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Misspelled
strange magic...in 17 Fascinating tales of spells gone awry
When it comes to magic, skipping the directions, changing the ingredients, or garbling the words of a spell can lead to unusual consequences-sometimes dire, sometimes comical. Included in these stories are just a few of the possible results: a cybermancer has her spell disk corrupted by some unexpected input; two students brewing up spells outside the curriculum forgo a critical ingredient; a young woman orders a fairy-tale life, but forgets to read the fine print. Now they're really spellbound...
1 • Introduction (Misspelled) • essay by Julie E. Czerneda
3 • Trippingly Off the Tongue • short story by Lesley D. Livingston
19 • 8 rms, full bsmt • novelette by Kristine Smith
42 • Eye of the Beholder • short story by Kevin G. Maclean
61 • Cybermancer • novelette by Janet Elizabeth Chase
82 • Eye of Newt • short story by Marc Mackay
94 • Chafing the Bogey Man • novelette by Kristen Britain
120 • A Perfect Circle • short story by Kent Pollard
137 • Reading, Writing, Plagues • short story by Kell Brown
157 • Totally Devoted 2 U • short story by John Zakour
169 • The Mysterious Case of Spell Zero • novelette by Rob St. Martin
190 • Crosscut • short story by S. W. Mayse
207 • Bitch Bewitched • short story by Doranna Durgin
226 • The Witch of Westmoreland Avenue • short story by Morgan S. Brilliant
241 • A Spell of Quality • short story by Kate Paulk
259 • Demon in the Cupboard • short story by Nathan Azinger
270 • Untrained Melody • short story by Jim C. Hines
288 • Yours for Only $19.99 • short story by Shannan Palma
When it comes to magic, skipping the directions, changing the ingredients, or garbling the words of a spell can lead to unusual consequences-sometimes dire, sometimes comical. Included in these stories are just a few of the possible results: a cybermancer has her spell disk corrupted by some unexpected input; two students brewing up spells outside the curriculum forgo a critical ingredient; a young woman orders a fairy-tale life, but forgets to read the fine print. Now they're really spellbound...
1 • Introduction (Misspelled) • essay by Julie E. Czerneda
3 • Trippingly Off the Tongue • short story by Lesley D. Livingston
19 • 8 rms, full bsmt • novelette by Kristine Smith
42 • Eye of the Beholder • short story by Kevin G. Maclean
61 • Cybermancer • novelette by Janet Elizabeth Chase
82 • Eye of Newt • short story by Marc Mackay
94 • Chafing the Bogey Man • novelette by Kristen Britain
120 • A Perfect Circle • short story by Kent Pollard
137 • Reading, Writing, Plagues • short story by Kell Brown
157 • Totally Devoted 2 U • short story by John Zakour
169 • The Mysterious Case of Spell Zero • novelette by Rob St. Martin
190 • Crosscut • short story by S. W. Mayse
207 • Bitch Bewitched • short story by Doranna Durgin
226 • The Witch of Westmoreland Avenue • short story by Morgan S. Brilliant
241 • A Spell of Quality • short story by Kate Paulk
259 • Demon in the Cupboard • short story by Nathan Azinger
270 • Untrained Melody • short story by Jim C. Hines
288 • Yours for Only $19.99 • short story by Shannan Palma
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
7 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Julie E. Czerneda
103 books754 followersHaving written 25 novels (and counting) published by DAW Books, as well as numerous short stories, and editing several anthologies, in 2022, Julie E. Czerneda was inducted in the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. Her science fiction and fantasy combines her training and love of biology with a boundless curiosity and optimism, winning multiple awards. Julie's recent releases include the standalone novel To Each This World, her first collection Imaginings, and A Shift of Time, part of her Night's Edge fantasy series. For more visit czerneda.com Julie is represented by Sara Megibow of Megibow Literary Agency LLC.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 10, 2009
Mostly forgettable anthology of seventeen VERY short, mostly amusing stories about spells that go awry. Contributors include: Lesley D Livingston, Kristine Smith, Kevin G. Maclean, Janet Elizabeth Chase, Marc Mackay, Kristen Britain, Kent Pollard, Kell Brown, John Zakour, Rob St. Martin, S.W. Mayse, Doranna Durgin, Morgan S. Brilliant, Kate Paulk, Nathan Azinger, Jim C. Hines, & Shannan Palma. Foreward by Julie E. Czerneda.
March 20, 2017
I shouldn't have bought this book. I just saw the name Czerneda and didn't read further. There were a couple of good stories, a couple that left me cold and one I really struggled to finish. It boils down to the fact that I find short stories very unsatisfying.
August 23, 2009
A huge whole lotta fun in one collection. Great concept for an anthology (my story was a blast to write!)--no surprise with editor Julie Czerneda at the helm.
April 27, 2023
As with any collection, it's great that there are some stories that are better than others. There were only a couple of the stories in this that were "meh"; most were just fun, short, somewhat silly stories. An enjoyable read in between the deeper, longer books.
March 31, 2020
Mostly funny, even demon scary.
August 17, 2023
An entertaining variety of stories based on spells that went wrong.
December 31, 2008
Misspelled is a DAW themed anthology. Inside are seventeen stories related only by one plot element: A spell has gone awry.
I love short stories. They're what I write. I like reading them. And so it makes me vaguely upset when anthologies like this get out there. There are seventeen stories, and unfortunately, half of them are so-so at best. In this particular anthology, the introductory remarks are done in a jarring "Narrator: " voiceover style, which completely misses the effect that it was going for. After a while, the novelty of the central theme wears off and yet another story (most of them just simply too short, forcing a deus ex machina feel) takes a predictably novel twist on the theme. Out of the seventeen stories, about five get a B and seven get a C or D for predictability, overexplanation, or overstylized elements. (There were two I simply stopped reading because of forced language or confusing narration.) If all of the stories in this book were like these twelve, I'd recommend it for a run to the library, or perhaps borrowing from someone. Most of them are okay, but just okay.
There are, however, several great stories buried in this book. Crosscut by S.W. Mayse, A Spell of Quality by Kate Paulk, Untrained Melody by Jim Hines, and Yours for Only $19.99 by Shannan Palma (all, strangely, in the last third of the book) are all excellent (and amusing) tales. All but A Spell of Quality are modern fantasy, with Spell... taking place in an undefined fantasy kingdom. These stories have compelling, interesting characters and a fast pace. They are worth seeking out on their own right; with the paperback of this edition going for US$8, that's $1.60 for each of these stories. Not a bad deal at all.
So go buy this book, and be sure to read those top five stories. If you like the rest more than I, great. If not, you'll have still more than gotten your money's worth.
I love short stories. They're what I write. I like reading them. And so it makes me vaguely upset when anthologies like this get out there. There are seventeen stories, and unfortunately, half of them are so-so at best. In this particular anthology, the introductory remarks are done in a jarring "Narrator: " voiceover style, which completely misses the effect that it was going for. After a while, the novelty of the central theme wears off and yet another story (most of them just simply too short, forcing a deus ex machina feel) takes a predictably novel twist on the theme. Out of the seventeen stories, about five get a B and seven get a C or D for predictability, overexplanation, or overstylized elements. (There were two I simply stopped reading because of forced language or confusing narration.) If all of the stories in this book were like these twelve, I'd recommend it for a run to the library, or perhaps borrowing from someone. Most of them are okay, but just okay.
There are, however, several great stories buried in this book. Crosscut by S.W. Mayse, A Spell of Quality by Kate Paulk, Untrained Melody by Jim Hines, and Yours for Only $19.99 by Shannan Palma (all, strangely, in the last third of the book) are all excellent (and amusing) tales. All but A Spell of Quality are modern fantasy, with Spell... taking place in an undefined fantasy kingdom. These stories have compelling, interesting characters and a fast pace. They are worth seeking out on their own right; with the paperback of this edition going for US$8, that's $1.60 for each of these stories. Not a bad deal at all.
So go buy this book, and be sure to read those top five stories. If you like the rest more than I, great. If not, you'll have still more than gotten your money's worth.
February 9, 2017
After suffering through Misspelled, a tedious anthology of humorous fantasy stories, I now have a greater appreciation for the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett. Even the early books of Piers Anthony are funnier than this. There were only three interesting stories and only one outstanding story -- "Cybermancer." The others were just as subtle as a fork in the eye.
And what was the deal with the Narrator before and after each story? This isn't The Twilight Zone, for eff's sake. Now THIS is The Twilight Zone
See the difference?
And what was the deal with the Narrator before and after each story? This isn't The Twilight Zone, for eff's sake. Now THIS is The Twilight Zone
See the difference?
October 7, 2008
Most of these stories are first-time authors - and it often shows. Some are better than others though most are just "OK." Weirdly, each story opens and closes with a sentence or two from a "Narrator" for no real reason and with no explanation. (The first story opened that way and I thought it was a quirk of that story, but it was on all of them.) Library rent, NOT a buy and only for light/fluff reading.
September 27, 2009
I don't care much for fantasy/magic, but sometimes short stories are palatable.
This is a collection of 17 stories where magic spells go awry. It is advertised as a comedy, but I'd just call them light stories, as I did not find much humor.
Most of the stories were average; a couple not so; one I started, then skimmed, then skipped. The last one (Yours for only $19.99 by Shannan Palma) I like, by a large margin, the best.
This is a collection of 17 stories where magic spells go awry. It is advertised as a comedy, but I'd just call them light stories, as I did not find much humor.
Most of the stories were average; a couple not so; one I started, then skimmed, then skipped. The last one (Yours for only $19.99 by Shannan Palma) I like, by a large margin, the best.
June 7, 2012
(More rated as 3.4 to 3.5 stars)
As with many anthologies some were good and some were so-so. Some stories were good stand alones (example: Shannan Palma's), while others felt like more could be said or explained about the magical structures in them. Some like Kristine Smith's, Rob St. Martin's, S.W. Mayse's stories could make for great novels (I would definitely read them).
As with many anthologies some were good and some were so-so. Some stories were good stand alones (example: Shannan Palma's), while others felt like more could be said or explained about the magical structures in them. Some like Kristine Smith's, Rob St. Martin's, S.W. Mayse's stories could make for great novels (I would definitely read them).
September 2, 2008
Sooo boring.
April 23, 2009
Fun stories, very strange. I stopped reading the "Narrator" parts and enjoyed the stories much more.
September 4, 2009
A bunch of short stories from various authors. Many stories were humorous.
March 29, 2010
Stories about spell casters whose spells go awry. Some, of course, are funny, but some are pretty grim. and some get what they deserve.
August 30, 2010
An anthology of surprising overall quality, especially from first time authors. Several stories I wished would become full novels, I really enjoyed the world and the characters.
February 2, 2014
Not the best anthology of fantasy stories I've come across. I enjoyed most of the tales, but none of them really stuck out as outstanding
July 5, 2011
some cute stories, nothing outstanding
October 19, 2011
I may be a little biased, since my first ever short story sale was in MISSPELLED, but on the whole I think it's a fun anthology with some great stories in it.
September 28, 2013
A couple of the stories are decent, especially for being so short with 17 crammed into only 300 pages. Some were just weird though, but could have been good with a little revision.
October 4, 2015
While one or two of the stories in the collection are good, most of them try to hard to be clever and come off as irritating instead. Wouldn't 't recommend this one.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews