Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling’s Black Thorn, White Rose (1994) is an anthology of stories that retell classic fairy tales in a clever fashion.
My favorite story in Black Thorn, White Rose is Roger Zelazny’s “Godson,” a retelling of a Brothers Grimm tale. Matters of Life and Death affect a young boy’s life. My other favorite story is Storm Constantine’s “Sweet Bruising Skin,” a different spin on the classic “The Princess and the Pea.” As with much of Storm Constantine’s work, there’s a diabolical darkness as the Queen has her wizard conjure up a princess for her son to marry. But, as with much of Magic, things go awry.
If you’re interested in fairy tales with a more contemporary twist, Black Thorn, White Rose provides plenty of entertaining stories for you. Do you have a favorite fairy tale? GRADE: B
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow — 1
Words Like Pale Stones Nancy Kress — 7
Stronger Than Time Patricia C. Wrede — 30
Somnus’s Fair Maid Ann Downer — 58
The Frog King, or Iron Henry Daniel Quinn — 86
Near-Beauty M.E. Beckett — 98
Ogre Michael Kandel — 107
Can’t Catch Me Michael Cadnum — 120
Journeybread Recipe Lawrence Schimel — 129
The Brown Bear of Norway Isabel Cole — 132
The Goose Girl Tim Wynne-Jones — 151
Tattercoats Midori Snyder — 173
Granny Rumple Jane Yolen — 203
The Sawing Boys Howard Waldrop — 217
Godson Roger Zelazny — 245
Ashputtle Peter Straub — 281
Silver and Gold Ellen Steiber — 306
Sweet Bruising Skin Storm Constantine — 310
The Black Swan Susan Wade — 359
RECOMMENDED READING — 382
Can’t think of a particular favorite fairy tale. Is The Emperor’s New Clothes considered a fairy tale? Then that.
I’m reading an anthology you’d like : MUCH ADO ABOUT MURDER (2002), subtitled “All New, Shakespeare-Inspired Mystery Stories,” edited by Anne Perry. I was Inspired by reading Marcia Talley’s Award winning MACBETH- related story, “Too Many Cooks,” in her new Crippen & Landru collection, to seek this out. With stories by Edward D. Hoch, Edward Marston, Simon Brett, Robert Barnard, Peter Tremayne, Peter Robinson and others, you can’t go far wrong.
Jeff, I think I have a copy of MUCH ADO ABOUT MURDER around here somewhere. Thanks for the recommendation!
A single favorite faerie tale would be hard to choose, but this was a fine anthology, dating from the time Datlow and Windling were doing their best fantasy and horror short fiction of the year annual together as well (no one is doing a best fantasy-fiction annual at all, now, sadly, unless I’m having a memory lapse, while Datlow is doing her solo best horror volume still, as the other entrants in that field have thinned out).
Perhaps Rachel Pollack’s “The Girl Who Went to the Rich Neighbourhood” qualifies as my favorite example at this moment.
Todd, there was some kind of recent “dustup” over Ellen Datlow…but I never really got the details.
Dunno, George…aside from editing annuals, both Ellen and Paula are likely to speak out if they see something they can’t agree with. Neither is the retiring sort such as I…(why is everyone laughing?).
Todd, Paula Guran, who was doing a Dark Fantasy & Horror annual, started a straight Fantasy one a couple years ago.
I shouldn’t’ve forgotten Paula’s–thanks for the reminder.
One of my favorites is the 12 Wild Swans fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.
It first captured my imagination when I saw it on the Shirley Temple Storybook Hour way back when.
One of the best retellings is The Wild Swans by Peg Kerr.
Beth, I’m a fan of “THE 12 SWANS” too!
I read so many fairy tales, saw some films and even Walt Disney comics with the typical topics (like poor girl being mistreated by her stepmother) that I don’t remember most of them.
But as a teenager I was no longer interested …
Wolf, Disney has made a fortune out of translating fairy tales into movies.