Punked-up Fairy Tales!

World Weaver Press and the editor Rhonda Parrish are creating a series of “punked up” fairy tale retellings that are very much worth your time.

The first book in the series is Grimm, Grit, and Gasoline, and I’m ecstatic to announce that I have a story included in its pages.

I mean, look at it, it’s gorgeous.

Here are a few of the reviews for the collection:

“These unfailingly clever tales are impressive and page-turning, helping to correct the dearth of speculative fiction set in the interwar era. There is also a frequent and welcome spotlight on heroic women. Any reader who enjoys early-20th-century history or retold fairy tales will find these familiar but new, with well-played wonder in every story.”
—Publishers Weekly  (starred review)

“Magic mixes with grease and jazz in this fantastic new anthology that brims with strong heroines, diverse settings, and a heaping helping of Nazi-punching.”
—Nebula Award-nominated Beth Cato, author of Breath of Earth

“Get lost in the industrial and gritty world of this dieselpunk fairyland, filled with planes and tanks, intense emotion, and plenty of high-stakes action.”
—Reese Hogan, author of Shrouded Loyalties

“Grimm, Grit and Gasoline is proof positive that fairy tales are flexible and resilient… This anthology is more than a fresh coat of paint on an old body of literature. In the hands of its storytellers, fairy tales are subverted, remade, and offered up again as entertainment, inspiration, and counsel. A must-read for any folklore and fantasy enthusiast.”
—Ceallaigh S. MacCath-Moran, PhD Candidate in Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland

As a reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection, and frankly am humbled to be included in it. I was so delighted to see my own work beside the talented offerings of the rest of the team.

Of Course, I Made it Nerdy.

Because the call for submissions happened around the same time as the Pacifica quarter began in the Fairy Tales and Folk Tales session, I wrote my paper about the process. It was delightful, putting together all of the bits and bobs of theory that actually went into my retelling, and turning it in to the professor.

When the publisher asked for blog posts, I spent some time editing that paper down to an acceptably short blog post for the World Weaver Press page. In case you’re interested.

What’s Next?

I’ve had an original fairy tale shortlisted in New Myths quarterly e-zine – should find out about that in the next month. I’m writing a short story that inspired me over the summer session, and I’m reworking a tale about Ariadne.

Oh, and I’m planning on cooking up something to submit to Punked-up Fairy Tales book two: Clockwork, Curses and Coal: Steampunk and Gaslamp Fairy Tales.