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Fantastic Alice
A collection of original stories combines the imaginations of popular modern fantasy writers with the characters of Lewis Carroll, in a colorful anthology of new Wonderland adventures. Original.
291 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1995
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396 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Weis
677 books5,868 followersMargaret Edith Weis is an American fantasy and science fiction author of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the Dragonlance role-playing game (RPG) world. She is founding CEO and owner of Sovereign Press, Inc and Margaret Weis Productions, licensing several popular television and movie franchises to make RPG series in addition to their own.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 6, 2014
I am a big fan of the Alice in Wonderland universe, as are countless others, no doubt, for many different reasons. These differences are probably why I found few of the stories in this collection very enjoyable. They weren't badly written, just not written for me. Some people focused on the queen, some on Alice, some on death, and even some still on the poems of Wonderland, but none of them actually focused on Wonderland which is what I find the most interesting about the Alice stories.
In one of his books on writing Orson Scott Card discusses something he calls the M.I.C.E. Quotient. M.I.C.E. stands for milieu (the setting, world, or universe), idea, character, and event and all are things which a story can be built up around. Stories can have all or some or one of these elements, but there is usually one that drives the story. In Alice in Wonderland that is the milieu, or Wonderland itself, not Alice. Alice is merely the viewpoint character through whose eyes we experience Wonderland. You can tell because the story starts when Alice enters Wonderland and ends when she leaves.
The stories in this collection are mostly idea, character, and event stories. Ideas like: how do different people deal with death. Character stories with personal growth and discovery. Event stories such as: kill the Jabberwock. None of these stories focus on Wonderland, even though a few of them take place there.
Again, I don't think these are bad stories, and there are people out there who will probably enjoy them, but spending so much time reading stories that skirt all around Wonderland without ever actually "going there" left me a bit exhausted in the end.
In one of his books on writing Orson Scott Card discusses something he calls the M.I.C.E. Quotient. M.I.C.E. stands for milieu (the setting, world, or universe), idea, character, and event and all are things which a story can be built up around. Stories can have all or some or one of these elements, but there is usually one that drives the story. In Alice in Wonderland that is the milieu, or Wonderland itself, not Alice. Alice is merely the viewpoint character through whose eyes we experience Wonderland. You can tell because the story starts when Alice enters Wonderland and ends when she leaves.
The stories in this collection are mostly idea, character, and event stories. Ideas like: how do different people deal with death. Character stories with personal growth and discovery. Event stories such as: kill the Jabberwock. None of these stories focus on Wonderland, even though a few of them take place there.
Again, I don't think these are bad stories, and there are people out there who will probably enjoy them, but spending so much time reading stories that skirt all around Wonderland without ever actually "going there" left me a bit exhausted in the end.
August 23, 2008
Collection of short stories inspired by the Alice books. Each of these stories were so different from one another, its hard to categorize them. There is a sci-fi take on Wonderland existing between two portals as you travel between them, a horror story about a murderess queen of hearts who is married to a spider, a few humorous stories about other people encountering Wonderland residents, a story of a quest by the Black Knight's successor and many more. An enjoyable read, especially for those who love Wonderland.
March 4, 2016
Every story in this anthology takes the traditional Alice characters and places them in contemporary events. I found my copy in a stack of used books at my local indie bookstore. If you're an Alice fanatic like me, you'll want to find your own copy, too.
June 1, 2009
I only read this once but i do remember loving it so much. I will reread it and post a proper review then.
August 29, 2010
I really loved this book. I loved that all the stories were very different from one another and all very interesting.
July 1, 2022
FULL REVIEW AT:
https://aicpod.com/review/fantastic-a...
Fantastic Alice is packed with sixteen short stories that, while not poorly written, were just not stories written for me. The pace of most was slow and meandering, if not outright nonsensical(which I know SOME of the Wonderland tales could be also). There were just so few moments I remember even after finishing this book just last night.
Can a book be well written, while also just being kind of boring and forgettable?
In the end, the only readers that I’d recommend this book to without reservations would be those of you that are true, die-hard, fans of Alice in Wonderland and the worlds of Lewis Carroll. If you really know those characters and those worlds I think these stories will hold more interest for you. But for those of you that, like me, are just casual fans that might recognize names and places but never went DEEP into the worlds of Wonderland… you’ll likely find this to be a boring and forgettable slog to get through.
They can’t all be winners and not every book is written for every audience. I just wasn’t the audience for this book.
https://aicpod.com/review/fantastic-a...
Fantastic Alice is packed with sixteen short stories that, while not poorly written, were just not stories written for me. The pace of most was slow and meandering, if not outright nonsensical(which I know SOME of the Wonderland tales could be also). There were just so few moments I remember even after finishing this book just last night.
Can a book be well written, while also just being kind of boring and forgettable?
In the end, the only readers that I’d recommend this book to without reservations would be those of you that are true, die-hard, fans of Alice in Wonderland and the worlds of Lewis Carroll. If you really know those characters and those worlds I think these stories will hold more interest for you. But for those of you that, like me, are just casual fans that might recognize names and places but never went DEEP into the worlds of Wonderland… you’ll likely find this to be a boring and forgettable slog to get through.
They can’t all be winners and not every book is written for every audience. I just wasn’t the audience for this book.
January 17, 2026
I first started reading alternate histories around 35 years ago and still do. It was a short jump from there to alternate literature. And Alice In Wonderland has been a source of fascination for me since I played The White Rabbit in a 6th grade production. This book, short stories based on characters from Alice held my attention on every page, and there was not a bad story in the bunch.
February 14, 2016
This is a book of stories which are various takeoffs on Alice in Wonderland. 291 pages, no illustrations.
Something to Grin About by Lawrence Watt-Evans. A woman in an abusive relationship suddenly has the Cheshire Cat delivered to her door, sent from her elderly grandmother in England. It's a really funny story about Melody (the woman) attempting to come to terms with a talking cat. Very good.
The Rabbit Within by Gary A. Braunbeck. A man and his son live in a cabin, the man still mourning the death of his wife. It's a rather sad story but still well done.
Epithalamium by Roger Zelazny. Wonderland is in the midst of a coup, a cruel lord taking control and Alice, a fully-grown woman now, is called upon to return to Wonderland and try to striaghten out matters. Good story.
A Common Night by Bruce Holland Rogers.This story concerns a man and his wife who is dying of a brain tumor. The husband ends up running into some of the Wonderland characters and the story is filled with their conversation and various poems. Decent story but, in my opinion, not one of the better ones in the book.
Cocoons by Robin Wayne Bailey. A young boy is in the process of dying, the child obviously abused by his parents. As he dies he encounters the caterpillar from Wonderland. This is a very sad, very moving story and well done.
Hollywood Squares by Lawrence Schimel. A waitress who acted in an Alice play once encounters a man and his cat. They aren't what they appeared to be and this story is not very good, frankly.
Another Alice Universe by Janet Asimov. A California girl goes to visit her Aunt Alice who has a mirror through which, you guessed it, the girl falls into Wonderland. The girl lives by logic and all things rational and her trip to Wonderland somewhat confuses her. Fairly good story.
And with Finesse by Janet Pack. This is perhaps my favorite story in the book. Two men are fencing and one ends up hitting the other one in the head. The story then concerns the now unconscious man's trip through Wonderland and of his battles there using the vorpal sword, his encounters with the characters and his basically accepting as reality the events in Wonderland.
Alice's Adventures in the Underground railroad by Tobin Larson.This is another story based on a coup in Wonderland with this time Alice attempting to lead some of the opposition members out of Wonderland and to safety in our world. A rather boring story, one that could have been left out of the book.
Muchness. A scientific experiment involving teleportation of individuals from one city to another brings with it some rather unusual consequences for a woman who becomes the first human being to test the device from the inside, so to speak. Good story.
Transformation and the Postmodern Identity Crisis by Lisa Mason. Imagine that Alice came back to our world and grew up a rather bitter woman who gave a speech covering what happened to various Wonderland characters after they entered our reality. Amusing story.
Teapot by Jane M. Lindskold. A story from the viewpoint of the Dormouse who ends up entering a different reality. All right story but not great.
Who Killed Humpty Dumpty? by Mickey Zucker Reichert. Alice is put on trial for the alleged murder of Humpty Dumpty. The story is really wild as the trial proceeds which the type of craziness you'd expect from Wonderland. Good story.
Wonderland Express by Connie Hirsch. A really, really odd story involving Alice, a couple of very strange characters, a car chase and similar silliness. Fairly decent story but not great.
Waiting for the Elevator by Kevin T. Stein. Alice and the Harlequin are waiting for an elevator. One of the worst stories in the book; it should have been left out, actually.
Conundrums to Guess by Peter Crowther.Basically a horror story, it's interesting but not outstanding.
A Pig's Tale by Esther M. Friesner. A slightly humorous story about how Alice in Wonderland becomes subject to various academic-type analyses and the effect those have on Wonderland itself. Fair.
Something to Grin About by Lawrence Watt-Evans. A woman in an abusive relationship suddenly has the Cheshire Cat delivered to her door, sent from her elderly grandmother in England. It's a really funny story about Melody (the woman) attempting to come to terms with a talking cat. Very good.
The Rabbit Within by Gary A. Braunbeck. A man and his son live in a cabin, the man still mourning the death of his wife. It's a rather sad story but still well done.
Epithalamium by Roger Zelazny. Wonderland is in the midst of a coup, a cruel lord taking control and Alice, a fully-grown woman now, is called upon to return to Wonderland and try to striaghten out matters. Good story.
A Common Night by Bruce Holland Rogers.This story concerns a man and his wife who is dying of a brain tumor. The husband ends up running into some of the Wonderland characters and the story is filled with their conversation and various poems. Decent story but, in my opinion, not one of the better ones in the book.
Cocoons by Robin Wayne Bailey. A young boy is in the process of dying, the child obviously abused by his parents. As he dies he encounters the caterpillar from Wonderland. This is a very sad, very moving story and well done.
Hollywood Squares by Lawrence Schimel. A waitress who acted in an Alice play once encounters a man and his cat. They aren't what they appeared to be and this story is not very good, frankly.
Another Alice Universe by Janet Asimov. A California girl goes to visit her Aunt Alice who has a mirror through which, you guessed it, the girl falls into Wonderland. The girl lives by logic and all things rational and her trip to Wonderland somewhat confuses her. Fairly good story.
And with Finesse by Janet Pack. This is perhaps my favorite story in the book. Two men are fencing and one ends up hitting the other one in the head. The story then concerns the now unconscious man's trip through Wonderland and of his battles there using the vorpal sword, his encounters with the characters and his basically accepting as reality the events in Wonderland.
Alice's Adventures in the Underground railroad by Tobin Larson.This is another story based on a coup in Wonderland with this time Alice attempting to lead some of the opposition members out of Wonderland and to safety in our world. A rather boring story, one that could have been left out of the book.
Muchness. A scientific experiment involving teleportation of individuals from one city to another brings with it some rather unusual consequences for a woman who becomes the first human being to test the device from the inside, so to speak. Good story.
Transformation and the Postmodern Identity Crisis by Lisa Mason. Imagine that Alice came back to our world and grew up a rather bitter woman who gave a speech covering what happened to various Wonderland characters after they entered our reality. Amusing story.
Teapot by Jane M. Lindskold. A story from the viewpoint of the Dormouse who ends up entering a different reality. All right story but not great.
Who Killed Humpty Dumpty? by Mickey Zucker Reichert. Alice is put on trial for the alleged murder of Humpty Dumpty. The story is really wild as the trial proceeds which the type of craziness you'd expect from Wonderland. Good story.
Wonderland Express by Connie Hirsch. A really, really odd story involving Alice, a couple of very strange characters, a car chase and similar silliness. Fairly decent story but not great.
Waiting for the Elevator by Kevin T. Stein. Alice and the Harlequin are waiting for an elevator. One of the worst stories in the book; it should have been left out, actually.
Conundrums to Guess by Peter Crowther.Basically a horror story, it's interesting but not outstanding.
A Pig's Tale by Esther M. Friesner. A slightly humorous story about how Alice in Wonderland becomes subject to various academic-type analyses and the effect those have on Wonderland itself. Fair.
March 14, 2012
I'm interested in versions and retellings of Alice, but these stories were among the least interesting I've come across to date. The authors caught little of the wit or spirit of Carroll's work, nor did they play with the ideas with any particular inventiveness. Two that I did like were Jane M. Lindskold's "Teapot," told from the Dormouse's point of view, and Peter Crowther's "Conundrums to Guess," which shows real imagination and, although it at first seems to subscribe to the cliches of the Carroll myth, goes on to play with possibilities in an intriguing way.
Esther M. Friesner's "A Pig's Tale" was clearly meant to put academics like me in our places -- finding "meaning" kills the "magic" of Wonderland, eh? Mediocre reimaginings will do a lot more to harm Wonderland than academic speculation. Nobody's seriously suggested the March Hare is a fertility symbol, outside of the delightful Annotated Alice, in fifty years. This story is much in the spirit of a stranger I met at a party once, who scolded me for "ruining her childhood" when, in response to her question, I told her I was writing a dissertation chapter on Lewis Carroll. Ohhh-kay.
Esther M. Friesner's "A Pig's Tale" was clearly meant to put academics like me in our places -- finding "meaning" kills the "magic" of Wonderland, eh? Mediocre reimaginings will do a lot more to harm Wonderland than academic speculation. Nobody's seriously suggested the March Hare is a fertility symbol, outside of the delightful Annotated Alice, in fifty years. This story is much in the spirit of a stranger I met at a party once, who scolded me for "ruining her childhood" when, in response to her question, I told her I was writing a dissertation chapter on Lewis Carroll. Ohhh-kay.
April 3, 2010
This is one of my favorite short story anthologies. It has its weak stories, mind, but then what anthology doesn't? And stories like "Hollywood Squares" are more than compensated by the others. "The Rabbit Within" draws tears just about every time I read it, and "A Common Night" comes close. "Something to Grin About" always does, in fact, make me grin. "Cocoons"
The stories are diverse in both writing style and content, ranging from more traditionally Alice-type stories ("Who Killed Humpty Dumpty?") to sci-fi ("Muchness", which I rather liked) to more or less modern-day stories. Some are hard to understand, especially if you're like me and it's been years since you last read Alice ("Epithalamium" took me a couple reads to understand fully, and I'm still not sure if I completely get it), but they're still enjoyable reads.
Is it the best book ever? No. Is it worth reading? Definitely.
The stories are diverse in both writing style and content, ranging from more traditionally Alice-type stories ("Who Killed Humpty Dumpty?") to sci-fi ("Muchness", which I rather liked) to more or less modern-day stories. Some are hard to understand, especially if you're like me and it's been years since you last read Alice ("Epithalamium" took me a couple reads to understand fully, and I'm still not sure if I completely get it), but they're still enjoyable reads.
Is it the best book ever? No. Is it worth reading? Definitely.
November 30, 2008
Fantastic Alice is a great concept but, like many short story collections, it falls short of its own potential. Most of the stories are only so/so with a few exceptional stand outs. Perhaps it would have helped the various authors if someone had reminded them that the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter are not the only interesting denizens of Wonderland.
November 15, 2011
A pretty typical book of short stories. There were some great ones, one made me cry on the bus, and some so-so ones. Over all a good read, but I wouldn't bother buying it.
March 12, 2008
This is an excellent collection of short Alice stories from a variety of authors/styles. Some are good, some are great.
April 20, 2009
A collection of short stories written in the style and with the characters of Alice in Wonderland. It inspired me to write my own submission, although I never sent it in.
October 3, 2010
An eclectic collection of short stories. I had mixed feeling about some of the interpretations, but it was interesting to see different takes on familiar characters.
December 13, 2016
There were only like two decent stories. overall I was pretty disappointed.
January 22, 2016
A selection of some of the current masters of fantasy personal take on Lewis Carroll's Wonderland
March 15, 2016
Some good stories, but overall just not as wonderful as I was expecting.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews