Five books that give old legends a new spin

Sam Reader is a writer and conventions editor for The Geek Initiative. He also writes literary criticism and reviews at strangelibrary.com. One of his top five stories that take their inspiration from myth and legend, as shared at the B & N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog:

The Bloody Chamber, by Angela Carter

Noted feminist and fabulist Angela Carter decided to retell and recontextualize classic fairy tales in her own unique manner, and the result was The Bloody Chamber, a collection of sensual, sometimes violent tales, including a version of “Little Red Riding Hood” that involves werewolves, a modern update of “Beauty and the Beast,” and riffs on other classic legends. Carter’s mastery of the fantastic form is unmatched, and the way she plays with fairy tales (her take on “Puss in Boots” as “the ultimate cynical story about cat as con man” is inspired) creates stories that stand on their own, well beyond their fairy-tale trappings.

Read about the other entries on the list.

The Bloody Chamber is among four books that changed Angelica Banks, four books that changed Justine Larbalestier, Stephanie Feldman's ten creepiest books, and Jonathan Stroud's favorite fantasy books.

--Marshal Zeringue