 of the stories in this Anthology.
They are so far all very enjoyable. There is the added benefit of trying to pick out of the cover art which items go with what stories (all stories in this book have some aspect depicted in the cover).
Quincy Allen's is done in detective noir style and is fun romp from a harden detective.
Lou Berger's follows an eccentric scientist as he emerge into a strange new world.
Todd McCaffrey story is short and plays with the perspective of an elven fairy princess and her pet doppelganger.
From this sampling the authors have risen to the challenge of writing top notch "Purple Unicorn" stories and I'd recommend anyone wanting a variety of run reads (or likes unicorns) to pick this up.
Don't forget all profits from this book goto scholarship fund to send disadvantaged youth to writing seminars!
They are so far all very enjoyable. There is the added benefit of trying to pick out of the cover art which items go with what stories (all stories in this book have some aspect depicted in the cover).
Quincy Allen's is done in detective noir style and is fun romp from a harden detective.
Lou Berger's follows an eccentric scientist as he emerge into a strange new world.
Todd McCaffrey story is short and plays with the perspective of an elven fairy princess and her pet doppelganger.
From this sampling the authors have risen to the challenge of writing top notch "Purple Unicorn" stories and I'd recommend anyone wanting a variety of run reads (or likes unicorns) to pick this up.
Don't forget all profits from this book goto scholarship fund to send disadvantaged youth to writing seminars!
September 21, 2014
*Full disclosure: my short story "The Greggs Family Zoo of Odd and Marvelous Creatures" is in this anthology, so I'll just be talking about other stories I liked. I would be beyond enthused if you picked up a copy or an e-copy on Amazon!*
Wow! I have so many new favorite writers! I especially loved Best of All Possible Worlds, The Faerie Journal, and Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros. Can I just say Peter S. Beagle is a freaking master? Holy crap. Loved every sentence. I felt like I was learning so much while reading his story.
If you like wacky, tender, and fun fantasy, you would probably enjoy this anthology.
Wow! I have so many new favorite writers! I especially loved Best of All Possible Worlds, The Faerie Journal, and Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros. Can I just say Peter S. Beagle is a freaking master? Holy crap. Loved every sentence. I felt like I was learning so much while reading his story.
If you like wacky, tender, and fun fantasy, you would probably enjoy this anthology.
August 22, 2014
A wonderful anthology of short stories all with one common thread: Purple Unicorns. Everything from steampunk to science fiction; humorous and serious; fairy tales to murder mysteries. 19 authors give you their visions of how purple unicorns fill our world.
August 18, 2014
I liked this anthology a lot, despite the theme being about purple unicorns. It was a quick and fun read.
September 20, 2014
A Whole book about Purple Unicorns??! Ha! How could I not love it! I do love it. There is an amazing variety in the stories.
October 29, 2018
Overall, I really liked this anthology and not just because of the unicorns (I have a thing for unicorns). I thought all of the stories inside were great in their own way and there were a couple that got me interested enough to look up the authors to see what else, if anything, they had written that I could buy. There were also some very, very imaginative stories in this mix which was neat. I felt like there were some genuinely wacky concepts that worked amazing well!
May 3, 2016
There are some truly amazing stories in here. A few meh ones, but you get that in every anthology. ^_^
April 7, 2025
This is an anthology, so I'll give reach title in it a score:
"Rhubarb and Beets" by Todd McCaffrey - 3/5
"Purple is the New Black" by Jody Lynn Nye - 3/5
"A Single Spark" by Mary Pletsch - 2/5
"Best of All Possible Worlds" by John D. Payne - 2/5
"Korgah's Daily Schedule" by Jeanette Gonzalez - 2/5
"Dead Friends and New Horses" by Sharon Dodge - 3/5
"The God Fairy" Quincy J. Allen - 4/5
"The Faerie Journal" Megan Grey - 2/5
"The Gregg's Family Zoo of Odd and Marvelous Creatures" by Kristin Luna - 4/5
"Menagerie Violette" by Colette Black - 3/5
"The Unicorn Prince" by Gama Ray Martinez - 4/5
"The Girl with the Artist's Eyes" by Nathan Barra - 3/5
"Conner Bright and the Case of the Purple Unicorn" by Robert J. McCarter - 5/5
"My Hero" by Mark Ryan - 3/5
"Of Unicorns and Pie" by Nathan Dodge and Sharon Dodge - 2/5
"Gateway Blood" by Ezekiel James Boston -2/5
"The Monoceros" by Lou J. Berger - 2/5
"The Last Dregs of Winter" by Scott Eder - 3/5
"Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros" by Peter S. Beagle - 5/5
"Red Roses" by Todd McCaffrey - 2/5
Gonna round the average score up to 3.
"Rhubarb and Beets" by Todd McCaffrey - 3/5
"Purple is the New Black" by Jody Lynn Nye - 3/5
"A Single Spark" by Mary Pletsch - 2/5
"Best of All Possible Worlds" by John D. Payne - 2/5
"Korgah's Daily Schedule" by Jeanette Gonzalez - 2/5
"Dead Friends and New Horses" by Sharon Dodge - 3/5
"The God Fairy" Quincy J. Allen - 4/5
"The Faerie Journal" Megan Grey - 2/5
"The Gregg's Family Zoo of Odd and Marvelous Creatures" by Kristin Luna - 4/5
"Menagerie Violette" by Colette Black - 3/5
"The Unicorn Prince" by Gama Ray Martinez - 4/5
"The Girl with the Artist's Eyes" by Nathan Barra - 3/5
"Conner Bright and the Case of the Purple Unicorn" by Robert J. McCarter - 5/5
"My Hero" by Mark Ryan - 3/5
"Of Unicorns and Pie" by Nathan Dodge and Sharon Dodge - 2/5
"Gateway Blood" by Ezekiel James Boston -2/5
"The Monoceros" by Lou J. Berger - 2/5
"The Last Dregs of Winter" by Scott Eder - 3/5
"Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros" by Peter S. Beagle - 5/5
"Red Roses" by Todd McCaffrey - 2/5
Gonna round the average score up to 3.
September 25, 2025
Most anthologies have stories that are good, great or awesome. This wonderful anthology completely broke that tradition because each and every one of the stories are awesome! Three of them brought tears to my eyes which is not an easy thing to accomplish. Yet, this marvelous collection managed it with three separate stories! So, stop wasting your time reading this review when you can easily read the entire book, enjoy!
Purchased from Amazon
Purchased from Amazon
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September 27, 2021Excellent
A varied and interesting collection based around purple unicorns. The stories are wonderfully compelling, and the variety is truly amazing.
A varied and interesting collection based around purple unicorns. The stories are wonderfully compelling, and the variety is truly amazing.
August 11, 2015
Mostly awesome!
There were stories in here that made me laugh. Stories that made me want to weep. Most of them made me take a break after finishing so I could continue to savour the tale, mulling it over, experiencing the emotions. I didn't want to run into the next one too soon.
There were stories in here that made me laugh. Stories that made me want to weep. Most of them made me take a break after finishing so I could continue to savour the tale, mulling it over, experiencing the emotions. I didn't want to run into the next one too soon.
August 4, 2015
Great book with some fun fantasy shorts.
May 4, 2015
Short stories linked together by the subject purple unicorns. All are enjoyable, well written and beautifully edited.
June 9, 2015
What can I say, it's definitely the best purple unicorn anthology there is.
February 16, 2016
I love anthologies! They introduce me to author I might not otherwise read. And this one is for a good cause.
May 3, 2019
Fantastic compilations with unusual twists on a time-honored mythical creature. Highly recommend.
February 25, 2015
The Peter S. Beagle story is an especial standout.
May 1, 2019
Love the concept for this anthology!!!
I loved this so much because of the challenge to write about something so strange, and to do it so well!! These writers not only met the challenge, but delivered fun, engaging stories. I loved the variety of styles and genres and voices. Definitely a joy to read!!!
I loved this so much because of the challenge to write about something so strange, and to do it so well!! These writers not only met the challenge, but delivered fun, engaging stories. I loved the variety of styles and genres and voices. Definitely a joy to read!!!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews