Snow White, Blood Red

From the editors of the Year's Best Fantasy and Horror series comes an anthology of original work by current authors, based on the fairy-tale tradition. Datlow and Windling have encouraged the contributors to poke into obscure corners of the broad theme, and the results are invariably interesting. Several writers explore the dark side of stories we usually think of as children's classics: Esther Friesner looks at "Puss in Boots" from the unlucky cat's point of view, and Nancy Kress's "Stalking Jack" gives Jack a wife - and a lover at the top of the beanstalk. Jane Yolen's short poem "Knives" reminds us that the ending of the Cinderella's story is by no means happy for all the characters. On a lighter note, Gahan WiLson puts the "Frog Prince" on the analyst's couch. But not everything here is a remake; perhaps the most effective piece, Susan Wade's "Like a Red, Red Rose," draws on archetypal folklore elements to create a completely original story with all the resonance of the real thing. Other contributors include Charles de Lint, Tanith Lee, Elizabeth A. Lynn, Neil Gaiman, and Patricia A. McKillip. An excellent sampler of the current crop of fantasy writers; the annotated reading list is a bonus for those interested in further exploration. (Kirkus Reviews)