Waifs and Strays

Waifs and Strays (2002) Charles de Lint

Charles de Lint’s latest short story collection is not as much for young adults as it is about young adults. As I recognized several titles in this collection from other collections, I hadn’t been in a hurry to get this collection. That was my mistake. Only the last stories in the book are set in Newford, the rest of the stories in the book were all ones I had not read before.

I love Charles de Lint’s stories, and I typically snatch up his books as soon as I see them. I have, however, hesitated for several of his recent books, which are re-releases of horror books he wrote under the name Samuel M Key. As I really don’t care for horror, I’ve been wary of picking up anything of his recently, for fear of getting a horror book. I’m beginning to wonder whether that too was a mistake.

I particularly liked “There’s No Such Thing”, and “Sisters”, two stories with the same characters that were quite different from his other stories that I have read, in that normally he doesn’t write about things like vampires (In the introduction to Sisters he says that although he takes some pokes at Buffy, he’s been a fan since he first saw it.) I very much liked “Fairy Dust”, but liked “The Graceless Child” even better.

There were two stories from the Bordertown anthologies, “Stick” and “May This Be Your Last Sorrow”. I hadn’t heard of the Bordertown stories, which is my loss, because Charles de Lint’s stories reminded me of a cross between Newfound and Thieves’¢ World. But I put them on my wish list, just in case.

The Newford stories I already had in other collections, and although they are about young adults, they were not necessarily some of my favorite Newford stories. The two Maisie Flood stories, “But for the Grace Go I”, and “Waifs and Stays”, I do like, but “Ghosts of Wind and Shadow” is not one of my favorite stories. I just found it hard to feel sympathy for Lesli.

If you have not read anything by Charles de Lint before, I would recommend this as a good starting place. It gives you a good sample of his excellent writing, and gives you as introduction to Newford, the place where most of my favorite tales are set.

• Browse the archives:
  
• The Books of Magic » »
• « « Spenser