This is the third book in a series of 1990s anthologies of "literary fairy tales," in which all the stories are based on or inspired by folk or fairy tales (some much more loosely than others). "Sleeping Beauty" is a particular favorite in this one, but there's a pretty fair variety, including some from cultures other than the usual European sources (although not, as far as I can tell, in the hands of anyone actually from those cultures). The subject matter is generally quite dark. Which is true for fairy tales in general, really, at least the unsanitized ones, but the stories here do take some of the disturbing elements that are implicit in the old stories and make them a lot more explicit. Perhaps the majority of these involve domestic abuse and men exercising horrible power over women.

And yet, despite their potentially powerful themes, I have to say, a lot of these struck me as beautifully written but somehow not terribly engaging or satisfying. It might be that I just wasn't in quite the right mood for them. Still, even the stories that kind of left me cold were interesting literary exercises, if nothing else. And there were several that I unambiguously enjoyed, chief among them "The Fox Wife" by Ellen Steiber, which was just a good tale well told. Which is nice, because it was also by far the longest story in the collection. There are also a couple of very good poems.

Rating: Despite my mixed feelings, this one grew on me enough that I'm going to give it 4/5 in the end. ( )

Short/nonexistent reviews because I'm in school and have no time. (Except on my commutes, which is when I'm reading all of these.)

Favorites from this collection:

Summer Wind, by Nancy Kress. Man this take on Sleeping Beauty was a thing of beauty in its own right. Gorgeous writing, ponderous depths. I read it three times.

The Emperor Who Had Never Seen a Dragon, by John Brunner. One of the few set in a non-European-inspired culture. Loved the twist on The Emperor's New Clothes!

The Real Princess, by Susan Palwick. A dark take on The Princess and the Pea with my kind of twist at the end. I'll say no more to avoid spoilers. Read it twice.

After Push Comes to Shove, by Milbre Burch. I was delighted to find poetry scattered through the stories. This one is from the perspective of the witch in Hansel and Gretel.

The Fox Wife, by Ellen Steiber. Another (the only other?) non-European-esque fairy tale. This one felt a little more original, based on a legend than an actual story, but it's very possible that's only because I'm not familiar with Japanese folklore. More like a novella.

The White Road, by Neil Gaiman. To be fair, I knew he was in here, so I was avoiding looking at the authors until after I'd read the stories. But really, no one should be surprised. Another one of my kinds of twists, further empowering--and interest-i-fying--women who, unusually, were already somewhat empowered in the original story.

The Printer's Daughter, by Delia Sherman. Because what book-lover can't appreciate a person made out of books? Another one I read twice. ( )

Solid anthology, with the usual mix of stand-outs and not-so-great entries. I particularly liked the first story, a mash-up of "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Red Shoes" in what sounds like 1940's Hollywood, and the last one, "The Printer's Child," by Delia Sherman, which was marvelously inventive as well as being well-written. ( )

As with most short story collections, this one was a mixed bag of selections. There are bvery few stories that come to mind as being particularly enjoyable - even if they were quite well written and highly readable - since most of the authors seem to have chosen to emphasize the darker aspects of the fairytales. Witches may be triumphed over (as in Gahan Wilson's telling of Hansel and Gretel) and lovers found (as in Tanith Lee's "The Beast"), but none of the stories have truely happy endings. Some stories are amusing at best, but in a rahter bleak way as the characters are routinely traumatized and the underlying shadows are clearly creeping in. ( )

Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears is another volume of retold fairy tales. As with all short story anthologies, there were standouts and not-so-great entries, but overall this volume was great. I particularly loved the stories that were referencing stories I wasn't already familiar with, such as "The Fox Wife," which draws on Japanese lore about the kitsune, a fox demon; or "The Printer's Daughter," in which a printer's desire for a competent apprentice gives life to a girl made of discarded newsprint and books who can only speak in the content printed on them, which varies from bawdy to high oratory; and "Roach in Loafers," about a smooth-talking magical cockroach who makes dreams come true. I enjoyed the kitsune story so much it prompted me to look for more kitsune tales. ( )