Fantasy Gone Wrong

One of the reviewers below described this as a "quick read". I couldn't agree more. I understand the concept of taking age-old fairy tales and giving them a modern "twist". A few stories I found amusing, but overall it seemed formulistic. Hansel and Gretel - simply have them roast the witch. There didn't seem to be enough editing as well; much of the material seemed superfluous and was only there to stretch the length of the story. Not horrible - not great.

As with any anthology, this one has its highs and its lows, but the lows, in this case, make you go "odd. Not bad, just odd". The basic premise: Fantasy has a set of expectations we adhere to. What happens if those "foundational rules" didn't exist? The result is a collection of sixteen stories from an assortment of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and romance authors, all of whom trample the rules in their own ways. From homicidal hamburgers to digestable spells, goblin nurses to loan-sharking pixies, there are enough takes on "Fantasy Gone Wrong" to make almost anyone laugh. I initially bought this book because of the contribution by Janny Wurts, and the concept of "Food Fight", by Alan Dean Foster. In my personal opinion, while both amusing, these aren't even the high points of the collection. That might, in fact, be one of the stronger selling points. I personally wouldn't give a single chapter less than an 8/10, and that mostly because they cover areas of fantasy that I don't particularly care for. There are a lot of laughs to be had here, and the authors do a wonderful job of making each story unique. Consider: three stories are unicorn-themed, but each would be considered noticably different from the others. Anyway, it's not deep or serious, but it is a great way to brighten up your day.

I'll be honest, I only bought this book because of the great picture on the cover - two burly milkmaids toting a captured gnome on a spit. Inside are 16 short stories by 16 different authors. The premise was to submit a fantasy story that was humorous and ends ironically. This was in part to the growing number of comedic fantasy books being published. I didn't recognize many of the authors within and everyone will have their own favorite stories. Most of them were amusing and some of them weren't. It's better not to sit down and read the whole book in a short time because you'll become bored with it. I liked the book but really lost any desire to finish the last four stories because I was getting burned out on them. None-the-less, I finished them but didn't enjoy them as much as I probably could have. Instead, just read a story here and there and you'll appreciate the book more. There's a few passing comedic shots taken at some well known stories (LOTR, Harry Potter, etc), a few twisted takes on fairy tale figures, and talking food among other things. Well, since everyone will do it... my favorites: The Murder of Mr. Wolf, Crumbs, Fellow Traveller, and Moonlighting. Food Fight was pretty good but didn't really fit with the fantasy theme of the book. Overall, if read sparingly, you'll enjoy the stories more and wish some of them were expanded into full books (Murder of Mr Wolf, The Poisoned Chalice).

I picked up this book when I needed a break from textbooks and was extremely pleased. The collection of shorts are very good, with a couple that stand out as being absolutely wonderful. Here are my favorites: To start off with, Battle of Wits by Mickey Zucker Reichert is a story about a character taking over the story. I've always wanted to see a story like this, and Reichert doesn't disappoint. Goblin Lullaby by Jim C. Hines tells a story mocking the typical "quest" from the point of a overworked Goblin mother. The Murder of Mr. Wolf by Josepha Sherman is a melding of fantasy and detective done in such a smooth way that is fits perfectly in this book and is a great tongue-and-cheek nod to the world of fantasy. And my absolute favorite is Food Fight by Alan Dean Foster. You just have to love a short that starts off with the line, "My coffee keeps insulting me". If you're looking for a quick, fun, fantasy read, look no further. This one is guaranteed to please.

This sixteen tale fantasy anthology is filled with humorous satires that ironically lampoon the genre. Fans will laugh at the slapstick musings of authors like Alan Dean Foster, Brian Stableford, and Fiona Patton, etc. who all sixteen take amusing barbs at their own work. Everything is a target as heroes are psychoanalyzed, goblins sing lullabies, and food talks back to their diner with contempt even as the different morsels fight amongst themselves for gastronomical supremacy. Perhaps it is because it reminds this reviewer of the works of Jasper Fforde; my personal favorite is the nursery rhyme police procedural "The Murder of Mr. Wolf" by Josepha Sherman. The delightful jocular Shrek legacy lives in characters like Thimble Jack the Pixie or the media frenzy over items like "Local Pauper to wed Princess Penelope" as this witty fantasy goes right. Harriet Klausner