Peter S. Beagle
The Last Unicorn (1968)
Although I've read other books by Peter S. Beagle, I had not yet read The Last Unicorn. It's mentioned as a classic, and I kept getting stunned disbelief that I had never read it, so I finally picked up a copy.
Perhaps it was a case over a book being over-hyped, and of raising my expectations too high to be met.
Because although the book was good, I didn't think it was great, and I don't think I would qualify it as a classic.
In fact, I prefer The Innkeeper's Song (1993) and Giant Bones (1997) to The Last Unicorn. Part of it was the writing: I could see the writing style that I liked in the later books, but for me, it wasn't quite there yet.
The story was very good--the last unicorn's search for her lost kindred, as she's joined by some of the few others who can see her for what she truly is. And I really liked the Magician Schmendrick. But then I love charlatans and scoundrels. (Which is amusing because I'm quite sure that I wouldn't like them at all in real life.)
This doesn't make this a bad book by any stretch--because it isn't a bad book. I just wouldn't personally qualify it as a classic, and given my druthers, I'd rather read Giant Bones.
Rating: 6/10
The Innkeeper's Song (1993)
I read The Innkeeper's Song several years ago--probably soon after it was published, and I picked it up solely on the strength of it's cover. I'm a sucker for fantasy books with strong female, and the three women on the cover--especially Lal on the left--look strong. Well, I wasn't sure about the woman in the middle, but she turned out okay.
The Innkeeper's Song is written from the point of view of multiple characters--each chapter is written from the point of view of a different character.
The story centers on a song ostensibly written by the innkeeper of the inn in which the events took place, although in his first chapter the innkeeper denies having written the song--or any song, saying:
And if I could write even such a song as that nonsense about those three women which someone has put my name to, why then I would be a songwriter, a bard, since I would certainly be fit for nothing else
I like Lal and Rosseth best, of all the characters in the story, and there are quite a few, despite the relatively short length. Lal, because I the fact that she is a middle aged heroine (although on the cover she looks as if she couldn't be much past being a teenager), and Rosseth because he's a genuinely nice guy--especially for a teenager.
I also like the fox, although the chapters written in his point of view I find particularly hard to read. I suppose that if the entire book were written in that manner, or if there were more dialogue involving the fox, it would be easier to read, but there are only a couple of chapters from the point of view of the fox, and by the time I've gotten used to the writing, the chapter is over and we've moved onto another character.
But aside from that I like the Fox, despite the fact that he ate the Innkeeper's pigeons. And I wanted to know more about the character of the fox, and why he was the way he was.
It's an unusual and interesting story, and one that I enjoyed rereading.
Rating: 8/10
Giant Bones (1997)
If for no other reason, you should read Giant Bones for the story The Last Song of Sirit Bayr. A woman dictates her story to a scribe, just so that there will be a record. She describes her history with the famous traveling musician and kiit player Sirit Bayr.
Most of these stories are written in a similar mien--one character relating their tale to another character offstage, so to speak, whose only participation in the book is as a listener.
The Magician of Karakosk vaguely reminded me of many different folktales, where the country peasant gets the better of the evil power. And folktales are really the spirit of this book--you feel as if you are being told the tale, not reading a polished story. I am not certain that I liked this method for all stories. I found it a bit distracting in Giant Bones, as the father keeps threatening to leave, or making other comments. But for the most part it works quite well, reminding me a small bit of the interruptions of The Princess Bride (the book or the movies). As I said, I think that The Last Song of Sirit Bayr is by far the best story in the book, but the others are also quite good, and unusual as well, in that you are not ever certain what will happen.
The Line Between (2006)
The Line Between is a collection of short (and some not so short) stories by Peter S. Beagle. It contains two short stories that are related to two of his books. Two Hearts is a sequel to The Last Unicorn and looks at some of the characters from that book, years after the event. As The Last Unicorn was not my favorite Peter S. Beagle story, this was not my favorite short story from this collection, although I have to admit that I quite liked the main character of the story, Sooz.
The story that I had most wanted to read when I picked up the collection was Quarry which is a prequel to The Innkeepers Song, which is my favorite Peter S Beagle story. Quarry tells how the fox and Soukyan met, because that was a question I had since reading The Innkeepers Song.
However, I’m not positive how strongly those stories will resonate with those who are not familar with the source material. I have forgotten much of The Last Unicorn and at times felt like I was missing part of the story, since I couldn’t remember much about the book.
But the strength of the collection comes from all the stories, and their variety. I particularly liked Gordon, the Self-Made Cat, which tells of a mouse who decides to become a cat. I also very much liked Salt Wine. It’s set when tall ships sailed the seas carrying commerce between the new world and the old, and tells of what happens when one of the characters saves a merrow, or merman. I was never quite sure where the story was leading, and always surprised at the twists and turns it took. In my opinion that is one of the strongest stories in the collection.
Another favorite was Four Fables, which is exactly as it sounds, four fables. “The Fable of the Moth”, “The Fable of the Tyrannosaurus Rex”, “The Fable of the Ostrich”, and “The Fable of the Octopus”. They’re exactly as advertised–short stories about whatever the topic creature is. They’re amusing, which is always a hit with me.
Once upon a very long time ago, in a hot and steamy jungle, on an earth that was mostly hot and steamy jungle, there lived a youngish Tyrannosaurus Rex. (Actually, we should probably refer to her as a Tyrannosaurus Regina since she was female, but never mind.)
About the only two stories that I didn’t love were Mr. Sigerson and A Dance for Emilia. Mr. Sigerson is a Sherlock Holmes story, which is why it wasn’t my favorite, because I’ve never been a fan of Sherlock Holmes stories written by anyone other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
A Dance for Emilia was a good story–very well done, but it just wasn’t the type of story that I particularly enjoy. Don’t ask me to tell you precisely what that is, but there was something about the tone that made me uncomfortable the same way Science Fiction makes me uncomfortable.
But all in all this was an excellent collection, and one I can highly recommend for those who enjoy Peter S. Beagle’s stories, or those who enjoy short stories in general.
Rating: 8/10
The Secret History of Fantasy (2010)
edited by Peter S. Beagle
This is an interesting collection of short stories, by some very good authors. I can’t say all the stories were to my taste, but they were all very good.
The anthology opens with “Ancestor Money” by Maureen F. McHugh which is a story of the afterlife, where the afterlife of a simple country woman meets the Chinese afterlife. It was an odd yet compelling story, and one that–assuming the afterlife was as presented–makes a certain kind of sense. We are becoming a global world, so traditions and idea meld and it’s certainly possible that the surviving kin of a country woman might well burn money in China.
Gregory Maguire’s story “Scarecrow” was good, but not particularly to my taste, which perhaps explains why I’ve never been able to get into “Wicked.” This continues the Oz theme, from the point of view of the Scarecrow as he develops awareness and eventually meets Dorothy. Not quite sure what it is I didn’t like, because the story that was happening behind the Scarecrow meeting Dorothy was very interesting. Perhaps his writing style simply isn’t my thing,.
Patricia A. McKillips story “Lady of the Skulls” was another interesting one. It unfolds slowly, as we learn what the Lady of the Skulls is doing there, how she got there, and possibly how the men who throw themselves at her tower might survive.
T.C. Boyle’s “We Are Norsemen” was another somewhat strange story. Well, I take that back, they were all very strange stories, they were all just strange in different ways. This one reads more like an excerpt from a Norse saga, with all the murder and mayhem and destruction that entails. I suppose it’s a supposition on what might have been.
“The Barnum Museum” by Steve Millhauser was another unsettling story, not that it was scary or frightening, but because it was, in a way, a discourse on life. I can’t really think of a better way to put it. The Barnum Museum is an amazing place, because of–or perhaps despite–it’s amazing qualities. From what I know of PT Barnum, it sounds like just the kind of place he’d have liked to have created.
Steven King’s “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” is not a scary story. A bit unsettling perhaps, and quite surreal in places, but not scary. And I liked the very idea of it.
Francesca Lia Block’s story “Bones” was yet another unsettling story. Bluebeard and something else entirely. And it was followed by the even more unsettling “Snow, Glass, Apples” which is one Neil Gaiman story I have never liked–it freaks me out too much.
“The Empire of Ice Cream” by Jeffery Ford is an unbearably sad story about synesthesia. Really, that’s the best way to describe it. It’s even sadder than “The Edge of the World” by Michael Swanwick. The world is mostly as we know it, except that it’s flat–you can fall right off the edge and down into nothingness forever. And that edge is what Donna and Piggy and Russ decide to explore one hot summer day.
Susanna Clarke’s “John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner” I found very amusing, which was a nice change of pace from all the sad stories that came before it. And that is followed by “The Book of Martha” by Octavia E. Butler which isn’t sad and isn’t scary but is about God.
Robert Holdstock’s “Mythago Woods” was another very good, yet disturbing story. I’m not sure what it is about this collection that made my so uneasy, but this story is another prime example of it.
The final story was Kij Johnson’s “26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss” which I very much liked. Slightly sad, and yet I found its ending lovely.
All in all, an excellent collection of stories, albeit one I don’t recommend reading when you’re depressed.
Rating: 8/10
Full Moon City (2010)
edited by Darrell Schweitzer and Martin H Greenberg
I love anthologies. Though I have to admit that with the way paranormal romance has taken off, the ratio of wheat to chaff has been unfavorable for me. However, Carrie Vaughn and Peter S. Beagle were pretty compelling reasons to get this anthology.
I didn’t much care for the first two stories in the anthology. Gene Wolfe’s “Innocent” was very good, but I didn’t enjoy it. The third story, however, was by Carrie Vaughn and an entry into her Kitty the Werewolf series. Not quite as strong as some of the Kitty stories, but fun, and an interesting thought about what werewolves might or might not be good at. (This is actually an interesting idea that goes along with her story Kitty Goes to War.)
Esther M. Griesner’s story, “No Children, No Pets” was strange and odd, but I still enjoyed it. After all, there aren’t that many werewolf stories with six year old narrators.
Country Mother’s Sons by Holly Phillips was another story that stayed with me, although I still cannot decided if I liked the story or not. War widows and their sons are a very depressing theme, however, the story was well done, and pulled me in.
“A Most Unusual Greyhound” is the second Harry the Book story by Mike Resnick I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although the main character is (of course) a bookie, it has the tone of a hard boiled mystery, and also refuses to take itself seriously. Once or twice it almost stays into camp territory, but veers back into fun and entertaining. After all, the idea of a werewolf entering the races at the dog tracks is an amusing one.
Holly Black‘s story, “The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue” was another odd story. A werewolf girl trying to make it in the big city. I liked it, even though I was never quite sure where it was going.
“I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf” by Ron Goulart was another fun story that was quite enjoyable–a middle-aged man in Beverly Hills is suddenly changed into a werewolf. The main character was not particularly likable, but it was, as I said, fun, as was Darrell Schweitzer’s “Kvetchula’s Daughter” which might have had a slightly more surprising ending had it not been in an anthology about werewolves. But the idea of Jewish vampires totally makes up for the end not being surprising.
I’ve read several short stories by Chelsa Quinn Yarbro, but not read any of her books, primarily because they’re typically classified as horror. But the story “And Bob’s Your Uncle” may have been dark, but I didn’t find it scary or horrifying (except perhaps in the way Jake was treated by his mother), and I did find it good, as was Gregory Frost’s “The Bank Job” (even if you’re never quite sure what kind of creature he is.)
And the anthology ended on a very strong note, with Peter S. Beagle‘s story “La Lune T’Attend.” It took a bit to fall into the speech patterns of the main characters, but in just a few pages, I fell in love with Arceneaux, the grandfather who also happened to be a loup-garou. Seriously. The story is about two grandfathers who have been best friends all the lives, and who also happen to be werewolves. It was the perfect ending to the anthology.
Although there were several stories I didn’t particularly like, but all in all, the stories that were good were very good, and well worth the price of the anthology.
Rating: 8/10
Naked City (2011) edited by Ellen Datlow
This collection of urban fantasy stories has several of my favorite authors, so it was a no-brainer to get. The bad thing is that I’ve been reading this collection for several months, so I now have no idea what the stories at the start of the anthology were about, which is dangerous, because it means I may end up accidentally rereading several of them.
First up was Jim Butcher‘s HarryDresden story “Cursed.” I’ve become frustrated by the Dresden Files series the past couple books, so a nice short story about baseball was a pleasant change. Harry is asked to find out about a possible curse on the Chicago Cubs.
Delia Sherman‘s story was next, “How the Pooka Came to New York City.” It’s 1855 and tells how a pooka came to NY with a human, Liam O’Casey.
Worth the cost of the anthology alone was Ellen Kushner‘s “The Duke of Riverside.” I love Swordspoint, and the chance to read more about St. Vier and Alec met? Bliss.
I love Christopher Fowler‘s Bryant & May mystery series. This is an unrelated stand-alone story about, well… in theory it’s about a hold up, but it isn’t. Not really.
Patricia Briggs story “Fairy Gifts” is a vampire story, but it’s not one of those vampire stories. It’s of a boy who was forced to become a vampire, and more.
Pat Cadigan’s story “Picking Up the Pieces” was another story about fairy, but it’s also about family, and a woman looking after her sister.
Peter S. Beagle‘s story, “Underbridge” was unexpectedly dark, almost more horror than fantasy. It’s about a troll. And it isn’t a nice troll.
Naomi Novik, who wrote the Temeraire series, has a non-dragon entry–another vampire story, only this one about the problems of the housing market in New York city.
I’m not certain I’d classify Matthew Kressel’s story, “The Bricks of Gelecek” as urban fantasy. It’s not a modern setting, and it’s not especially urban. It is interesting and depressing.
Lavie Tidhar’s story, “The Projected Girl” was meloncholy. A boy discovers a magician’s diary, and wants to learn more about the magician and the trick he reads about in the book.
Holly Black’s story “Noble Rot” is a ghoul love story. Really.
The last story in the anthology is Elizabeth Bear’s “King Pole, Gallows Pole, Bottle Tree.” It’s a story of Las Vegas and memory and magic. It’s also extremely good.
Although there were several stories I didn’t care for, I believe that was more a matter of personal taste than quality. And the stories I did like, I liked very much.
Rating: 8/10
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin
Books by Peter S. Beagle:
The Last Unicorn (1968) The Innkeeper's Song (1993), Giant Bones (1997), The Line Between (2006)
Anthologies: The Secret History of Fantasy (2010), Full Moon City (2010), Naked City (2011)
