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The Diogenes Club #(The Gypsies in the Wood)
The Fair Folk
this contains:
Introduction by Tanith Lee
Uous by by Tanith Lee
Grace notes by by Megan Lindholm
Gypsies in the wood by by Kim Newman
Kelpie by by Patricia A. McKillip
Embarrassment of elves by by Craig Shaw Gardner
Except the queen by by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
Afterword: some facts(?) about fairies
Introduction by Tanith Lee
Uous by by Tanith Lee
Grace notes by by Megan Lindholm
Gypsies in the wood by by Kim Newman
Kelpie by by Patricia A. McKillip
Embarrassment of elves by by Craig Shaw Gardner
Except the queen by by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
Afterword: some facts(?) about fairies
328 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2008
12 people are currently reading
1813 people want to read
About the author
Marvin Kaye
144 books83 followersMarvin Nathan Kaye was an American mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror author, anthologist, and editor. He was also a magician and theater actor. Kaye was a World Fantasy Award winner and served as co-publisher and editor of Weird Tales Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 28, 2011
"UOUS" by Tanith Lee
Richly atmospheric but ultimately unsatisfactory story of Cinderella-like Lois, whose labors for her abusive stepmother are interrupted by demands from supernatural creatures in the forest. The fact that the family was in a dilapidated house in the forest in the first place was kind of a mental problem for me, since this was the modern day and they had a car and money and liked shopping and pubs, so it made no sense they would move out there. But my main complaint is that the plot violated the internal economy and logic of fairy tales without providing a satisfactory alternative. Maybe Lee meant the reader to feel that Lois really wanted to do those things anyway, but that would have been clearer without the groundless imposition of asserted debt. Also, the ending was pretty squicky. 3.5 stars
"Grace Notes" by Megan Lindholm
Uninteresting Average Joe mechanic gets brownie, clean apartment, mental anxiety, etc. Seemed pretty predictable to me, but I never care for Lindholm much so those who like her work may enjoy this story.
2.5 stars
"Gypsies in the Wood" by Kim Newman
Really a novella rather than a short story, this case of the Diogenes Club involves children taken by fairies and spreads over a decade. Interesting characters, excellent descriptions, well-crafted plot. I'll definitely be reading more by Newman. 5 stars.
"Kelpie" by Patricia McKillip
Beautifully written, as always, and the characterization is amazing for so short a work. From the first page, the characters and setting are fully realized, and by the second page I was already sad that this wasn't a longer work. My only complaints are that some of story-threads that are set up turn out not to be significant (come on, don't hint about fabulous animals if they aren't going to have a role) and that the actual supernatural part gets kind of short shrift. But I loved the first 2/3 of the story and would be happy to read more about these characters. McKillip does mention having written something similar or related for an earlier anthology, but doesn't name it. 4 stars
"An Embarrassment of Elves" by Craig Shaw Gardner
Farcical and comical in the usual manner of CSG, which is to say, funny when you're 11 or so and reading the first book, and then just tediously repetitive and annoying. It also clashes completely with the lyrical and somewhat dark style of the other stories. 2 stars
"Except the Queen" Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
Two sisters, exiled from Faerie and stripped of their magic, communicate in letters about strange and ominous people who seem to be drawn to them. Lots of folk- and herb-lore. 4 stars
Richly atmospheric but ultimately unsatisfactory story of Cinderella-like Lois, whose labors for her abusive stepmother are interrupted by demands from supernatural creatures in the forest. The fact that the family was in a dilapidated house in the forest in the first place was kind of a mental problem for me, since this was the modern day and they had a car and money and liked shopping and pubs, so it made no sense they would move out there. But my main complaint is that the plot violated the internal economy and logic of fairy tales without providing a satisfactory alternative. Maybe Lee meant the reader to feel that Lois really wanted to do those things anyway, but that would have been clearer without the groundless imposition of asserted debt. Also, the ending was pretty squicky. 3.5 stars
"Grace Notes" by Megan Lindholm
Uninteresting Average Joe mechanic gets brownie, clean apartment, mental anxiety, etc. Seemed pretty predictable to me, but I never care for Lindholm much so those who like her work may enjoy this story.
2.5 stars
"Gypsies in the Wood" by Kim Newman
Really a novella rather than a short story, this case of the Diogenes Club involves children taken by fairies and spreads over a decade. Interesting characters, excellent descriptions, well-crafted plot. I'll definitely be reading more by Newman. 5 stars.
"Kelpie" by Patricia McKillip
Beautifully written, as always, and the characterization is amazing for so short a work. From the first page, the characters and setting are fully realized, and by the second page I was already sad that this wasn't a longer work. My only complaints are that some of story-threads that are set up turn out not to be significant (come on, don't hint about fabulous animals if they aren't going to have a role) and that the actual supernatural part gets kind of short shrift. But I loved the first 2/3 of the story and would be happy to read more about these characters. McKillip does mention having written something similar or related for an earlier anthology, but doesn't name it. 4 stars
"An Embarrassment of Elves" by Craig Shaw Gardner
Farcical and comical in the usual manner of CSG, which is to say, funny when you're 11 or so and reading the first book, and then just tediously repetitive and annoying. It also clashes completely with the lyrical and somewhat dark style of the other stories. 2 stars
"Except the Queen" Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
Two sisters, exiled from Faerie and stripped of their magic, communicate in letters about strange and ominous people who seem to be drawn to them. Lots of folk- and herb-lore. 4 stars
April 15, 2020
Part of my 2020 Social Distancing Read-a-thon
I don't know about you, but as time passes & the pandemic continues, I'm having more difficulty concentrating. My attention wanders easily. This book of short stories was a good way around this problem.
As usual with collections of this kind, there were some that I preferred. I was most favourably impressed with the stories by Tanith Lee and Patricia McKillip. However, all of them were worth reading.
I'm a sucker for faerie tales, so this collection suited me right down to the ground.
I don't know about you, but as time passes & the pandemic continues, I'm having more difficulty concentrating. My attention wanders easily. This book of short stories was a good way around this problem.
As usual with collections of this kind, there were some that I preferred. I was most favourably impressed with the stories by Tanith Lee and Patricia McKillip. However, all of them were worth reading.
I'm a sucker for faerie tales, so this collection suited me right down to the ground.
July 18, 2009
This is a nice collection of tales that focus on fairies, and that would be your older and nastier fairies than Tinkerbell.
"UOUS" by Tanith Lee is, to my mind at least, the best in the collection. Lee sets up the tale nicely, making it almost sound like we are going to get a classic Cinderella tale. Then she gives it one of her Lee twists. The tale is a wonderful twist on the three wishes theme. It does make you wonder as it raises questions about fairy tales and life in general.
"The Kelpie" by Patricia A. McKillip is good, though not as good. McKillip creates a pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. Strangely, while there is a fairy present, the tale reminded me of The Yellow Wallpaper more than anything else. "The Kelpie" contains McKillip's lyrical charm and is a rather gentle love story.
"The Gypsies in the Wood" by Kim Newman was the most disappointing tale in the collection. I loved the character of Kate who I've met before in Anno Dracula and The Bloody Red Baron. I also like Charles. "Gypsies" takes the two characters and puts them in an alternate reality of sorts. This made it somewhat discombobulating if you are familiar with Newman's Dracula world. I can understand why he did it, however. The tale isn't fully disappointing, but it feels off.
I couldn't get though "The Embarrassment of Elves" by Craig Shaw Gardner.
"Grace Notes" by Megan Lindholm (a.k.a. Robin Hobb) is a charming story about Martha Stewart and a Brownie. It's the funniest one in the collection and full of wonderful detail and deft touches.
The last story in the collection, "Except the Queen" by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder is good and bittersweet. If you liked Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country, you'll like this one.
All and all this collection is worth reading.
"UOUS" by Tanith Lee is, to my mind at least, the best in the collection. Lee sets up the tale nicely, making it almost sound like we are going to get a classic Cinderella tale. Then she gives it one of her Lee twists. The tale is a wonderful twist on the three wishes theme. It does make you wonder as it raises questions about fairy tales and life in general.
"The Kelpie" by Patricia A. McKillip is good, though not as good. McKillip creates a pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. Strangely, while there is a fairy present, the tale reminded me of The Yellow Wallpaper more than anything else. "The Kelpie" contains McKillip's lyrical charm and is a rather gentle love story.
"The Gypsies in the Wood" by Kim Newman was the most disappointing tale in the collection. I loved the character of Kate who I've met before in Anno Dracula and The Bloody Red Baron. I also like Charles. "Gypsies" takes the two characters and puts them in an alternate reality of sorts. This made it somewhat discombobulating if you are familiar with Newman's Dracula world. I can understand why he did it, however. The tale isn't fully disappointing, but it feels off.
I couldn't get though "The Embarrassment of Elves" by Craig Shaw Gardner.
"Grace Notes" by Megan Lindholm (a.k.a. Robin Hobb) is a charming story about Martha Stewart and a Brownie. It's the funniest one in the collection and full of wonderful detail and deft touches.
The last story in the collection, "Except the Queen" by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder is good and bittersweet. If you liked Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country, you'll like this one.
All and all this collection is worth reading.
February 15, 2016
Very entertaining yet very weird. The fifth story in the collection, published in 2005, "An Embarrassment of Elves", is laugh-out-loud funny. The half-dozen stories, all good, range from dramatic to horrific to hilarious. Good collection.
December 21, 2021
Excellent collection of stories based on (but mostly with interesting variations) the traditional Fae. These are clearly the Fair Folk of legend - fascinating, mercurial, and cruel - with not a Tinkerbell in the bunch. There are only a half dozen stories in the collection as they mostly hover on the line between short story and novella. I particularly liked Kim Newman's "Gypsies in the Woods" (which I had previously read in his SECRET FILES OF THE DIOGENES CLUB) and Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder's "Except the Queen." Also quite good were Tanith Lee's "Uous" (her take on the Cinderealla story) and Patricia McKillip's "The Kelpie." Megan Lindholm's "Grace Notes" (which, among other things ,explains just were Brownies get all the supplies that that need to maintain the house that they're attached to) was OK but not exceptional. The only story that I actively disliked was Craig Shaw Gardner's "An Embarrassment of Elves," which is the sort of comedic fantasy style that I would have thought was pretty clever when I was in junior high school, but now just grates on me. 4 stars.
June 13, 2018
Really good and diverse anthology with a lot of diffirent themes, ranges from horror to Wierd to beautiful love and sorrow.
The last one is about two sisters lettering each other that have been outcast of Farie and that is a cool one. A funny one is Megan Lindholms "Grace notes" about a boy living alone and suddenly thing starts to be clean and he have toilet paper on the rack, dinner in his frigde and his bed is made, what sorcessy is this??? McKillip is wonderful as usual and I've read this story before.
The gypsies in the wood is uncany and a bit scary, Tanith Lee only wierd and strange one and it was going a little bit more towards akwardness in "The Embaressment of Elves".
The last one is about two sisters lettering each other that have been outcast of Farie and that is a cool one. A funny one is Megan Lindholms "Grace notes" about a boy living alone and suddenly thing starts to be clean and he have toilet paper on the rack, dinner in his frigde and his bed is made, what sorcessy is this??? McKillip is wonderful as usual and I've read this story before.
The gypsies in the wood is uncany and a bit scary, Tanith Lee only wierd and strange one and it was going a little bit more towards akwardness in "The Embaressment of Elves".
November 24, 2012
A collection of six long stories - which makes it a bit hard to give an overall rating. Definitely above-average, though, with a few of my favorite authors in the mix!
Tanith Lee - UOUS
Full of elements of disparate fairy tales, but mainly a mix of Cinderella and Tam Lin(?) - maybe. The girl with the nasty stepmother and awful stepsisters is in modern-day Britain, and the fairy lover doesn't do quite what one might expect. I enjoyed this one quite a lot.
Megan Lindholm - Grace Notes
Unusually humorous and uplifting for a Megan Lindholm story. Also set in the modern day, a solitary young man seems to have a brownie or house elf cleaning his house for him. Seems nice - but weird. And the brownie's taste in decor doesn't really suit. Still, things don't home to a head until the bill comes due... and then he might need a neighbor's help to extricate himself from the mess.
Kim Newman - The Gypsies in the Wood
This seemed, to me, more like an excerpt from a novel than a short story. I think the main 'investigator' in the story may feature in some of Newman's novels. This tale puts two children lost in the woods and possibly taken by fairies into Victorian-ish times. When the two children seem to re-appear, one is an adult, and no one believes that he might be the same boy who disappeared. His sister, however, looks just as she did. Not bad, but I didn't personally care for it as much as some of the other selections here.
Patricia McKillip - The Kelpie
Oooh, this is definitely one for anyone who loves the Pre-Raphaelites. The characters here are all fictional, but it takes place amidst a group of artists and models clearly modeled after Rossetti & co. A woman artist arrives on the scene, and is delighted to find another female painter who invites her participate in her salon... however, another artist pressures her into modeling for him, and his attentions soon progress to the level of blackmail. It takes an encounter with the titular kelpie to bring things to a head. Lovely, powerful story.
Craig Shaw Gardner - An Embarrassment of Elves
I've read at least one other story featuring the characters in this story. I didn't like it, and I don't like this one either. This is just not my flavor of humor; I'm sure it will suit others.
Jane Yolen & Midori Snyder - Except the Queen
This story reminded me quite a lot of a Charles de Lint story. Through a series of letters between two sisters, we learn that the two elderly women are actually fairies in exile, banished to human realms. They believe the reason for their banishment is a prank they played on the Queen of Faerie, which didn't go over well. But when each encounters a troubled human, they begin to suspect that their tribulations may be for some other reason...
Tanith Lee - UOUS
Full of elements of disparate fairy tales, but mainly a mix of Cinderella and Tam Lin(?) - maybe. The girl with the nasty stepmother and awful stepsisters is in modern-day Britain, and the fairy lover doesn't do quite what one might expect. I enjoyed this one quite a lot.
Megan Lindholm - Grace Notes
Unusually humorous and uplifting for a Megan Lindholm story. Also set in the modern day, a solitary young man seems to have a brownie or house elf cleaning his house for him. Seems nice - but weird. And the brownie's taste in decor doesn't really suit. Still, things don't home to a head until the bill comes due... and then he might need a neighbor's help to extricate himself from the mess.
Kim Newman - The Gypsies in the Wood
This seemed, to me, more like an excerpt from a novel than a short story. I think the main 'investigator' in the story may feature in some of Newman's novels. This tale puts two children lost in the woods and possibly taken by fairies into Victorian-ish times. When the two children seem to re-appear, one is an adult, and no one believes that he might be the same boy who disappeared. His sister, however, looks just as she did. Not bad, but I didn't personally care for it as much as some of the other selections here.
Patricia McKillip - The Kelpie
Oooh, this is definitely one for anyone who loves the Pre-Raphaelites. The characters here are all fictional, but it takes place amidst a group of artists and models clearly modeled after Rossetti & co. A woman artist arrives on the scene, and is delighted to find another female painter who invites her participate in her salon... however, another artist pressures her into modeling for him, and his attentions soon progress to the level of blackmail. It takes an encounter with the titular kelpie to bring things to a head. Lovely, powerful story.
Craig Shaw Gardner - An Embarrassment of Elves
I've read at least one other story featuring the characters in this story. I didn't like it, and I don't like this one either. This is just not my flavor of humor; I'm sure it will suit others.
Jane Yolen & Midori Snyder - Except the Queen
This story reminded me quite a lot of a Charles de Lint story. Through a series of letters between two sisters, we learn that the two elderly women are actually fairies in exile, banished to human realms. They believe the reason for their banishment is a prank they played on the Queen of Faerie, which didn't go over well. But when each encounters a troubled human, they begin to suspect that their tribulations may be for some other reason...
June 15, 2010
Well, I said most of my comment in the status updates, so there's not much left to say.
'UOUS' by Tanith Lee
This is a sort of twist on a Cinderella story. It wasn't a bad story, but I found the writing a bit distracting. This is the first thing I've read by Tanith Lee, and it didn't make me want to run out and grab more by her. 2.5 - 3 stars
'Grace Notes' by Megan Lindholm (aka Robin Hobb)
This was a sort of cute story about a brownie with Martha Stewart taste. It was also kind of annoying in parts. The love story angle felt sort of extraneous. Again, first story by this author, not prompted to pursue more. 3 stars
'The Gypsies in the Wood' by Kim Newman
My favorite of the lot, written as a mystery set in a Victoriana England, which nice little references to Sherlock Holmes. This is a tie-in to his Diogenes Club stories, which I'd looked into before, but couldn't get my hands on. Definitely interested in tracking it down, now, though. 4 stars
'Kelpie' by Patricia A. McKillip
Another story set in a sort of Victoriana, this time following a group of bohemian artists instead of the detective formula. I almost felt like I was rereading Dorian Grey, minus the wit. It was interesting, though, and sweet - and I liked the ending. Interested in reading more by this author if anything else catches my eye. 3.5 - 4 stars
"The Embarrassment of Elves" by Craig Shaw Gardner
Apparently part of a larger set of stories, which I'm not particularly interested in continuing with. As I said, it was a cute story, but I felt like it was sort of a Discworld knock-off, but not as funny. 3 - 3.5 stars
'Except the Queen' by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
Didn't really like the format of the story - as if we're reading letters written back and forth from two sisters exhiled from Faerie. The story itself was ok, but nothing spectacular, and a mite predictable. 2.5 - 3 stars
'UOUS' by Tanith Lee
This is a sort of twist on a Cinderella story. It wasn't a bad story, but I found the writing a bit distracting. This is the first thing I've read by Tanith Lee, and it didn't make me want to run out and grab more by her. 2.5 - 3 stars
'Grace Notes' by Megan Lindholm (aka Robin Hobb)
This was a sort of cute story about a brownie with Martha Stewart taste. It was also kind of annoying in parts. The love story angle felt sort of extraneous. Again, first story by this author, not prompted to pursue more. 3 stars
'The Gypsies in the Wood' by Kim Newman
My favorite of the lot, written as a mystery set in a Victoriana England, which nice little references to Sherlock Holmes. This is a tie-in to his Diogenes Club stories, which I'd looked into before, but couldn't get my hands on. Definitely interested in tracking it down, now, though. 4 stars
'Kelpie' by Patricia A. McKillip
Another story set in a sort of Victoriana, this time following a group of bohemian artists instead of the detective formula. I almost felt like I was rereading Dorian Grey, minus the wit. It was interesting, though, and sweet - and I liked the ending. Interested in reading more by this author if anything else catches my eye. 3.5 - 4 stars
"The Embarrassment of Elves" by Craig Shaw Gardner
Apparently part of a larger set of stories, which I'm not particularly interested in continuing with. As I said, it was a cute story, but I felt like it was sort of a Discworld knock-off, but not as funny. 3 - 3.5 stars
'Except the Queen' by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
Didn't really like the format of the story - as if we're reading letters written back and forth from two sisters exhiled from Faerie. The story itself was ok, but nothing spectacular, and a mite predictable. 2.5 - 3 stars
December 24, 2007
The Fair Folk was put together in 2005 by the Science Fiction Book Club, and consists of stories written about elves and their kin from some luminaries in the field. I enjoyed each one immensely, differing as they do in style and tone.
“UOUS” by Tanith Lee takes the familiar “three wishes” story and turns it on its head. An unhappy Cinderalla-esque young woman calls out three wishes, conjuring a fairy who is more than happy to comply with her request. However, thanks the the usual caveat to be careful how you wish for something, Lois finds herself on the giving, not receiving, end of the wishes. Lee employs an engaging first-person point of view filled with dry humor and wry wit.
Read the rest here/
“UOUS” by Tanith Lee takes the familiar “three wishes” story and turns it on its head. An unhappy Cinderalla-esque young woman calls out three wishes, conjuring a fairy who is more than happy to comply with her request. However, thanks the the usual caveat to be careful how you wish for something, Lois finds herself on the giving, not receiving, end of the wishes. Lee employs an engaging first-person point of view filled with dry humor and wry wit.
Read the rest here/
July 31, 2007
I usually steer clear of collections of short stories - I'm guilty of wanting the story to last longer than that! Right about the time you are committed to the characters, the story is over and you have a new set of voices to hear. But this one I think I'm going to have to own. It's a wonderful collection and the stories sit well with one another. Dark in some spots, light and fanciful in others - a very good mix.
January 27, 2008
As usual, the story by Jane Yolen (and Midori Snyder) was beautifully written, complex and pure urban faerie tale. The main characters are actually women of an older age, not pubescent virgins. Refreshing. The next most memorable story was McKillip's 'Kelpie'. Also lovely and haunting.
I have to admit though, that just seeing the name Yolen in an anthology will sell me on the book.
I have to admit though, that just seeing the name Yolen in an anthology will sell me on the book.
October 1, 2015
This was a compilation of short stories which I generally am not fond of. However, I found most of these stories entertaining and fun. There were 6 stories of all kinds but with the theme of fairies/elves. The ones I really did not care for were "The Kelpie" and "The Embarrassment of Elves" otherwise the read was good however not great.
August 28, 2020
"UOUS" by Tanith Lee
At first I absolutely hated this story, then after thinking about it decided that perhaps my strong negative reaction was intentional. There were aspects of the story that I really liked. The atmosphere was pretty fascinating. The plot itself was an interesting (and in some ways potentially very clever) twist on old fairy tales like Cinderella. What I really didn't like was the main character. The story is told from her perspective, a perspective that I found eye-rolling at the best of times. Do I feel sorry for her? In certain respects, sure... her situation was extremely unfair. However, she never makes even the feeblest attempt to escape or rebel until she is 'forced' to do so. This is where I wonder if that's what the author intended. The main character obviously feels bad for herself, but are we supposed to feel bad for her too, or is the reader meant to feel at least a mild distain for her? Originally I was going to give the story 2 stars, but upon reflection I decided on...
3 stars
"Grace Notes" by Megan Lindholm
This story wasn't awful, but it doesn't leave much of an impression either. Cute, but I didn't feel particularly drawn in by the story.
2.5 stars
"Gypsies in the Wood" by Kim Newman
I loved this story. The story itself was compelling, the characters were compelling, the environment was compelling... it was very well-done. 5 stars.
"Kelpie" by Patricia McKillip
I love Patricia McKillip's works and she's really the reason I read this book. After reading this story I've decided that she's better at novels... she simply needs more room to draw out the characters. In the grand scheme of things, this was a very enjoyable story and worth the time it takes to read, but the climax of the story felt a bit rushed.
4 stars
"An Embarrassment of Elves" by Craig Shaw Gardner
This was apparently a short story based on the characters from a larger series by the author. I'm not one for starting in the middle of a series and this story felt a bit like I was doing just that, but it was a fun, light-hearted story.
3 stars
"Except the Queen" Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
I very much enjoyed this story. This was a well-crafted story that swelled with what felt like 'everyday' magic... little charms and herbal remedies and mystical signs seen in everyday items.
4.5 stars
At first I absolutely hated this story, then after thinking about it decided that perhaps my strong negative reaction was intentional. There were aspects of the story that I really liked. The atmosphere was pretty fascinating. The plot itself was an interesting (and in some ways potentially very clever) twist on old fairy tales like Cinderella. What I really didn't like was the main character. The story is told from her perspective, a perspective that I found eye-rolling at the best of times. Do I feel sorry for her? In certain respects, sure... her situation was extremely unfair. However, she never makes even the feeblest attempt to escape or rebel until she is 'forced' to do so. This is where I wonder if that's what the author intended. The main character obviously feels bad for herself, but are we supposed to feel bad for her too, or is the reader meant to feel at least a mild distain for her? Originally I was going to give the story 2 stars, but upon reflection I decided on...
3 stars
"Grace Notes" by Megan Lindholm
This story wasn't awful, but it doesn't leave much of an impression either. Cute, but I didn't feel particularly drawn in by the story.
2.5 stars
"Gypsies in the Wood" by Kim Newman
I loved this story. The story itself was compelling, the characters were compelling, the environment was compelling... it was very well-done. 5 stars.
"Kelpie" by Patricia McKillip
I love Patricia McKillip's works and she's really the reason I read this book. After reading this story I've decided that she's better at novels... she simply needs more room to draw out the characters. In the grand scheme of things, this was a very enjoyable story and worth the time it takes to read, but the climax of the story felt a bit rushed.
4 stars
"An Embarrassment of Elves" by Craig Shaw Gardner
This was apparently a short story based on the characters from a larger series by the author. I'm not one for starting in the middle of a series and this story felt a bit like I was doing just that, but it was a fun, light-hearted story.
3 stars
"Except the Queen" Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
I very much enjoyed this story. This was a well-crafted story that swelled with what felt like 'everyday' magic... little charms and herbal remedies and mystical signs seen in everyday items.
4.5 stars
June 25, 2023
Zbog jedne priče.
Verovatno najbolja priča o Fae koju sam ikada pročitala. Rivju uskoro.
09.06.2023.
Napomena: ova će se recenzija ticati isključivo jedne priče iz zbirke: "UOUS", Tanith Lee.
Najbolja stvar koju sam ikada čitala o Fae.
I, jedna od najboljih priča uopšte.
Nisam ljubitelj antologija, kratki format prosto nije moj kink. Ali kako se ovde radilo o pričama o Fae, pročitala sam knjigu. Međutim, ne sećam se bukvalno nijedne druge, jer su sve blede i zanemarljive kad se porede sa "UOUS".
Vidim da se ljudima nije dopala priča (tačnije kraj), i verujem da znam zašto. Kao prvo, to bi trebala biti verzija Pepeljuge u novom ruhu, i ljudi su očekivali hepi end. Bukvalni hepi end, onaj s princem koji spašava Pepeljugu. Ili bar nešto tome najpribližnije.
Međutim, ono što čudi, jeste da se čini da niko, zapravo, ne razume da priča ima hepi end.
Ne onaj iz originalne bajke, s princem - ali ovo je retelling, zar ne? Junakinja jeste dobila svoj hepi end, bez obzira što on nije "Pepeljuga hepi end".
Zapravo, dobila je čak i princa.
Što se mene tiče, da je autorka uradila tako šta, da je učinila svoj retelling stereotipnim, jedan deo mene (onaj deo koji je fantast) bi bio zadovoljan. Ali ovaj hepi end je logičan, opravdan i smislen, stoga ima pravu snagu. I, mnogo je bolji nego onaj koji su svi očekivali. Štaviše, smatram da je po junakinju - jedini pravi hepi end.
Neću ići u otvorene spoilere zato što smatram da bi ovu priču svi koje zanima žanr (i naročito Fae) trebali da pročitaju pod obavezno. Teško da će vam čak i kakva non-fiction knjiga ozbiljnog istraživača koji je, posle godina teškog, detaljnog rada, skupio sve legende, mitove - čitav Lore - objasniti bolje ko su Fae.
Ako želite da razumete ko su Fae, pročitajte ovu priču. To je sav nauk koji vam treba.
Priča je podugačka i zapravo bi, uz neke manje dorade, mogla da stoji samostalno, bar kao novela. Zapravo, mislim da zaslužuje da se izda zasebno. Nijedna druga u antologiji nije joj ni prići.
Da ne pričam o budalaštinama koje se se izdaju kao Fae knjige a koje bi svakog iole razumnog izdavača trebalo bilo sramota da dozvoli da se izdaju pod tim labelom. Jer je u njima Lore toliko unakažen da od Fae nije ostalo ni F.
Priča je sjajna, da prste poližete. Proza odlična, deskripcija taman na mestu, likovi genijalno odrađeni. Radnja toliko intrigantna da vam ne dozvoljava da prekinete čitanje ni da bi otišli u prokleti toalet. Ovo se čita u dahu.
Sledeći formulu Pepeljuge, junakinja posle smrti oca ostaje da živi sa zlom maćehom (ne bajkovito već bukvalno zlom) i polusestrama koje su još odvratnije. Ono što ih deli od originalne bajke, jeste što su sestre, naročito starija, veoma lepe. Zapravo, starija je vanserijska lepotica. Njena lepota se može meriti samo s njenom poganštinom kao osobe.
Isto tako, odstupajući od Pepeljuge, junakinja nije ona jedina lepa u kući. Štaviše - relativno je neugledna, naročito u poređenju s prelepom (i poganom) starijom sestrom.
Priča se dešava u današnje vreme, u Engleskoj. Disfunkcionalna porodica živi u staroj džentrijskoj kući u šumi. Junakinja služi ko (nezvanična) posluga u istoj posle očeve smrti, i jedan od redovnih zadataka joj je da par puta nedeljno ide kroz šumu do sela u nabavku. Tako se desi da u šumi sretne nekog - pa recimo, neobičnog.
To je sve što ću reći o samom plotu. Znam da se čini da će priča otiči u otužno stereotipnom pravcu, ali tu je caka: na kraju postoji tvist koji originalnu bajku izvrće naglavačke. I koji je zapravo jedini logičan kraj koji se uopšte mogao desiti.
Reći ću samo da je junakinja u suštini dobra osoba. Zato je kraj logičan i opravdan. Zato kraj ima sav mogući smisao.
Ovo je već preveliki spoiler, pa neću dalje.
Koliko sam rivjua pročitala, ni u jednom nisam videla da ljudi kontaju zašto je kraj kakav jeste. Ne, umesto toga su besni i razočarani - štaviše, smatraju da je kraj besmislen. To je ono što se desi kad čitate knjige koje se izdaju za "knjige o Fae" a u kojima, kako rekoh, nema ni F od Fae jer je Lore iznakažen do neprepoznatljivosti.
Mada sam dve trećine priče (posle onog prvog dojma) slutila da se ista neće završiti onako kako svi očekuju (pogotovo od Pepeljuga-retellinga), priznajem da je onaj deo mene koji je fantast, osećao određenu bol zbog toga, i skoro strepio da dođe do kraja. Međutim, što je priča odmicala, postalo je sve očiglednije da radnja prosto mora završiti na način koji će odstupati od originalne bajke, jer ni jedna druga varijanta ne bi imala smisla. Da se radilo o još jednoj priči u kojoj su Fae predstavljene budalasto i ignorantski, onda bi svi oni koji se dure u rivjuima imali pravo. Međutim, ovde je Lore veran sebi.
Čim sam to shvatila, znala sam da će priča biti pokvarena i unižena u svojoj vrednosti ukoliko autor ode u Pepeljuga-stereotipnom pravcu. Shvatila sam da, u stvari, ne želim to da vidim. Jer, to bi unizilo sve: samu priču, Lore i zdrav razum.
Žao mi je ljudi koji se osećaju izdani od strane autora jer priča nije završila kako su oni (uzevši u obzir Pepeljugu i, još bitnije, ne znajući ništa o Lore, o prirodi Fae onako kako ih opisuju mitlogija i folklor) očekivali. Žao mi ih je jer su godinama hranjeni imbecilnostima. Žao mi je što nisu upoznati s istinom.
Jer, da jesu upoznati razumeli bi da junakinja zapravo stvarno jeste dobila svoj hepi end. I koliko bi ono što su oni mislili da bi hepi end trebao biti - zapravo bila najužasnija stvar koja joj se uopšte mogla desiti. Devojka je za dlaku izbegla groznu sudbinu.
Žalosno je što se čini da to nijedan rivju ne razume. Da ljudi pojma nemaju.
Ali kažem (po stoti put), tome su krivi ignorantski ili prosto proračunati autori koji znaju da će se izvrtanje kanona prodavati - bolje. Bez obzira koliko ilogično i čak i budalasto bilo.
Ja neću izvrtanje kanona, i neću ga ni po cenu ne znam kakvog hepi enda. Ovaj se autor očigledno slaže.
Možete preskočiti sve ostale priče u knjizi, osim ove.
Samo zbog nje visoka ocena - da je zasebno delo, novela, štagod; bila bi najviša. Ogromna preporuka čak i ako ne marite mnogo Fae, već prosto volite retelling. Ovaj žanr. I odlično napisanu priču kojoj faktički ne možete naći zamerke, ni po pitanju proze, ni uvezi stila, dijaloga, likova... Učinite sebi uslugu i obogatite se za nešto takoreći besprekorno i pametno napisano.
Verovatno najbolja priča o Fae koju sam ikada pročitala. Rivju uskoro.
09.06.2023.
Napomena: ova će se recenzija ticati isključivo jedne priče iz zbirke: "UOUS", Tanith Lee.
Najbolja stvar koju sam ikada čitala o Fae.
I, jedna od najboljih priča uopšte.
Nisam ljubitelj antologija, kratki format prosto nije moj kink. Ali kako se ovde radilo o pričama o Fae, pročitala sam knjigu. Međutim, ne sećam se bukvalno nijedne druge, jer su sve blede i zanemarljive kad se porede sa "UOUS".
Vidim da se ljudima nije dopala priča (tačnije kraj), i verujem da znam zašto. Kao prvo, to bi trebala biti verzija Pepeljuge u novom ruhu, i ljudi su očekivali hepi end. Bukvalni hepi end, onaj s princem koji spašava Pepeljugu. Ili bar nešto tome najpribližnije.
Međutim, ono što čudi, jeste da se čini da niko, zapravo, ne razume da priča ima hepi end.
Ne onaj iz originalne bajke, s princem - ali ovo je retelling, zar ne? Junakinja jeste dobila svoj hepi end, bez obzira što on nije "Pepeljuga hepi end".
Zapravo, dobila je čak i princa.
Što se mene tiče, da je autorka uradila tako šta, da je učinila svoj retelling stereotipnim, jedan deo mene (onaj deo koji je fantast) bi bio zadovoljan. Ali ovaj hepi end je logičan, opravdan i smislen, stoga ima pravu snagu. I, mnogo je bolji nego onaj koji su svi očekivali. Štaviše, smatram da je po junakinju - jedini pravi hepi end.
Neću ići u otvorene spoilere zato što smatram da bi ovu priču svi koje zanima žanr (i naročito Fae) trebali da pročitaju pod obavezno. Teško da će vam čak i kakva non-fiction knjiga ozbiljnog istraživača koji je, posle godina teškog, detaljnog rada, skupio sve legende, mitove - čitav Lore - objasniti bolje ko su Fae.
Ako želite da razumete ko su Fae, pročitajte ovu priču. To je sav nauk koji vam treba.
Priča je podugačka i zapravo bi, uz neke manje dorade, mogla da stoji samostalno, bar kao novela. Zapravo, mislim da zaslužuje da se izda zasebno. Nijedna druga u antologiji nije joj ni prići.
Da ne pričam o budalaštinama koje se se izdaju kao Fae knjige a koje bi svakog iole razumnog izdavača trebalo bilo sramota da dozvoli da se izdaju pod tim labelom. Jer je u njima Lore toliko unakažen da od Fae nije ostalo ni F.
Priča je sjajna, da prste poližete. Proza odlična, deskripcija taman na mestu, likovi genijalno odrađeni. Radnja toliko intrigantna da vam ne dozvoljava da prekinete čitanje ni da bi otišli u prokleti toalet. Ovo se čita u dahu.
Sledeći formulu Pepeljuge, junakinja posle smrti oca ostaje da živi sa zlom maćehom (ne bajkovito već bukvalno zlom) i polusestrama koje su još odvratnije. Ono što ih deli od originalne bajke, jeste što su sestre, naročito starija, veoma lepe. Zapravo, starija je vanserijska lepotica. Njena lepota se može meriti samo s njenom poganštinom kao osobe.
Isto tako, odstupajući od Pepeljuge, junakinja nije ona jedina lepa u kući. Štaviše - relativno je neugledna, naročito u poređenju s prelepom (i poganom) starijom sestrom.
Priča se dešava u današnje vreme, u Engleskoj. Disfunkcionalna porodica živi u staroj džentrijskoj kući u šumi. Junakinja služi ko (nezvanična) posluga u istoj posle očeve smrti, i jedan od redovnih zadataka joj je da par puta nedeljno ide kroz šumu do sela u nabavku. Tako se desi da u šumi sretne nekog - pa recimo, neobičnog.
To je sve što ću reći o samom plotu. Znam da se čini da će priča otiči u otužno stereotipnom pravcu, ali tu je caka: na kraju postoji tvist koji originalnu bajku izvrće naglavačke. I koji je zapravo jedini logičan kraj koji se uopšte mogao desiti.
Reći ću samo da je junakinja u suštini dobra osoba. Zato je kraj logičan i opravdan. Zato kraj ima sav mogući smisao.
Ovo je već preveliki spoiler, pa neću dalje.
Koliko sam rivjua pročitala, ni u jednom nisam videla da ljudi kontaju zašto je kraj kakav jeste. Ne, umesto toga su besni i razočarani - štaviše, smatraju da je kraj besmislen. To je ono što se desi kad čitate knjige koje se izdaju za "knjige o Fae" a u kojima, kako rekoh, nema ni F od Fae jer je Lore iznakažen do neprepoznatljivosti.
Mada sam dve trećine priče (posle onog prvog dojma) slutila da se ista neće završiti onako kako svi očekuju (pogotovo od Pepeljuga-retellinga), priznajem da je onaj deo mene koji je fantast, osećao određenu bol zbog toga, i skoro strepio da dođe do kraja. Međutim, što je priča odmicala, postalo je sve očiglednije da radnja prosto mora završiti na način koji će odstupati od originalne bajke, jer ni jedna druga varijanta ne bi imala smisla. Da se radilo o još jednoj priči u kojoj su Fae predstavljene budalasto i ignorantski, onda bi svi oni koji se dure u rivjuima imali pravo. Međutim, ovde je Lore veran sebi.
Čim sam to shvatila, znala sam da će priča biti pokvarena i unižena u svojoj vrednosti ukoliko autor ode u Pepeljuga-stereotipnom pravcu. Shvatila sam da, u stvari, ne želim to da vidim. Jer, to bi unizilo sve: samu priču, Lore i zdrav razum.
Žao mi je ljudi koji se osećaju izdani od strane autora jer priča nije završila kako su oni (uzevši u obzir Pepeljugu i, još bitnije, ne znajući ništa o Lore, o prirodi Fae onako kako ih opisuju mitlogija i folklor) očekivali. Žao mi ih je jer su godinama hranjeni imbecilnostima. Žao mi je što nisu upoznati s istinom.
Jer, da jesu upoznati razumeli bi da junakinja zapravo stvarno jeste dobila svoj hepi end. I koliko bi ono što su oni mislili da bi hepi end trebao biti - zapravo bila najužasnija stvar koja joj se uopšte mogla desiti. Devojka je za dlaku izbegla groznu sudbinu.
Žalosno je što se čini da to nijedan rivju ne razume. Da ljudi pojma nemaju.
Ali kažem (po stoti put), tome su krivi ignorantski ili prosto proračunati autori koji znaju da će se izvrtanje kanona prodavati - bolje. Bez obzira koliko ilogično i čak i budalasto bilo.
Ja neću izvrtanje kanona, i neću ga ni po cenu ne znam kakvog hepi enda. Ovaj se autor očigledno slaže.
Možete preskočiti sve ostale priče u knjizi, osim ove.
Samo zbog nje visoka ocena - da je zasebno delo, novela, štagod; bila bi najviša. Ogromna preporuka čak i ako ne marite mnogo Fae, već prosto volite retelling. Ovaj žanr. I odlično napisanu priču kojoj faktički ne možete naći zamerke, ni po pitanju proze, ni uvezi stila, dijaloga, likova... Učinite sebi uslugu i obogatite se za nešto takoreći besprekorno i pametno napisano.
June 29, 2025
3.5 stars,
There are 6 stories are between the covers of this particular book. The first "Uous" didn't do much for me, an awkward Cinderella type story. Though readings other people's comments show it to be a favorite, it wasn't for me, I felt un satisfied with the story as a whole, but I was content with the ending.
The second "Grace notes" was cute and mostly light hearted with a fair bit of fairy mischievous help only a brownie can bring. It was a simple story with a predictable finish, but I liked it. "The Gypsies in the woods" was my least favorite and the longest, I found the telling of the story drawn out and it finished with no satisfaction for me, like part of the story was untold. "The Kelpie" had me wondering if the Fae would show up, but they dod out of no where, much like i expect fairies would do to interrupt another story playing out. I enjoyed it. "An embarrassment of elves" a humorous tale, fun somewhat cozy Fantasy that I enjoyed. "Except the Queen" my favorite of the stories. Sisters trying to unwind a mysterious series events and people. Told in the form of letters. The kind of story I think of when reading light Fantasy.
There are 6 stories are between the covers of this particular book. The first "Uous" didn't do much for me, an awkward Cinderella type story. Though readings other people's comments show it to be a favorite, it wasn't for me, I felt un satisfied with the story as a whole, but I was content with the ending.
The second "Grace notes" was cute and mostly light hearted with a fair bit of fairy mischievous help only a brownie can bring. It was a simple story with a predictable finish, but I liked it. "The Gypsies in the woods" was my least favorite and the longest, I found the telling of the story drawn out and it finished with no satisfaction for me, like part of the story was untold. "The Kelpie" had me wondering if the Fae would show up, but they dod out of no where, much like i expect fairies would do to interrupt another story playing out. I enjoyed it. "An embarrassment of elves" a humorous tale, fun somewhat cozy Fantasy that I enjoyed. "Except the Queen" my favorite of the stories. Sisters trying to unwind a mysterious series events and people. Told in the form of letters. The kind of story I think of when reading light Fantasy.
January 25, 2024
This extremely uneven collection contains the following novellas~
1. 'UOUS' by Tanith Lee: A horrible first person narrative made this twisted work practically unreadable. It deserved a lot more wit and brevity.
2. 'Grace Notes' by Megan Lindholm: Distinctly mediocre work that mixes imps with faeries— which is just not acceptable.
3. 'The Gypsies in the Wood' by Kim Newman: This Diogenes Club adventure is the best work of the collection, which alone makes this anthology readable to a great extent.
4. 'The Kelpie' by Patricia A. McKillip: Another mediocre work, without much wit, charm, or horror.
5. 'An Embarassment of Elves' by Craig Shaw Gardner: This one tried to be funny, but wasn't that good.
6. Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder's 'Except the Queen': An interesting and sprightly story told in epistolary format.
Overall, there are far better anthologies themed around 'the fair folk' except the singularly superlative Diogenes Club story that's hard to come by elsewhere.
1. 'UOUS' by Tanith Lee: A horrible first person narrative made this twisted work practically unreadable. It deserved a lot more wit and brevity.
2. 'Grace Notes' by Megan Lindholm: Distinctly mediocre work that mixes imps with faeries— which is just not acceptable.
3. 'The Gypsies in the Wood' by Kim Newman: This Diogenes Club adventure is the best work of the collection, which alone makes this anthology readable to a great extent.
4. 'The Kelpie' by Patricia A. McKillip: Another mediocre work, without much wit, charm, or horror.
5. 'An Embarassment of Elves' by Craig Shaw Gardner: This one tried to be funny, but wasn't that good.
6. Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder's 'Except the Queen': An interesting and sprightly story told in epistolary format.
Overall, there are far better anthologies themed around 'the fair folk' except the singularly superlative Diogenes Club story that's hard to come by elsewhere.
March 22, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the stories by Tanith Lee, Kim Newman, Patricia A. McKillip (obviously), and Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder. This book reminded me of how much I love faerie mythology and tales of the Middle Lands, and I am keen to find some more... and reread some of my favourites! One funny thing I noticed was that after a year of reading a lot of Charles de Lint (I think I've read 15 or 16 of his books since January 2016?) I kind of imagine all urban fantasy stories as being in the same world as the Newford books, so that happened with most of the urban fantasies in this anthology.
And of course this book was edited by the same person who made the Dragon Quintet which I loved, so there you go.
And of course this book was edited by the same person who made the Dragon Quintet which I loved, so there you go.
December 16, 2017
This was a book of 6 short stories. The first stories UOUS stared out slow but i liked it in the end. Grace Notes was one of the two best of the six. the gypsies in the woods was the one i didn't like out of the six. The Kelpie and Except the queen were good reads. an embarrassment of Elves was the other top story. overall the book was worth reading where 5 out of 6 stories are enjoyable it is worth it
April 3, 2019
This was a pretty interesting book with a variety of stories. There were six different stories; they were all very different, but all were pretty good. Some were better than others. I really liked Except the Queen, which was made up of letters between two exiled fairies who were sisters. It started out kind of slow, but like a rock rolling downhill, it gathered "speed" as it went. I really liked the ending. Grace Notes was very amusing; I liked it too.
December 27, 2017
I picked it up because it had a Craig Shaw Gardner story in it I wanted to read. Honestly, the Gardner story is probably the low point of the anthology since it requires previous knowledge of his Ebenezum/Wuntvor books, great for those who'd read them, but probably not for anyone who wasn't already a fan. All the rest of the novella-length stories were at least good, with the ones by Megan Lindholm, Tanith Lee and Kim Newman being really great. This probably the most consistently high quality, themed anthology I've ever read.
December 28, 2021
Got this book at a thrift store and did not expect to like it this much. Unique stories I couldn’t predict. Fantasy without being the same old, same old. Genuinely good, interesting storytelling. A great bedtime read.
August 20, 2025
I enjoyed these short stories and rank them as follows from best to worst:
1. The Gypsies in the Woods
2. Grace Notes
3. Except the Queen
4. UOUS
5. The Kelpie
6. An Embarrassment of Elves (skip this one)
1. The Gypsies in the Woods
2. Grace Notes
3. Except the Queen
4. UOUS
5. The Kelpie
6. An Embarrassment of Elves (skip this one)
May 29, 2017
Rounding up from 3.5
March 4, 2019
Lovely and dark short stories, what's not to love?
June 18, 2019
I love these authors, but I find short stories so much harder to get absorbed in than longer novels.
July 23, 2019
5 out of 6 of the stories were great. The other one I had to force myself to read to get through it.... oddly enough, it was the one that the editor was most defensive of...
August 26, 2021
Three good stories, Two okay and one romance novelette in Fantasy trappings. Especially enjoyed the two comedic stories.
July 12, 2023
Different faerie stories. All enjoyable. Would read again.
November 4, 2023
The stories were a bit more modern than I was hoping, a few were sorta boring & a few were really good.
My favorites were "The Gypsies in the Woods", "An Embarrassment of Elves" & "Except the Queen"
My favorites were "The Gypsies in the Woods", "An Embarrassment of Elves" & "Except the Queen"
October 15, 2025
A great collection of modern day Fairy stories.
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