Xanadu by Jane Yolen

Product Details

Synopsis

Publication of Xanadu marks the beginning of an original anthology series that will include brand-new stories by some of the finest writers in the world. This volume opens with "The Poacher" by Ursula K. Le Guin, a fairytale in the grand tradition. Xanadu also includes "It Comes Lightly Out of the Sea," a new poem by William Stafford, one of the best-known poets in America; "The Hound of Merlin" by Eleanor Arnason, who won both the Philip K. Dick Award and the Tiptree Award in 1992; "The Perfectly Round Bagel" by Robert Abel, who won the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction in 1989; "To Scale" by Nebula Award winner Nancy Kress; "Still Life with Woman and Apple" by Leslea Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies; "Unnalash" by Tanith Lee; "The Pale Thin God" by Hugo and Nebula award winner Mike Resnick; "Gravity" by Pat Schneider, poet and playwright; "Time Travel, The Artifact, and A Famous Historical Personage" by Minnesota Book Award-winner Will Shetterly; and a dozen other ventures into the realms of magic, including stories by Lisa Tuttle, Steven Brust, Anna Kirwan-Vogel, Gardner Dozois, and a new poem, "The Ring at Yarrow," by Jane Yolen herself.

Annotation

The first in an original anthology series that will transcend the boundaries of category fiction. Here are fantasy stories by some of the best writers of our day, both mainstream and genre, including Ursula K. Le Guin, Tanith Lee, Steven Brust, Esther Friesner and more.

Publishers Weekly

Those who want to know what's right-and wrong-with contemporary fantasy need look no further than this exemplary series. Editor Yolen (The Devil's Arithmetic) describes this third annual entry as ``an all-purpose fantasy mlange.'' It opens with Shira Daemon's ``Dairy Queen,'' which tells of a young runaway whose capture by cruel fairies ironically frees her from her lonely life. In a minimal number of words, the author manages to walk the delicate line between the ancient and the contemporary with grace and skill. Other lesser-known writers also make good showings. Micole Sudberg's ``Calliope'' delightfully yet frighteningly links fantasy and horror, while Michelle Stone's ``The Lizard Queen'' is a promising first sale. Elsewhere, a few selections-Nancy Etchemendy's ``Mollusk Dreams'' and Claire Parman Brown's ``East of the Sun and West of the Moon'' being the best among them-suffer from presenting any male character as cruel, unless he is an artist, or at least (as in Jo Clayton's ``The Man Who Loved the River'') claims to be one. There are some unfortunate juxtapositions as well, such as the pairing of Susan Palwick's exquisite ``Jo's Hair'' with Astrid Julian's ``The Hunter and the Stag,'' a perfectly capable tale that suffers only by comparison. In addition to the stories, Yolen includes several poems, including a nifty bit of doggerel from Lawrence Schimel, making this, despite some flaws, the clearest picture available of the state of the art of modern fantasy. (Jan.)

Biography

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Nowegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille.