The supernatural is little known. Some say it doesn’t even exist, that it should be left to children’s bedtime stories and angsty Young Adult novels. To those individuals I say: have a little faith. As the mythical springs from a certain truth wouldn’t categorizing vampires, werewolves and Frankenstein in the fictional be a hasty thing to do? Were these creatures really subjects of creative—and slightly delusional—authors?
However, these creatures—the most famous of all!—are but a deceiving representation of the unnatural, there are many unimaginable creatures out there that we haven’t read about yet. Until now.
Neil Gaiman presents this collection of short stories that have never been published before and goes further into literary archives to enlighten the oblivious mortal of peculiar beings like the sunbird and the griffin.
What is especially interesting about this gallery of short stories is Gaiman’s eclectic way in which he chose these various short stories by authors of the past like E. Nesbit, Saki and authors of the present like Neil Gaiman himself and Diana Wynne Jones. Some of these tales bring morals like “The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees” by E. Lily Yu. Some of these tales are deeply morose and cynical as well as frightening, and some are witty and satirical. But what is certain is that all are deeply entertaining.
For your part, Reader, I ask you to open your mind to the possibility and the infinity of the unknown in the realm of fiction or else you will fail to enjoy this little collection. To the skeptic, this compilation might remain just another array of fictional tales from authors you may or may have not known. To the believer, this compilation will become a sort of catalog of some of the many different creatures out there. A little warning before you go: don’t read this in the dead of night because that is the time when these most frightening creatures come to life.
By Azza El Masri
Azza El Masri is an avid reader and is always looking for new recommendations! If you want her to review a book you fell in love with, or leave a comment on her book bulletin, then you can reach her on:
www.tempoplanet.com/category/talking-books
