Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells

By Elizabeth Bear, James P. Blaylock

Deal Ends: Fri 12th June

This Gaslamp Fantasy anthology features all-new stories set in a magical Victorian Era, with entries from Jeffrey Ford, Tanith Lee, and others.Renowned anthologist Ellen Datlow draws together some of today's most exciting historical fantasy authors for a bewitching journey into Victorian England. Queen Victoria's Book of Spells presents eighteen original stories ranging from steampunk adventures to Jane Austen-inspired works that some critics call Fantasy of Manners.Contributors to this volume include both bestselling writers and exciting new talents such as Elizabeth Bear, James Blaylock, Jeffrey Ford, Ellen Kushner, Tanith Lee, Gregory Maguire, Delia Sherman, and Catherynne M. Valente, who present a vision of a nineteenth century invested (or cursed ) with magic.A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of 2013 From Booklist Billed as an anthology of “Gaslamp Fantasy,” this collection features 18 stories, all of which are set in a magical version of the nineteenth century. Popularized by authors such as Neil Gaiman and Susanna Clarke, gaslamp fantasy has recently been picking up steam, propelled by a current generation of writers who have added a new dimension to some classic settings and sensibilities. Fantasy fans and historical-fiction aficionados will find much to admire and devour in these genre-bending tales featuring an engaging combination of the old and the new. Fantasy, magic, and fairylands were popular in the increasingly industrialized nineteenth century, and, as the editors theorize in the introduction to this innovative collection, “as our own technological revolution causes sweeping societal changes and upheaval, many of us turn to fantasy for the same reasons: to escape the modern world.” --Margaret Flanagan Review “A superb sampling of urban fantasy.... You will have fun with all twenty stories.” ―Booklist on Naked City“This is a treasure chest. Open it and revel in its riches.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review on The Faery Reel“An often sophisticated view of the world [and] a real sense of how powerful nature can be in its various guises.” ―School Library Journal on The Green Man“An enchanting, witty collection of original stories.... This superior volume proves that the notion of modern-day Grimms, Andersens and Wildes isn't just a fairy tale.” ―Publishers Weekly on Black Thorn, White Rose About the Author Multiple award-winning editor ELLEN DATLOW has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for almost thirty years. She was fiction editor of OMNI magazine and SciFiction and has edited more than fifty anthologies. She lives in New York City.TERRI WINDLING is a writer, artist, and book editor interested in myth, folklore, and fairy tales. She lives in a little village at the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, England. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. QUEEN VICTORIA’S BOOK OF SPELLSTable of ContentsPreface Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling 000Introduction: Fantasy, Magic, andFairyland in Nineteenth-Century England Terri Windling 000“Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells” Delia Sherman 000“The Fairy Enterprise” Jeffrey Ford 000“From the Catalogue of the Pavilionof the Uncanny and Marvelous,Scheduled for Premiere at theGreat Exhibition (Before the Fire)” Genevieve Valentine 000“The Memory Book” Maureen McHugh 000“La Reine d’Enfer” Kathe Koja 000“For the Briar Rose” Elizabeth Wein 000“The Governess” Elizabeth Bear 000“Smithfield” James P. Blaylock 000“The Unwanted Women of Surrey” Kaaron Warren 000“Charged” Leanna Renee Hieber 000“Mr. Splitfoot” Dale Bailey 000“Phosphorus” Veronica Schanoes 000“We Without Us Were Shadows” Catherynne M. Valente 000“The Vital Importance of the Superficial” Ellen Kushner and Caroline Stevermer 000“The Jewel in the Toad Queen’s Crown” Jane Yolen 000“A Few Twigs He Left Behind” Gregory Maguire 000“Their Monstrous Minds” Tanith Lee 000“Estella Saves the Village” Theodora Goss 000About the Authors 000Recommended Reading 000Copyright © 2013 by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling