Synopses & Reviews
This “first-rate anthology of reimagined fairy tales” (Locus Magazine) features an all-star lineup of award-winning and critically acclaimed writers.
"Once upon a time." It’s how so many of our most beloved stories start.
Fairy tales have dominated our cultural imagination for centuries. From the Brothers Grimm to the Countess d’Aulnoy, from Charles Perrault to Hans Christian Anderson, storytellers have crafted all sorts of tales that have always found a place in our hearts.
Now a new generation of storytellers has taken up the mantle that the masters created, and has shaped their stories into something startling and electrifying.
Packed with award-winning authors, this “fresh, diverse” (Library Journal) anthology explores an array of fairy tales in startling and innovative ways, in genres and settings both traditional and unusual, including science fiction, western, and post-apocalyptic as well as traditional fantasy and contemporary horror.
From the woods to the stars, The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales takes readers on a journey at once unexpected and familiar, as a diverse group of writers explore some of our most beloved tales in new ways across genres and styles.
Contains stories by Charlie Jane Anders, Aliette de Bodard, Amal El-mohtar, Jeffrey Ford, Max Gladstone, Theodora Goss, Daryl Gregory, Kat Howard, Stephen Graham Jones, Margo Lanagan, Marjorie Liu, Seanan McGuire, Garth Nix, Naomi Novik, Sofia Samatar, Karin Tidbeck, Catherynne M. Valente, and Genevieve Valentine.
Review
“A classy, smart, and entertaining volume of stories put together with consummate care — and featuring the best and most exciting fantasy writers working in the field today.” Jeff VanderMeer, New York Times-bestselling author of the Southern Reach trilogy
Review
"If you're a fan of fairy tale retellings, you'll probably want to pick up The Starlit Wood. [It] offers ample delights, both profound and humorous. It's an excellent entry into the retelling tradition, tuned for the current literary moment." Locus Magazine
Review
"The best original fantasy anthology of the year." Jonathan Strahan, World Fantasy and Locus Award-winning editor
Review
"The modern revival of fairy tale fiction for adults began in the 20th century (with the stories of Angela Carter and Tanith Lee), and The Starlit Wood is proof that the revival is still going strong. Editors Parisien and Wolfe have brought a wide range of writers together to blaze new trails through the dark of the woods. Whether you're passionate about fairy tales, like I am, or haven't read them since childhood, I recommend this excellent anthology. I simply loved it." Terri Windling, World Fantasy Award-winning editor of the Snow White, Blood Red series
About the Author
Dominik Parisien is an editor, poet, and writer. He has worked on several anthologies with Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, including The Time Traveler’s Almanac (Tor), Sisters of the Revolution (PM Press), and The Bestiary (Centipede Press). He is the editor for Clockwork Canada, an anthology of Canadian steampunk for Exile Editions, and the coeditor of The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales, along with Navah Wolfe. Dominik is also the poetry editor for Postscripts to Darkness, and was an editorial assistant for Weird Tales. His fiction and poetry have appeared in Strange Horizons, Uncanny Magazine, Shock Totem, Imaginarium 2013: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing, and other venues.
Navah Wolfe is a Hugo Award–nominated editor at Saga Press and the coeditor of The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales, along with Dominik Parisien. She was previously an editor at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, where she worked on many bestselling books, including some that have won awards such as the Printz Honor, The Pura Belpré Award, The Pen/Faulkner Award, The Stonewall Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Schneider Family Award.