“The Daughter of Owls” is a fiendishly compact revenge tale told in the manner of (“as by”) 17th-century antiquarian John Aubrey. The poem “The White Road” deftly reimagines the English ballad about the innocent virgin fated to be sacrificed to her vulpine fiance (“Mr. “Nicholas Was,” for instance, offers in scarcely half a page a hair-raising revisionist look at the benevolent figure of Santa Claus. Lovecraft, and Michael Moorcock), the volume’s numerous successes put an engaging spin on even more-than-twice-told tales. Gaiman, who’s also provided a disarmingly genial introduction, calls these tales “messages from Looking-Glass Land and pictures in shifting clouds.” Though they’re often derivative of both traditional folk materials and acknowledged favorite writers (such as John Collier, H.P. A whopping collection of 30 stories, narrative poems, and unclassifiable briefer pieces from the peerlessly inventive British-born co-editor/creator of The Sandman graphic novel series and last year’s terrific fantasy Neverwhere.
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