A very belated set of Yuletide recs II: myth, legend, fairy tale
As in previous years, Yuletide has given us some real classics here...
Arthurian legends
What Is And What Seems To Be, by Lesserstorm
'She is a tool his king has provided for him, a weapon to his hand.' This original & clever tale completely reimagines Guinevere. The results are enthralling
Bible
The Road to Jerusalem, by Lakester
'The fish sizzled behind her, gutted and chopped. The fish that hadn't spoken to her as she lay there, that she hadn't cut small enough that she could be sure it wouldn't do so again.' Wonderful gritty portrait of Mary Magdalene, before & after she meets Jesus
Classical mythology
Small Step For Man, by Toft
'She has a different name, here, but she is still the same.' Artemis & Apollo through the ages. A reflection on the pitfalls of immortality, anchored in sharp details (Adult)
Fairy tales
The Bruise Around the Wound, by Rana Eros
'She is the usual shape, her visible skin the normal texture, even if the color is lurid. Her hair, though, her brows and lashes make people doubt. It only takes a little deformity and their imaginations run wild.' A dark reworking of 'Rapunzel' & other tales. Strange, lush & vivid, with overtones of Angela Carter
Fire, Measured By What Doesn't Burn, by Luna
'There was sand in your sheets at night, every night, needling your skin, but it didn't keep you from falling asleep and dreaming. The war had traveled west with you, riding in the whorls of your ears and the treads of your boots.' A smooth amalgamation of gritty realism & fantasy characterises this modern re-envisioning of 'Twelve Dancing Princesses'. An amazing achievement
Arthurian legends
What Is And What Seems To Be, by Lesserstorm
'She is a tool his king has provided for him, a weapon to his hand.' This original & clever tale completely reimagines Guinevere. The results are enthralling
Bible
The Road to Jerusalem, by Lakester
'The fish sizzled behind her, gutted and chopped. The fish that hadn't spoken to her as she lay there, that she hadn't cut small enough that she could be sure it wouldn't do so again.' Wonderful gritty portrait of Mary Magdalene, before & after she meets Jesus
Classical mythology
Small Step For Man, by Toft
'She has a different name, here, but she is still the same.' Artemis & Apollo through the ages. A reflection on the pitfalls of immortality, anchored in sharp details (Adult)
Fairy tales
The Bruise Around the Wound, by Rana Eros
'She is the usual shape, her visible skin the normal texture, even if the color is lurid. Her hair, though, her brows and lashes make people doubt. It only takes a little deformity and their imaginations run wild.' A dark reworking of 'Rapunzel' & other tales. Strange, lush & vivid, with overtones of Angela Carter
Fire, Measured By What Doesn't Burn, by Luna
'There was sand in your sheets at night, every night, needling your skin, but it didn't keep you from falling asleep and dreaming. The war had traveled west with you, riding in the whorls of your ears and the treads of your boots.' A smooth amalgamation of gritty realism & fantasy characterises this modern re-envisioning of 'Twelve Dancing Princesses'. An amazing achievement