Wonderland: An Anthology edited by Maria O'Regan and Paul Kane
Published 17th September by Titan Books
Star Rating - ***
Goodreads Challenge - 52/50
I was gifted a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis (from Goodreads)
From the greatest names in fantasy and horror comes an anthology of stories inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Join Alice as she is thrown into the whirlwind of Wonderland, in an anthology that bends the traditional notions of Lewis Carroll's classic novel. Contributors include the bestselling M.R. Carey, Genevieve Cogman, Catriona Ward, Rio Youers and L.L. McKinney.
Within these pages you'll find myriad approaches to Alice, from horror to historical. There's even a Wild West tale from Angela Slatter, poetry, and a story by Laura Mauro which presents us with a Japanese folklore-inspired Wonderland.
Alison Littlewood, Cavan Scott and Catriona Ward make the more outlandish elements their own, while James Lovegrove instead draws on the supernatural. Cat Rambo takes us to a part of Wonderland we haven't seen before and Lilith Saintcrow gives the legend a science-fiction spin. The nightmarish reaches of the imagination are the breeding ground for M.R. Carey's visions, while Robert Shearman, George Mann, Rio Youers and Mark Chadbourn's tales have a deep-seated emotional core which will shock, surprise and tug on the heart-strings.
So, it's time now to go down the rabbit hole, or through the looking-glass or... But no, wait. By picking up this book and starting to read it you're already there, can't you see?
Join Alice as she is thrown into the whirlwind of Wonderland, in an anthology that bends the traditional notions of Lewis Carroll's classic novel. Contributors include the bestselling M.R. Carey, Genevieve Cogman, Catriona Ward, Rio Youers and L.L. McKinney.
Within these pages you'll find myriad approaches to Alice, from horror to historical. There's even a Wild West tale from Angela Slatter, poetry, and a story by Laura Mauro which presents us with a Japanese folklore-inspired Wonderland.
Alison Littlewood, Cavan Scott and Catriona Ward make the more outlandish elements their own, while James Lovegrove instead draws on the supernatural. Cat Rambo takes us to a part of Wonderland we haven't seen before and Lilith Saintcrow gives the legend a science-fiction spin. The nightmarish reaches of the imagination are the breeding ground for M.R. Carey's visions, while Robert Shearman, George Mann, Rio Youers and Mark Chadbourn's tales have a deep-seated emotional core which will shock, surprise and tug on the heart-strings.
So, it's time now to go down the rabbit hole, or through the looking-glass or... But no, wait. By picking up this book and starting to read it you're already there, can't you see?
My Thoughts
Anthologies can be little bit hit or miss for me. Either I really enjoy most of the stories or the majority end up being a bit too lyrical and metaphorical for me and end up going over my head. This collection was a little bit of a both, I really enjoyed some stories but others I just didn't really gel with.
As you can probably tell from the title of this anthology it is a collection of stories inspired by Alice in Wonderland. There are a large variety of stories in here, some from fairly well known authors, that range from direct retellings or continuations of the original to stories with a tenuous link such as a characters name.
This started off really promising, I really enjoyed most of the stories in the first half. However, there were a few in the second half that I didn't really gel with which was a shame. Some of my favourite stories included...
There Were No Birds to Fly by M.R. Carey - I really enjoy M.R. Carey's writing style, its atmospheric and a little bit creepy and I liked that this story took its inspiration from a less familiar part of the story.
Dream Girl by Cavan Scott - This one I particularly enjoyed. I loved the sci-fi twist at the end.
Good Dog, Alice! - This one was just super fun.
What Makes a Monster by L.L McKinney - I've previously read A Blade so Black and actually quite enjoyed it and this story was based in the same world as that book. I enjoyed getting back into that world again.
Overall, if your an Alice in Wonderland fan though I would recommend this one as there are some really interesting takes on the tale.
As you can probably tell from the title of this anthology it is a collection of stories inspired by Alice in Wonderland. There are a large variety of stories in here, some from fairly well known authors, that range from direct retellings or continuations of the original to stories with a tenuous link such as a characters name.
This started off really promising, I really enjoyed most of the stories in the first half. However, there were a few in the second half that I didn't really gel with which was a shame. Some of my favourite stories included...
There Were No Birds to Fly by M.R. Carey - I really enjoy M.R. Carey's writing style, its atmospheric and a little bit creepy and I liked that this story took its inspiration from a less familiar part of the story.
Dream Girl by Cavan Scott - This one I particularly enjoyed. I loved the sci-fi twist at the end.
Good Dog, Alice! - This one was just super fun.
What Makes a Monster by L.L McKinney - I've previously read A Blade so Black and actually quite enjoyed it and this story was based in the same world as that book. I enjoyed getting back into that world again.
Overall, if your an Alice in Wonderland fan though I would recommend this one as there are some really interesting takes on the tale.
Overall Rating
I feel the same way about anthologies. It's rare that I love all the stories in one. I do like them because they introduce me to so many new authors (not that my TBR needs that :)) ). I'm sorry you didn't click with all of the stories. I'm curious about this anthology though, because I always thought that Alice in Wonderland is such a great story, so I'll definitely keep this one in mind when I need my fix.
ReplyDeleteI agree, anthologies can be very hit or miss.
ReplyDeleteTotally 100% likable anthologies are unicorns
ReplyDeleteI read 'Alice' a couple of years ago but couldn't get into a re-telling. I've tried a few since but again they have fell short so I've given up on re-tellings. Anthologies I find are hit and miss too. Always include amazing stories amidst some that really don't hit the spot. Glad it was fun though.
ReplyDeleteI tend to also find anthologies to be somewhat hit and miss. great post.
ReplyDeleteI like an honest review!!
ReplyDeleteGreat honest review, I'm glad that overall you enjoyed reading this book. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
ReplyDeleteI love fairytale retellings. But yes, anthologies are difficult. I'd be amazed if I found one where I enjoyed every single book. Great review, though!
ReplyDelete