Pandora's Closet

Most people have heard a little about the Greek Myth of Pandora's box. Pandora was entrusted with a box which she was told by Zeus (King of the Gods), not to open. Curiosity got the best of her and when she opened the box, evil and sin (greed, envy, gluttony, etc.) were loosed on the world. She tried to close the box, but when she did she sealed in hope. Pandora's Closet is an anthology of short stories with a twist on the Pandora's box theme. The stories are based on items that might be found in a closet or box to and the consequences based on the magic that item contains. I love short story collections because it exposes me to new authors I may not have otherwise read. As most anthologies go, this is a mixed bag of efforts. Luckily, most of the stories are inventive, interesting and quite creative. A few were just not my cup of tea, but I am sure would be to someone elses' taste. My favorites were The Ring by Timothy Zahn, about a ring that gives, but with a price; Technicolor by Louise Marley about a famous fictional character we know called Dorothy; Seamless by Michael Stackpole which is fantasy and action combined; The Travails of Princess Stephen by Jane Lindskold, a story with an unusual topic that makes you quite sympathetic to the character; Lady in Red by A.M. Strout, about a girl who buys a red hoodie; Jack's Mantle by Joe Madson, which was quite creepy and may make you think twice about buying a used clothing item; Irrestible by Yvonne Coats, which might make you want to buy a used clothing item! LOL; Off the Rack by Elizabeth A. Vaughn which is magical with a little romance thrown in; and my favorite, Cake and Candy by Kelly Swails which tells a story about loss and recovery. What's really great about this book is that the stories would appeal to both male and female readers. I would definitely recommend this anthology.

Pandora's Closet is an interesting theme anthology that explores clothing and accessories which have some significance or enchantment that changes the fate of the possessor. The stories range from the probable to the fantastic, and together they weave an eclectic, yet marvelous tapestry of tales. It is a very evenly made anthology in that there seems to be stories for everyone's tastes. "Jack's Mantle" by Joe Madson is so blood chilling I had goose bumps for over an hour, and "The Travails of Princess Stephen" by Jane Lindskold is a modern fairy tale that soft and sweet. "What Quig Found" by Chris Pierson had me smiling and cheering out loud, and turned out to be my favorite story of the book. A complete list of the stories is: **The Ring by Timothy Zahn **What Quig Found by Chris Pierson **Technicolor by Louise Marley **Loin Cloth by Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moestra **Seamless by Michael A. Stackpole **Ancestral Armor by John Helphers **The Opposite of Solid by Linda P. Baker **The Travails of Princess Stephen by Jane Lindskold **The Lady in Red by A.M. Strout **Another Exciting Adventure of Lightning Merriemouse-Jones: A Touching Ghost Story by Belle Holder and Nancy Holder **Revolution: Number 9 by Judi Rohrig **Curosry Review by Donald J, Bingle **Jack's Mantle by Joe Madson **Irrestible by Yvonne Coats **Seebohm's Cap by Peter Schweighofer **Cake and Candy by Kelly Swails **A Clean Getaway by Keith R.A. DeCandido **Off the Rack by Elizabeth A. Vaughn **The Red Shoes by Sarah Zettle All in all, the quality of the stories is consistently good with only a few, short exceptions. The stories keep you turning pages without knowing if your story will be chilling, sweet, funny, or thoughtful. Many prominent items and accessories throughout history make appearances here, from the Mantle of Don Quixote to Dorothy's famous red shoes just to name a few. Even the `ordinary' items in the stories will have you looking at your thrift store finds and hand-me-downs in a whole new light. Over all, this is a well done anthology and it would make the perfect addition to your short story collection, or a great vacation book to take along on a trip. Recommended.

The underling connective thread between these nineteen new tales is items worn like garments and jewelry found in fantasy realms. Think of classic accouchements like Superman's cape, Green Lantern's ring, and Dorothy's slippers. Thus the tales focus on the garb mostly with a humorous vent. The stories are well written, but there is only so many ways that one can find magic in rings, hats, and slippers oh my. Thus the audience will enjoy the contributions but should spread out reading the anthology over a few weeks to avoid ennui caused by a somewhat repetitive narrow theme as the enchantment can only go so far even with trips to historical Japan, WW II, and Oz changing the locale. Harriet Klausner