The beastly bride : tales of the animal people
(Book)

Twenty-two short stories and poems speak to the fascination with therianthropy (animal-human metamorphosis). From riffs on Beauty and the Beast to original tales of sexuality and an adolescent yeti, well-known fantasy and sci-fi authors create morsels that address themes as varied as coming-of-age and the environment all while changing people into animals and vice versa. Following up on earlier anthologies that covered forest folk (The Green Man, 2002), faeries (The Faery Reel, 2004), and tricksters (The Coyote Road, 2007), this is the fourth exploration of mythology from the editorial team of Datlow and Windling. Selections are consistently well written, and each ends with a very brief bio and a short statement that provides a window into the authorial process of creating the tale. In addition to a rather scholarly preface and introduction, there is also a fairly long list of additional reading. This collection would make an interesting supplement for a high-school mythology class, and a chance to include contemporary authors and new treatments of transformation myths from many cultures.--Welch, Cindy Copyright 2010 Booklist

Gr 9 Up-In Datlow and Windling's latest short-story anthology on mythic themes, celebrated contemporary authors explore shape-shifters in fantasy. The stories run the gamut from humorous to tragic and have roots in old tales from many different parts of the world. In Hiromi Goto's "The Hikikomori," outcast Masako finds inner strength when she is transformed into a rat. In Midori Snyder's "The Monkey Bride," Salim's integrity is tested and found worthy by his shape-shifting wife, while in Tanith Lee's "The Puma's Daughter," Matthew Seaton's wild bride tests his credulity and loyalty. Not all are love stories-in Peter S. Beagle's "The Children of the Shark God," siblings Keawe and Kokinja risk perilous journeys to confront their absentee father. These tales and many others explore all manner of shape-changers, from werewolves to mermaids. Despite differing styles, the stories flow smoothly from one to the next. Windling's fascinating introduction details the history of shape-shifters in legends from around the globe. This collection will appeal to fantasy lovers as it provides both stories by beloved authors and exciting new voices to discover.-Misti Tidman, Boyd County Public Library, Ashland, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This anthology of imaginative short fiction and lyrical poetry about human-to-animal shape-shifters features original stories, re-imagined fairy tales, and retold myths by authors including Jane Yolen, Peter S. Beagle, and Tanith Lee. Familiar shape-changers (such as selkies, swan maidens, and mermen) cavort with more unusual animal-people (e.g., salamanders and bear brides) through settings spanning ancient Greece, frontier United States, and modern-day India. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Readers of a Datlow/Windling anthology have certain expectations: that the thick volume will include stories by writers both known and new; that headpieces for each tale will be Vess's sinuously evocative drawings; that a fully formed introduction will lay out the collection's parameters; that notes and a bit of biography will follow each story; and that an excellent bibliography will be included. The 22 writers include Jane Yolen, Ellen Kushner, Midori Snyder, Tanith Lee and Peter S. Beagle, among others. Delia Sherman's "The Selkie Speaks" allows a seal maiden to tell her own tale; Terra L. Gearhart-Serna brings a trickster's sly voice and a little Spanish into her first published writing, "Coyote and Valarosa." Marly Youmans turns to glassmaking and the Blue Ridge Mountains for the intensely romantic "The Salamander's Fire." The three interwoven motifs of these tales, inspired by many cultures, are beings who shape-shift between animal and human of their own will, who are transformed as a curse or enchantment and who are both human and animal yet wholly neither. Rich reading that meets the editors' high standards. (Fantasy/short stories. 12 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Twenty-two short stories and poems speak to the fascination with therianthropy (animal-human metamorphosis). From riffs on Beauty and the Beast to original tales of sexuality and an adolescent yeti, well-known fantasy and sci-fi authors create morsels that address themes as varied as coming-of-age and the environment—all while changing people into animals and vice versa. Following up on earlier anthologies that covered forest folk (The Green Man, 2002), faeries (The Faery Reel, 2004), and tricksters (The Coyote Road, 2007), this is the fourth exploration of mythology from the editorial team of Datlow and Windling. Selections are consistently well written, and each ends with a very brief bio and a short statement that provides a window into the authorial process of creating the tale. In addition to a rather scholarly preface and introduction, there is also a fairly long list of additional reading. This collection would make an interesting supplement for a high-school mythology class, and a chance to include contemporary authors and new treatments of transformation myths from many cultures.

Twenty-two short stories and poems speak to the fascination with therianthropy (animal-human metamorphosis). From riffs on Beauty and the Beast to original tales of sexuality and an adolescent yeti, well-known fantasy and sci-fi authors create morsels that address themes as varied as coming-of-age and the environment—all while changing people into animals and vice versa. Following up on earlier anthologies that covered forest folk (The Green Man, 2002), faeries (The Faery Reel, 2004), and tricksters (The Coyote Road, 2007), this is the fourth exploration of mythology from the editorial team of Datlow and Windling. Selections are consistently well written, and each ends with a very brief bio and a short statement that provides a window into the authorial process of creating the tale. In addition to a rather scholarly preface and introduction, there is also a fairly long list of additional reading. This collection would make an interesting supplement for a high-school mythology class, and a chance to include contemporary authors and new treatments of transformation myths from many cultures. Copyright 2010 Booklist Reviews.

Gr 9 Up—In Datlow and Windling's latest short-story anthology on mythic themes, celebrated contemporary authors explore shape-shifters in fantasy. The stories run the gamut from humorous to tragic and have roots in old tales from many different parts of the world. In Hiromi Goto's "The Hikikomori," outcast Masako finds inner strength when she is transformed into a rat. In Midori Snyder's "The Monkey Bride," Salim's integrity is tested and found worthy by his shape-shifting wife, while in Tanith Lee's "The Puma's Daughter," Matthew Seaton's wild bride tests his credulity and loyalty. Not all are love stories—in Peter S. Beagle's "The Children of the Shark God," siblings Keawe and Kokinja risk perilous journeys to confront their absentee father. These tales and many others explore all manner of shape-changers, from werewolves to mermaids. Despite differing styles, the stories flow smoothly from one to the next. Windling's fascinating introduction details the history of shape-shifters in legends from around the globe. This collection will appeal to fantasy lovers as it provides both stories by beloved authors and exciting new voices to discover.—Misti Tidman, Boyd County Public Library, Ashland, KY