Comments on: Another review of an older anthology (2004 this time): The Faery Reel, eds. Terri Windling & Ellen Datlow

By: Mandolin

Mandolin — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:36:27 +0000

I like some of Gaiman’s writing, but I don’t feel particularly compelled to seek it out. As far as authors in this anthology go, I’m much more likely to be excited about work by Kelly Link, Gregory Macguire, or Tanith Lee.

I didn’t read the poetry because I’m not looking at/for poetry right now. I do edit a reprint magazine; it therefore behooves me to read things that I might buy as reprints; we don’t buy poetry at this time.

I may do a mass review of some of the speculative poetry that’s around, including work from this anthology and other places where I’ve been skipping it, if/when I read through my copy of this year’s Rhysling anthology — which I really ought to do when I have time since I’m nominated this year.

By: Brandy V.

Brandy V. — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:09:30 +0000

Elves annoy me (whatever the distinction is), but I love me some faeries, I think because the term is broader. Holly Black, Emma Bull, Herbie Brennan, they all rock me.

Holly Black in particular rocks–I don’t think her elves are too perfect, except for Roiben of her Tithe and Ironside books, but I find him quietly lovable for being so stupid and human, and am not quite inclined to care. Because it’s not really about teh SuperCoolNess that is faeries when it comes to her, but about the cruelty and unaffected inhumanity of the fae. They become grotesque little goblins, with sneers on their pretty faces, and viciousness in their eyes. I like her theme, that prettiness and charm do not equal goodness. I get off on things like people dancing until their legs break, and eating while piles of moldy garbage that have been enchanted to look like golden apples. Faeries (like she writes them) are essentially monsters, and thats what makes them great.

I also can’t believe you skipped over the poetry. Neil Gaiman’s poem was freaking fantastic, even if you hate faeries, but that could just be because Neil Gaiman is an Unstoppable Force of Nature. I do forget who else contributed, since I read this last year, but I remember a couple very good poems.

Word to readers; I enjoyed the Faerie Reel. Not immensely, but I’m really just not one for short-story anthologies. Do go pick it up, you won’t have wasted your time.

By: Ellen Datlow

Ellen Datlow — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:40:14 +0000

Mandolin,
Thanks for the review–I appreciate you reading the anthology even though you were predisposed against it.

By: Ellen Datlow

Ellen Datlow — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:37:34 +0000

Gar,
Most of the stories in the anthology do indeed reflect these roots. You should read the anthology for yourself if you doubt it :-)

By: gloom raider

gloom raider — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:53:04 +0000

I’ve always made a distinction between elves and faeries in reading fantasy: the latter seem much more interesting, more likely to interfere, play tricks (sometimes quite cruel ones) and so on. Perhaps they’re the peasant class of Elfland?

In general, I share your elf aversion, though; it’s why I only made it through one book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:45:11 +0000

I read “The Faery Handbag” this morning, and liked it quite a lot. I thought it was very nearly mainstream. (Well, mainstream YA, which might be a little more flexible than the adult mainstream.) It felt much more like a here-and-now story about a troubled family than like fantasy. It’s not that I didn’t notice the bits and pieces of supernatural stuff, or that I backfilled rational explanations for them…they just didn’t feel all that important. Maybe that focus away from the faeries is why it didn’t trigger your elf allergy?

By: Mandolin

Mandolin — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:10:43 +0000

“And not all fantasy ignores these roots. Terry Pratchett makes it clear the elves are sinister creatures”

And because he uses humor, he doesn’t grate on my nerves. However, his elves are just as flat, impossible, one dimensional, and diffident as anyone else’s.

By: atlasien

atlasien — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:55:55 +0000

I have the same anthology and thought it really didn’t have many high points. “The Annals of Eelin-Ok” was my favorite. There wasn’t any heavy-handed attempt to create a sense of mystery. Like you say, the prose was crystal clear and clean. I almost cried at the end.

Tanith Lee’s story was pretty good… not top of her form, but not bad either. All the other stories felt sort of amateurish and/or sappy. The handbag one mystified me as to why it won an award. It’s just not my thing… it seemed like it was geared more towards a juvenile audience.

By: Gar Lipow

Gar Lipow — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:26:07 +0000

Interesting. Elves and fairies at one time were not “innocent pure” creatures. They were the ghosts of an older destroyed people, the echo of a genocide. Or perhaps the ghosts of their gods. You remember the Scottish song “You take the high road, and I’l take the low road, and I’ll be in Scotland before ye.” The singer is dying, and will soon take the fairy road, the low road, the road of the dead back to Scotland. That is why he and his true love will never meet again.

And not all fantasy ignores these roots. Terry Pratchett makes it clear the elves are sinister creatures. “Too Long A Sacrifice” a fantasy novel about the Irish “Troubles” is I think pretty faithful to those roots - in spirit if not in literal detail. Shakespear may have been the first to make fairies “cute” though still retaining some sinister overtones. Before that faries were referred to as the “good folk” for the same reason the ancient Greeks referred to the Furies as the kindly one - to avoid offending some truly dangerous creatures.

I won’t say this is the only root, even of the Celtic Fae. But it is a big part of it.