Mermaids!

by Jack Dann (Editor), Gardner Dozois (Editor), Avram Davidson (Contributor)

Short stories about mermaids.

1 • The Prevalence of Mermaids • [Adventures in Unhistory] • (1986) • essay by Avram Davidson
29 • Nothing in the Rules • (1939) • novelette by L. Sprague de Camp
58 • She Sells Sea Shells • (1983) • shortstory by Paul Darcy Boles
72 • The Soul Cages • (1825) • shortstory by Thomas Crofton Croker [as by T. Crofton Croker ]
85 • Sweetly the Waves Call to Me • (1981) • shortstory by Pat Murphy
99 • Driftglass • (1967) • shortstory by Samuel R. Delany
118 • Mrs. Pigafetta Swims Well • (1959) • shortstory by Reginald Bretnor
125 • The Nebraskan and the Nereid • (1985) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe
134 • The Lady and the Merman • (1976) • shortstory by Jane Yolen
138 • The White Seal Maid • (1977) • shortstory by Jane Yolen
143 • The Fisherman's Wife • (1982) • shortstory by Jane Yolen
150 • Till Human Voices Wake Us • (1984) • shortstory by Lewis Shiner
163 • A Touch of Strange • (1958) • shortstory by Theodore Sturgeon
177 • Something Rich and Strange • (1961) • shortstory by Randall Garrett and Avram Davidson
200 • The Crest of Thirty-six • (1980) • shortstory by Davis Grubb
212 • The Shannon Merrow • (1982) • shortstory by Cooper McLaughlin
230 • Fish Story • (1953) • shortstory by Leslie Charteris
242 • In the Islands • (1983) • shortstory by Pat Murphy
256 • Recommended Reading List (Mermaids!) • (1986) • essay by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois

Genres: Fantasy, Mermaids, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Anthologies, Fiction, Short Story Collection

260 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Nathan Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike what I was expecting, this was NOT merely a collection of mermaid-related folk tales, or even retellings of them. Rather, it's a selection of short stories about, or related to, the mermaid mythos. Many of them are set in the modern day and while the book was published back in the 1980's, some of the modern stories could easily be translated to a twenty-first century setting. A couple of them actually take place in the far future. Interestingly, many of the stories take an alternative to the traditional tails-and-scales imagery of mermaids.
I read the book as more of an exploration of what's out there in terms of mer-fiction...beyond the children's and young-adult works that are so prevalent. I was not disappointed. Many of the stories in "Mermaids!" are rather gritty, with decidedly mature subject matter.
Two things I think that distracted me were the lack of cohesion beyond the unifying theme, and the wide range of writing styles (some of which grabbed me pretty well, others I found hard to follow). I guess I should have expected that from an anthology, though, and gone into it with the appropriate head-space. It's rather too bad I haven't seen more of this sort of thing in print recently (I mean, there's zombie material coming out one's ears, but mermaids...not so much.).

[Tim Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine collection of seventeen stories and an essay on mermaids, though the “mermaids” in the various entries weren’t always what one would traditionally call a mermaid nor where they were always female. Most of the stories were fantasy, though a few were definitely science fiction. The anthology is copyright 1986 and most of the stories were copyright in the 1980s, though a few date from before (one is an 1825 story, another dates from 1939, and several date from the 1950s and 1960s).

The first one is an essay by Avram Davidson, and this coming from someone who has read several books about mermaids, it was a little on the dry side and I struggled with it. Sorry. Looking at the reviews, I wonder if those who had trouble with the anthology bogged down here. At almost 30 pages, it is overly long.

After the opening essay, the remaining seventeen tales all held my interest. “Nothing in the Rules” by L. Sprague de Camp (copyright 1939) was a fun tale about a mermaid entered into woman’s swimming competition. It was cute and lighthearted. One of several tales that had mermaids as all mammalian, rather than half fish, though still having a tail and a flipper at the end. “She Sells Sea Shells” by Paul Darcy Boles was a haunting tale, a modernized eco-friendly tale of a romance between a human and a mermaid. I liked it. “The Soul Cages” by T. Crofton Croker dates from 1825 (but reads surprisingly modern) and one of two tales that feature not mermaids but the Merrow, a type of mermaid from Irish legends. Also, one of several tales where the “mermaid” is really a merman. “Sweetly the Waves Call to Me” by Pat Murphy is one of two tales that feature not mermaids but selkies or silkies, not really wereseals but in the ballpark, beings who can become fully seal or fully human. One of only a few tales in the book written by a woman and with a human woman protagonist. Haunting, with some vivid imagery. “Driftglass” by Samuel R. Delaney is science fiction, with bioengineered amphimen. Not sure I entirely got the story and some of the science seemed a little iffy, but it read very modern and could have been published today. “Mrs. Pigafetta Swims Well” by Reginald Bretnor was a mildly humorous tale, a twist on the human really wanting romance more than the mermaid, with the tables turned. “The Nebraskan and the Nereid” by Gene Wolfe had another water being, the nereid. I read the ending twice and I am not sure I understood it but other than that not badly written. Then are three really short stories by Jane Yelen, ’'The Lady and the Merman” (well-written, had a classic feel, very sad), “The White Seal Maid” (same, another selkie tale), and then “The Fisherman’s Wife” (nice to see the main character be a human woman). “Till Human Voices Wake Us” by Lewis Shiner is another science fiction tale and had an interesting and innovative take on mermaids. Well-written and felt very modern. “A Touch of Strange” by Theodore Sturgeon was nicely written and hard to comment on without spoiling it, but was a fun romantic story. “Something Rich and Strange” by Randall Garrett and Avram Davidson I thought was going to be Lovecraftian given some of the plot elements but was laugh out loud funny and very light, I enjoyed it. “The Crest of Thirty-six” by Davis Grubb was a fun American fantasy story set in West Virginia with a mermaid-type being in the Ohio River. Probably the most risqué of the stories though it wasn’t overly sexual. I enjoyed it. “The Shannon Merrow” by Cooper McLaughlin was my favorite short story, another Merrow story but with a completely different take on it. Very modern in feel and setting and with a great sense of place with its Irish setting, all around well done. Almost ties with "The Crest of Thirty-six" for most sexual story, but the sexual elements are very mild. “Fish Story” by Leslie Charteris was a neat little story. Hard to describe but I enjoyed reading it. I liked the Florida Keys setting. “In the Islands” by Pat Murphy has a merman (two actually) and though I wouldn’t classify it as science fiction necessarily, could easily fit in as science fiction. I think of all the stories, it is the one that makes the best and most use of marine biology. Nicely written.

Closes with several pages of recommended readings.

[S.M.M. Lindström · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are tales about merfolk - mostly mermaids, but other variations on that theme are included. Some of the stories are based in fantasy and folklore, others take a more science fiction-y look at what a mermaid is or could me. There are old Irish myths of the merrow and genetic experiments gone wrong (or right?) all gathered in one place. In short, this book is exactly what it says on the cover, Mermaids!

Reading this, I felt I may have soaked myself a little too deep in mermaid lore and tales already to fully enjoy it. These short stories have publication years between 1825 to 1986, meaning that you've probably seen their likeness before if you're a fan of fantasy, folklore, science fiction or all three combined. That's not to say they're bad stories, but you can definitely feel their age, especially in some aspects of their telling.

My favorite stories in this collection were Sweetly the Waves Call Me and In the Islands for their eerie mood, and Till Human Voices Wake Us and The Crest of Thirty-Six won me over with their endings.

[Hayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of these stories are very much products of the time they were written; stories of women with no personality other than being beautiful that were quite clearly written by men. Ugh.

But what saves this collection for me are some gems among the misogynistic tales. I really liked the short stories by Jane Yolen which were emotional. And the story by L. Sprague De Camp which was actual LOL funny.
Though the collection as a whole was just okay for me, I think those with a particular interest in mermaid tales would enjoy the read.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly good anthology. I will admit that I enjoyed the other mermaid anthology I read more. However, there is some quality content in this book.

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This not just typical fantasy mermaid short stories .It also includes science fiction interpretations of them.

[Eve H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took me ages to finish. Not my cup of tea tbh. Enjoyed a few of the short stories but most of them bored me to death.