The Magic of Christmas

This is one of those books that you assume cannot work: an anthology of fantasy-science-fiction-Christmas stories. Somehow it manages to, despite a large gaping flaw near the end.It kicks off on a strong note with Julian May's heartrending "Star of Wonder," in which a saddened starship commander comes to Earth on a fateful night, and encounters a certain baby born in a desert stable. Dennis McKiernan's "Ornament" is sweet and poignant, although readers may not fully absorb the point of Rufous the fox and the Pysk Tynvyr without reading his other works. Andre Norton provides a sweet "Very Dickinsy Christmas," in which a young woman encounters a ghost at a Christmas ball.Christopher Stasheff provides a delightful "What are we going to do with Grandfather?", in whichwe see a funny, endearing SF story about charity and Christmas cheer. "I Sing of a Maiden" displays Judith Tarr's great skill in atmosphere and beautiful language, where a young intellectual encounters Thomas Becket, who helps bring the spirit of Christmas back to her. Gael Baudino's "Tidings of Comfort and Joy" is the only blot on this collection: its only purpose seems to be to let her obnoxious, self-absorbed Wiccan protagonist sleep with a Catholic priest. The main character seems to have no identity beyond being a witch; virtually every thought and sentence reflects that. Fortunately the collection sprinmgs back into style with Richard Christian Matheson's "Holiday," complete with a sunbathing Santa.If you can bypass Baudino's disgusting story, this is a sweet collection of heartfelt, inspired stories about Christmas. Delightful read for Christmas and fantasy buffs alike.