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Black Dog Summer
by Miranda SherryIn this extraordinary debut novel reminiscent of The Lovely Bones and Little Bee, a mother watches from the afterlife as her teenage daughter recovers amidst the startling dysfunction of her extended family.A small, bright thread of a story weaves out from the moment of my passing and seems to tether me to this place. Perhaps this is why I have not left yet. Perhaps I have no choice but to follow the story to its end. Compulsively readable and stylistically stunning, Black Dog Summer begins with a murder, a farmstead massacre, in the South African bush. Thirty-eight-year-old Sally is but one of the victims. Her life brutally cut short, she narrates from her vantage point in the afterlife and watches as her sister, Adele, her brother-in-law and unrequited love Liam, her niece Bryony, and her teenage daughter, Gigi, begin to make sense of the tragedy. A suspenseful drama focusing on marriage and fidelity, sisterhood, and the fractious bond between mothers and daughters, Black Dog Summer asks: In the wake of tragedy, where does all that dark energy linger? The youngest characters, Bryony and Gigi, cousins who are now brought together after Sally's murder, are forced into sharing a bedroom. Bryony becomes confused and frightened by the violent energy stirred up and awakened by the massacre, while Gigi is unable to see beyond her deep grief and guilt. But they are not the only ones aware of the lurking darkness. Next door lives Lesedi, a reluctant witchdoctor who hides her mystical connection with the dead behind the façade of their affluent Johannesburg suburb. As Gigi finally begins to emerge from her grief, the fragile healing process is derailed when she receives some shattering news, and in a mistaken effort to protect her cousin, puts Bryony's life in imminent danger. Now Sally must find a way to prevent her daughter from making a mistake that could destroy the lives of all who are left behind. Gorgeously written, with a pace that will leave readers breathless, Black Dog Summer introduces a brilliant new voice in fiction.
The Black Door (The Stephen Drake Mysteries #1)
by Collin WilcoxA crime reporter with ESP tackles a double homicideIn a San Francisco apartment building, a young woman is found strangled beside a piano player with a broken neck. He&’s a nobody—a dreamer with little talent and no future—but she is Roberta Grinnel, daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the Bay Area. Stephen Drake, crime reporter for the Sentinel, feels nothing when he looks at their corpses, and this is a troubling fact. For Drake is a psychic, and when his sixth sense fails him, that means more trouble ahead.As Drake tries to come to grips with his cosmic gift, the mystery of the heiress and the piano player becomes the hottest story in town. To keep his gig at the paper, Drake will call on every source he has—on this plane and the astral one—but knowing danger&’s lurking doesn&’t guarantee he can stay out of its way.
Black Dove
by Colin McAdam&“I have long been convinced that Colin McAdam is a literary genius. What&’s extraordinary is that each of the books he writes is a totally distinct type of genius. Every time. He&’s in a league of his own.&” —Max Porter, author of Grief Is the Thing with Feathers From Giller Prize finalist Colin McAdam, a chilling tale of a grieving novelist and his son who fall sway to a twilit world of desperate wanderers, mad geneticists, and noble, dangerous beasts.In a tall and narrow house, on a stained and busy street, live twelve-year-old Oliver and his father, a story-loving writer. Haunted by the ghost of his alcoholic mother, Oliver finds comfort in his father&’s impromptu tales: the Black Dove, an elusive flower that gives strength; the girl who consumes it as she battles attackers and yearns for happier realms. Stories where lonely souls keep searching despite their losses and grief. Running from a bully one night, Oliver finds refuge in a junk shop owned by an enigmatic man. Soon, instead of hiding in the janitor&’s closet after school, Oliver spends afternoons in the shop, a cavernous place full of storied oddities and grubby wonders where creatures rise up from the basement. A snake in the shape of a boy. A hunter named Night, part panther, part hound, who proves to Oliver that the world holds invisible wonder. Wanting to forget his mother, afraid of his own genes, constantly harassed by bullies, Oliver decides to follow the shop-owner down the path of genetic editing. As he begins his transformation he meets the girl from across the street, and their friendship grows in a neighbourhood where magic is real, where murderers gather, and where the darker consequences of fantasies play out. A twisting story of grief and revenge, Black Dove is a thrilling read with its own kind of magic. In rich but tightly reined prose, McAdam celebrates the value and shortfalls of storytelling, finding a light in all the darkness to conjure a tender portrait of childhood&’s end.
Black Dove
by Colin McAdamA deeply imaginative and thrilling novel about grief, single parenting, and the terrifying power of a child's imagination, dancing on an edge between magical realism and horror, perfect for fans of Stranger ThingsIn a tall and narrow house, on a stained and busy street, live twelve-year-old Oliver and his father, a story-loving writer. Haunted by the ghost of his alcoholic mother, Oliver finds comfort in his father&’s impromptu tales: the Black Dove, an elusive flower that gives strength; the girl who consumes it as she battles attackers and yearns for happier realms. Stories where lonely souls keep searching despite their losses and grief.Running from a bully one night, Oliver hides in a junk shop owned by an enigmatic man. Soon, instead of hiding in the janitor&’s closet after school, Oliver spends afternoons in the shop, a cavernous place full of storied oddities and grubby wonders where creatures rise up from the basement. A snake in the shape of a boy. A hunter named Night, part panther, part hound, who proves to Oliver that the world holds invisible wonder.Wanting to forget his mother, afraid of his own genes, constantly harassed by bullies, Oliver joins the shop owner in experimenting with dangerous forms of genetic editing. Meanwhile, he meets the girl from across the street, and their friendship grows in a neighbourhood where magic is real, where murderers gather, and where the darker consequences of fantasies play out.A twisting story of grief and revenge, Black Dove is a thrilling read with its own kind of magic. In rich but tightly reined prose, McAdam celebrates the value and shortfalls of storytelling, finding a light in all the darkness to conjure a tender portrait of childhood&’s end.
The Black Elfstone: The Fall Of Shanna (Fall of Shannara #1)
by Terry Brooks'TERRY'S PLACE IS AT THE HEAD OF THE FANTASY WORLD' Philip Pullman The first book of the triumphant four-part conclusion to the Shannara series, from one of the all-time masters of fantasy.The age of peace that has reigned across the Four Lands is now at an end. An army of invaders, wielding a terrible new magic, is cutting a bloody swathe across the far north . . . The fate of the world now rests on the shoulders of an exiled druid, a conflicted warrior and a young woman struggling to master a powerful magic. As the conflict grows, they will face dangerous adversaries and deadly challenges - and the consequences of their actions will determine the future of the Four Lands.Through twenty-eight novels written over the course of forty years, Terry Brooks's Shannara series has entranced millions of readers around the world. Now, with The Black Elfstone - the first book in the Fall of Shannara - Terry begins to bring his epic vision to a grand conclusion.'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks
The Black Elfstone: Book One of the Fall of Shannara (Fall of Shannara)
by Terry Brooks'TERRY'S PLACE IS AT THE HEAD OF THE FANTASY WORLD' Philip PullmanThe first book of the triumphant four-part conclusion to the Shannara series, from one of the all-time masters of fantasy.The age of peace that has reigned across the Four Lands is now at an end. An army of invaders, wielding a terrible new magic, is cutting a bloody swathe across the far north . . . The fate of the world now rests on the shoulders of an exiled druid, a conflicted warrior and a young woman struggling to master a powerful magic. As the conflict grows, they will face dangerous adversaries and deadly challenges - and the consequences of their actions will determine the future of the Four Lands.Through twenty-eight novels written over the course of forty years, Terry Brooks's Shannara series has entranced millions of readers around the world. Now, with The Black Elfstone - the first book in the Fall of Shannara - Terry begins to bring his epic vision to a grand conclusion.'Terry's place is at the head of the fantasy world' Phillip Pullman'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks
The Black Fantastic: 20 Afrofuturist Stories
A cutting-edge collection of the best short stories in contemporary Afrofuturist fiction—from Hugo, Nebula, and Stoker award-winning Black authors20 mind-blowing, horror-strewn, weird, and woke tales celebrate Black identity, community, and imaginationBlack speculative fiction has never been better than it is here and now. On the shoulders of Afrofuturist masters like Octavia E. Butler and Samuel R. Delany and pioneering visionaries before them, a new, abundant, and brilliant generation of contemporary Black authors, some of them just beginning their careers, is conjuring up a very real renaissance.Edited by SF-expert andré carrington, and including Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award winners alongside emerging and experimental voices, The Black Fantastic showcases the artistry of these breakout literary stars and celebrates the diversity of their talents.Including Afrofuturist science fiction, weird and fantastic tales, horror and the paranormal, apocalyptic lyricism, time travel, superheroes, and more, here are twenty mindblowing, horror-strewn, weird, woke, nerdy, terrifying, liberating, fantastic, utopian, surreal, genre-defying and empowering short stories, all of them worth reading and rereading now and far into futurity.Reclaiming histories of racism and oppression and seizing the day, these writers are forging kaleidoscopic new senses of Black identity, community, and imaginative freedom.
Black Feathers: An Anthology
by Ellen DatlowA dazzling anthology of avian-themed fiction guaranteed to frighten and delight, edited by one of the most acclaimed horror anthologists in the genre. Birds are usually loved for their beauty and their song. They symbolize freedom, eternal life, the soul. There’s definitely a dark side to the avian. Birds of prey sometimes kill other birds (the shrike), destroy other birds’ eggs (blue jays), and even have been known to kill small animals (the kea sometimes eats live lambs). And who isn’t disgusted by birds that eat the dead—vultures awaiting their next meal as the life blood flows from the dying. One of our greatest fears is of being eaten by vultures before we’re quite dead. Is it any wonder that with so many interpretations of the avian, that the contributors herein are eager to be transformed or influenced by them? Included in Black Feathers are those obsessed by birds of one type or another. Do they want to become birds or just take on some of the “power” of birds? The presence or absence of birds portends the future. A grieving widow takes comfort in her majestic winged neighbors, who enable her to cope with a predatory relative. An isolated society of women relies on a bird to tell their fortunes. A silent young girl and her pet bird might be the only hope a detective has of tracking down a serial killer in a tourist town. A chatty parrot makes illegal deals with the dying. A troubled man lives in isolation with only one friend for company—a jackdaw. In each of these fictions, you will encounter the dark resonance between the human and avian. You see in yourself the savagery of a predator, the shrewd stalking of a hunter, and you are lured by birds that speak human language, that make beautiful music, that cypher numbers, and seem to have a moral center. You wade into this feathered nightmare, and brave the horror of death, trading your safety and sanity for that which we all seek—the promise of flight.
Black Feathers
by Joseph D' LaceyIt is the Black Dawn, a time of environmental apocalypse, the earth wracked and dying.It is the Bright Day, a time long generations hence, when a peace has descended across the world.In each era, a child shall be chosen. Their task is to find a dark messiah known only as the Crowman. But is he our saviour - or the final incarnation of evil?File Under: Fantasy [ The Crowman | Joined Through Time | The Last Keeper | The Journey Begins ]From the Paperback edition.
Black Feathers
by Joseph D' LaceyBlack Feathers is a modern fantasy set in two epochs: the Black Dawn, a time of environmental apocalypse, and generations into the future in its aftermath, the Bright Day.In each era, a child undertakes a perilous journey to find a dark messiah known as The Crowman. In their hands lies the fate of the planet as they attempt to discover whether The Crowman is our saviour... or the final incarnation of evil.
The Black Feathers: A Novel
by Rebecca NetleyThe next chilling and twisty ghost story from the author of The Whistling. Where ghosts tread, black feathers fall . . .When Annie marries widower Edward Stonehouse and arrives at Guardbridge, his estate on the Yorkshire moors, she thinks she has finally put darkness behind her.She is mistaken. Edward’s sister, Iris, still lives in the family home. A taxidermist and medium, she urges Annie to watch out for black feathers―claiming that they mark the spot where a spirit has visited. At first, Annie dismisses these warnings. But before long, she begins to feel haunted. What exactly happened to Edward’s first wife? Why is Iris so disturbed? And should Annie really be watching for signs from the dead―when it seems that she is the one being watched? Set in the atmospheric Yorkshire moors in the nineteenth century, this ghostly tale of magic and wickedness will chill you to the bone.
Black Flowers
by Steve Mosby'Steve Mosby has become one of a handful of writers who make me excited about crime fiction' Val McDermidThis is not a story about a girl who disappears.This is the story of a little girl who comes back.As if from nowhere, she appears one day on a seaside promenade, dirty and in shock, and unable to tell the police officer who finds her her name. Holding a black flower and clearly traumatised, her reappearance unlocks a horrifying story, triggering a chain reaction of lies and deadly illusions that will claim many more victims in the years to come. Meanwhile, Neil Dawson is devastated following the suicide of his father. As he clears through the belongings that are left behind, he finds a copy of an old novel - The Black Flower. By opening, Neil is plunged into an investigation full of danger, pain and subterfuge. For fans of shocking and twisty thrillers, this book gives a fresh light to the idea that you can never really know a person - especially the ones you love. *Longlisted for the 2012 Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year Award*Read why people are loving Steve Mosby'Steve Mosby is one of the finest writers in the UK . . .This is an author I will endlessly recommend' Luca Veste'Its got one of those final reveals that makes you want to kick yourself hard at not paying attention to the sign posts. Brilliant.' Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars'Beautifully written, perfect pacing and superior to many of the other novels crowding the crime genre.' Amazon Reviewer, 5 starsFans of Sarah Hilary, Sharon Bolton and Mark Billingham will love Steve Mosby:The Third PersonThe Cutting CrewThe 50/50 KillerCry for HelpStill BleedingBlack FlowersThe Murder CodeThe Nightmare PlaceI Know Who Did ItThe Reckoning on Cane HillYou Can Run* Each Steve Mosby novel can be read as a standalone*
Black for Remembrance
by Carlene ThompsonCaroline Webb knows what it means to lose the person you love most. Twenty years ago, her five-year-old daughter, Hayley, was the light of her life, her treasure, her angle. Then came the terrible day when Hayley was kidnapped from her favorite swing. More than a month passed before her burned, lifeless body was found. All that remained was the silence of Caroline's heartache--and her guilt...Now, Caroline has started over with a new husband. She even has another precious daughter, Melinda. She thinks she has put the ghosts of her past behind her. But without warning, those ghosts once again start to echo in the night. Suddenly, Hayley's favorite doll reappears...strange murders rock the Webbs' small town...Caroline even claims she has heard the voice of the little girl she lost all those years ago. Could Hayley still be out there somewhere, somehow? Now a killer waits in the wings--waiting to make Caroline live her worst nightmare yet...
The Black Fox
by H. F. HeardA demon lurks at the heart of the Church in this classic fantasy of black magic set in Victorian England. Canon Throcton is a brilliant scholar, but the men of the Church can&’t bring themselves to trust him. His devoted study of Hebrew and Arabic has drawn him far from their intellectual center, and his interest in the obscure writings of the Middle East verges on heresy. Canon knows his brothers in the cathedral don&’t take him seriously, but he doesn&’t care. A great and terrible power hides within him, and he&’ll unleash it even if it destroys the Church, the town, and everyone he holds dear. When a junior colleague is elevated above him, Canon reaches into his darkest volume of forbidden lore and tries his hand at black magic. It works better than he ever could have dreamed. His enemy is destroyed and Canon feels the tug of unimaginable power. He&’s taken the first step along the road to damnation—and soon he&’ll burn. The Black Fox is English gothic at its best, a story of weird fiction steeped in author H. F. Heard&’s unparalleled knowledge of world religion. Never before had black magic been written about with such deep understanding, and never since has it been more terrifying.
The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories
by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. FennellINSTANT INDIE BESTSELLER “This anthology makes a statement: Black women belong in horror…Projects like this — brave, necessary — celebrate Black women, and will hopefully inspire the future of the genre.” —The New York Times Book ReviewA YA anthology of horror stories centering Black girls who battle monsters, both human and supernatural, and who survive to the end Be warned, dear reader: The Black girls survive in this one.Celebrating a new generation of bestselling and acclaimed Black writers, The Black Girl Survives in This One makes space for Black girls in horror. Fifteen chilling and thought-provoking stories place Black girls front and center as heroes and survivors who slay monsters, battle spirits, and face down death. Prepare to be terrified and left breathless by the pieces in this anthology.The bestselling and acclaimed authors include Erin E. Adams, Monica Brashears, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Desiree S. Evans, Saraciea J. Fennell, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Daka Hermon, Justina Ireland, L.L. McKinney, Brittney Morris, Maika & Maritza Moulite, Eden Royce, and Vincent Tirado. The foreword is by Tananarive Due.
The Black Gondolier: & Other Stories
by Fritz LeiberA collection of supernatural horror stories from the SFWA Grand Master and Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser novels. Assembled here is a selection of Mr. Leiber's best horrific tales, many of which have been virtually unobtainable for decades. From the riveting &“Spider Mansion&” and &“The Phantom Slayer&” from Weird Tales to the more recent &“Lie Still, Snow White&” and &“Black Has Its Charms&” from rare, small‑press magazines, this collection provides an overview of Leiber&’s fifty‑plus years as an acknowledged master of the weird tale. This edition was edited by John Pelan and Steve Savile.
The Black Gondolier: & Other Stories
by Fritz LeiberA collection of supernatural horror stories from the SFWA Grand Master and Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser novels. Assembled here is a selection of Mr. Leiber's best horrific tales, many of which have been virtually unobtainable for decades. From the riveting &“Spider Mansion&” and &“The Phantom Slayer&” from Weird Tales to the more recent &“Lie Still, Snow White&” and &“Black Has Its Charms&” from rare, small‑press magazines, this collection provides an overview of Leiber&’s fifty‑plus years as an acknowledged master of the weird tale. This edition was edited by John Pelan and Steve Savile.
The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar
by Robin R. Means Coleman Mark H. HarrisA definitive and surprising exploration of the history of Black horror films, after the rising success of Get Out, Candyman, and Lovecraft Country from creators behind the acclaimed documentary, Horror Noire.The Black Guy Dies First explores the Black journey in modern horror cinema, from the fodder epitomized by Spider Baby to the Oscar-winning cinematic heights of Get Out and beyond. This eye-opening book delves into the themes, tropes, and traits that have come to characterize Black roles in horror since 1968, a year in which race made national headlines in iconic moments from the enactment of the 1968 Civil Rights Act and Martin Luther King Jr.&’s assassination in April. This timely book is a must-read for cinema and horror fans alike.
Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 2
by Jeff LemireThe long-awaited conclusion to the highly acclaimed, Eisner Award-winning superhero saga.Torn from the Farm and faced with startling revelations about their last ten years, the Black Hammer crew, stripped of their identities, must race to prevent a universal meltdown and make hard sacrifices for the sake of existence itself!Meanwhile, a Lovecraftian teen finds there is a hefty price she must pay to become "normal."Collects Black Hammer: Age of Doom #1-#12, Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise, and The World of Black Hammer Encyclopedia in a digital format with a new cover, sketchbook extras, and more!
Black Hammer Volume 4: Age of Doom Part Two
by Jeff LemireThe Eisner Award-winning superhero saga continues with this two-part mystery that will change the world forever!After learning how they got trapped on the farmworld, our heroes find themselves with everything they thought they wanted. Yet not everything is right just yet and it takes the strong resolve of the new Black Hammer to get the team back together, as shocking revelations change their world at every turn!Collects Black Hammer: Age of Doom #6-12 from the Eisner Award winning team of Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston, with a special guest artist appearance from superstar creator Rich Tommaso!
Black Hammer Volume 7: Reborn Part Three
by Jeff LemireThe Eisner Award–winning superhero saga returns in this ongoing series picking up twenty years later with artist Caitlin Yarsky. Things have gotten crazy in Black Hammer! First a parallel Spiral City collided with the actual one spawning a multiverse nightmare of heroes and villains from both worlds going to war, and now Lucy Weber picks back up the mantle of Black Hammer and teams up with Skulldigger for answers on how to end the madness. Black Hammer: Reborn is the next era of the Black Hammer Universe; a twelve-issue series by Jeff Lemire, Caitlin Yarsky, Malachi Ward, and Matthew Sheean that juxtaposes an achingly human story of domestic life, marriage, parenthood, and destiny with a pulse-pounding superhero thriller that peels back new layers of mystery, and pulls the Black Hammer history into the present. Collects Black Hammer: Reborn #9–#12.
Black Heart
by Holly BlackThe conclusion to the gripping Curse Workers series from bestselling author Holly BlackCassel Sharpe knows he's been used as an assassin, but he's trying to put all that behind him. He's trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He's trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he's trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he's been raised to believe the government is the enemy.But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what's right and what's wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what's a con and what's truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet - this time on love.
The Black Heart Crypt
by Chris GrabensteinHalloween is nearing, the one day of the year when the ghostly plane is close enough to the human plane to allow mischief and mayhem. But the ghosts who have their eye on Zack aren't thinking mischief, they are thinking murder. In this fourth volume of Chris Grabenstein's popular Haunted Mysteries series, Zack must once again do battle with malevolent spirits. And with his usual pluck, and the assistance of three dotty aunts, he must save his town from a 200-year-old threat.Once again Chris Grabenstein proves his mastery of the frightening and funny tale. Young readers, especially reluctant ones, have found an inspiration to read in Grabenstein's quirky characters and deadly situations.From the Hardcover edition.
Black Heart, Ivory Bones (Fairy Tale Anthologies #6)
by Neil Gaiman Tanith Lee Brian M. Stableford Jane Yolen Michael Cadnum Joyce Carol Oates Ellen Steiber Howard Waldrop Susanna Clarke Esther Friesner Russell Blackford Charles De Lint Greg Costikyan Debra Cash Scott Bradfield Delia Sherman Leah Cutter Emma Hardesty Bryn Kanar Severna Park20 fairy tales hauntingly reimagined by some of today&’s finest sci-fi and fantasy authors, including Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, Tanith Lee, and more. Once upon a time, all our cherished dreams began with the words once upon a time. This is the phrase that opened our favorite tales of princes and spells and magical adventures. World Fantasy Award–winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling understand the power of beloved stories—and in Black Heart, Ivory Bones, their sixth anthology of reimagined fairy tales, they have gathered together stories and poetry from some of the most acclaimed writers of our time, including Neil Gaiman, Tanith Lee, Charles de Lint, and Joyce Carol Oates. But be forewarned: These fairy tales are not for children. A prideful Texas dancer is cursed by a pair of lustrous red boots . . . Goldilocks tells all about her brutal and wildly dysfunctional foster family, the Bears . . . An archaeologist in Victorian England is enchanted by a newly exhumed Sleeping Beauty . . . A prince of tabloid journalism is smitten by a trailer-park Rapunzel . . . A clockwork amusement park troll becomes sentient and sets out to foment an automaton revolution. These are but a few examples of the marvels that await within these pages—tales that range from the humorous to the sensuous to the haunting and horrifying, each one a treasure with a distinctly adult edge.
Black Heart, Ivory Bones (Fairy Tale Anthologies #6)
by Neil Gaiman Tanith Lee Brian M. Stableford Jane Yolen Michael Cadnum Joyce Carol Oates Ellen Steiber Howard Waldrop Susanna Clarke Esther Friesner Russell Blackford Charles De Lint Greg Costikyan Debra Cash Scott Bradfield Delia Sherman Leah Cutter Emma Hardesty Bryn Kanar Severna Park20 fairy tales hauntingly reimagined by some of today&’s finest sci-fi and fantasy authors, including Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, Tanith Lee, and more. Once upon a time, all our cherished dreams began with the words once upon a time. This is the phrase that opened our favorite tales of princes and spells and magical adventures. World Fantasy Award–winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling understand the power of beloved stories—and in Black Heart, Ivory Bones, their sixth anthology of reimagined fairy tales, they have gathered together stories and poetry from some of the most acclaimed writers of our time, including Neil Gaiman, Tanith Lee, Charles de Lint, and Joyce Carol Oates. But be forewarned: These fairy tales are not for children. A prideful Texas dancer is cursed by a pair of lustrous red boots . . . Goldilocks tells all about her brutal and wildly dysfunctional foster family, the Bears . . . An archaeologist in Victorian England is enchanted by a newly exhumed Sleeping Beauty . . . A prince of tabloid journalism is smitten by a trailer-park Rapunzel . . . A clockwork amusement park troll becomes sentient and sets out to foment an automaton revolution. These are but a few examples of the marvels that await within these pages—tales that range from the humorous to the sensuous to the haunting and horrifying, each one a treasure with a distinctly adult edge.