Reception
In a starred review, Publishers Weekly calls the book an "outstanding collection of nine dazzling shorter pieces." The reviewer singles out "Weird," "Mer," and "Edith and Henry Go Motoring" for particular mention, but feels Something Rich and Strange "contains the most gorgeous of McKillip's prose ... and the weakest of her plots," with the caveat that "even weaker McKillip is well worth reading." The assessment concludes that "[f]ans of exquisite prose and ethereal fantasy will need to own this." [2]
Heather McCammond-Watts in Booklist writes "Blink three times quickly to release yourself from the enchantment of these tales. McKillip's tantalizing storytalling cleverly leaves us guessing, as the twists and turns of magic unravel in unexpected ways. ... McKillip has bright, sharp beginnings and shifts the shape of her language to conjure dreamy, dark endings. Her humor is mischievous, and her characters are embedded with a timeless quality as they long for the supernatural in their everyday lives. Fans of her work will devour this, and new readers are in for a treat, like awakening from a lovely dream." She highlights Something Rich and Strange and "Which Witch" for comment. [3]
Kristi Chadwick in Library Journal notes "[t]he seven ethereal tales ... collected here touch on people's dreams and desires" and "McKillip ... once more enchants with this volume, which fantasy readers will devour as they are transported into multiple realities." She also discusses three of the stories without naming them. [4]
Charles de Lint in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction pronounces that "[s]ome authors we read for their characters and their plots, others for the beauty of their language. " read Pat McKillip for all three. She's gifted beyond compare, a National Treasure who should be cherished by all lovers of literature." He feels the book, "while recognizably McKillip in all the ways that matter, offers some new colors to the palette of her storytelling. There's not a wrong note here." He singles out "Weird" and Something Rich and Strange, as well as "Writing High Fantasy" for "one of the best reasoning points on the question of the importance of fantasy in the broader spectrum of literature." [5]
Tamara Saarinen in School Library Journal characterizes the book as a "collection of fascinating and haunting tales that will linger with readers," and "a strong addition to short story and fantasy collections." She finds the collection's stories "[u]nified by the theme of supernatural events" and "exude mystery and magic in their lyrical texts." Calling it "reminiscent of Kelly Link's Pretty Monsters, she notes that "[y]oung adults who like fantasy tales with strong female characters willing to save themselves and others will enjoy this volume." She also feels it will appeal "to fans of Holly Black, Robin McKinley, and Donna Jo Napoli." [6]
The collection was also reviewed by Gary K. Wolfe in Locus no. 665, June 2016, Chris Kammerud in Strange Horizons, 13 June 2016, and Faren Miller in Locus no. 666, July 2016. [1]
Brian Froud is an English fantasy illustrator and conceptual designer. He is most widely known for his 1978 book Faeries with Alan Lee, and as the conceptual designer of the Jim Henson films The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986). According to Wired, Froud is "one of the most pre-emiminent visualizers of the world of faerie and folktale".
Patricia Anne McKillip was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. She wrote predominantly standalone fantasy novels and has been called "one of the most accomplished prose stylists in the fantasy genre". Her work won many awards, including the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008.
Terri Windling is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. She has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram Stoker Award, and her collection The Armless Maiden appeared on the short-list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award.
Catherynne M. Valente is an American fiction writer, poet, and literary critic. For her speculative fiction novels she has won the annual James Tiptree, Andre Norton, and Mythopoeic Fantasy awards. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, the anthologies Salon Fantastique and Paper Cities, along with numerous "Year's Best" volumes. Her critical work has appeared in the International Journal of the Humanities as well as in numerous essay collections.
Theodora Goss is a Hungarian-American fiction writer and poet. Her writing has been nominated for major awards, including the Nebula, Locus, Mythopoeic, World Fantasy, and Seiun Awards. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Year's Best volumes.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a fantasy novel by American writer Patricia A. McKillip, and illustrators Peter Schaumann in 1974, and Alicia Austin in 1981, first published by Atheneum Publishers in 1974, and by Magic Carpet Books in 1996. It is the winner of the 1975 World Fantasy Award. The book centers on Sybel, a woman previously cut off from the rest of the world of Eldwold, as she learns to live and love in the world outside of the one she once knew.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Mexican and Canadian novelist, short story writer, editor, and publisher.
Harrowing the Dragon is a collection of fantasy short stories by Patricia A. McKillip. It was first published in hardcover and ebook by Ace Books in November 2005, and in trade paperback by the same publisher in November 2006. The first British edition was issued in ebook by Gateway/Orion on December 17, 2015.
Wonders of the Invisible World is a collection of fantasy short stories by Patricia A. McKillip. It was first published in trade paperback and ebook by Tachyon Publications in October 2012. The title of both the collection and the first story in it derive from the 1693 book of the same title by Cotton Mather.
Fool's Run is a science fiction novel by Patricia A. McKillip. It was first published in hardcover by Warner Books in April 1987, with a paperback edition issued by Questar/Popular Library in February 1988. The first British edition was published in paperback by Orbit in June 1987, with a hardcover edition following from Macdonald in August of the same year. The novel has also been translated into Italian.
The Bards of Bone Plain is a fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip. It was first published in hardcover and ebook by Ace Books in December 2010, with a book club edition issued simultaneously with the Science Fiction Book Club and a trade paperback edition following December 2011. The first British edition was published in ebook by Gateway/Orion in December 2015.
The Changeling Sea is a fantasy novel for juvenile readers by Patricia A. McKillip. It was first published in hardcover by Atheneum/Macmillan in October 1988, with a paperback edition issued by Del Rey/Ballantine in December 1989. It was subsequently reissued in paperback and ebook by Firebird/Penguin in April 2003. The first British edition was published in hardcover by Oxford University Press in September 1991, with an ebook edition following from Gateway/Orion in December 2015.
Kingfisher is a fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip. It was first published in hardcover and ebook by Ace Books in February 2016. The first British edition was published in ebook by Gateway/Orion in June 2017.
Something Rich and Strange is a fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip written for Brian Froud's Faerielands series under the inspiration of Froud's fantasy artwork. Its title is derived from a line in Shakespeare's The Tempest. The book was first published in hardcover by Bantam Spectra in November 1994, with a trade paperback edition following from ibooks in October 2005. It was later incorporated into the author's collection Dreams of Distant Shores, issued by Tachyon Publications in ebook and trade paperback in May 2016 and June 2016, respectively.
Moon-Flash is a science fiction novel for juvenile readers by Patricia A. McKillip. It was first published in hardcover by Atheneum in August 1984, with a paperback edition issued by Berkley Books in October 1985. It was subsequently combined with its sequel The Moon and the Face in an omnibus edition, also titled Moon-Flash, issued in paperback and ebook by Firebird/Penguin in March 2005.
Stepping from the Shadows is a novel by Patricia A. McKillip. It was first published in hardcover by Atheneum in 1982, with a paperback edition issued by Berkley Books in August 1984.
The Cygnet and the Firebird is a fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip, a sequel to her earlier novel The Sorceress and the Cygnet. Despite a mixed reception, it was nominated for the 1994 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature. It was first published in hardcover by Ace Books in September 1993, with a paperback following from the same publisher in September 1995. The first British edition was published in paperback by Pan Books in July 1994. It was subsequently combined with The Sorceress and the Cygnet into the omnibus collection Cygnet, issued in trade paperback by Ace Books in March 2007. It has also been translated into French.
The Sorceress and the Cygnet is a fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip. It was first published in hardcover by Ace Books in May 1991, with a paperback edition following from the same publisher in January 1992. The first British edition was published in hardcover and trade paperback by Pan Books in June 1991, with a standard paperback edition following from the same publisher in May 1992. It was subsequently combined with its sequel The Cygnet and the Firebird into the omnibus collection Cygnet, issued in trade paperback by Ace Books in March 2007.
A Master of Djinn is a 2021 fantasy steampunk novel by American writer P. Djèlí Clark, published by Tor.com. The book is part of Clark's the Dead Djinn Universe and follows the events of the novelette "A Dead Djinn in Cairo", and the novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015.
Deep Roots is a 2018 alternate history, fantasy and horror novel by American science fiction and fantasy writer Ruthanna Emrys. It is the third book in Emrys' three book Innsmouth Legacy series, after The Litany of Earth (2014) and Winter Tide (2017). The series is set in the Cthulhu Mythos universe created by H. P. Lovecraft, and builds on Lovecraft's 1936 novella, "The Shadow over Innsmouth".
