This is an anthology of short stories from 1981, which covers fantasy themes ranging from the traditional princesses and dragons fare, magical realism/urban fantasy, fairytale retellings and even a Gothic-flavoured tale. As with these sort of collections, the quality of the stories vary, even if it is meant to be "the year's best fantasy stories". Highlights include "Proteus" by Paul H. Cook, a story about a modern shape-changer, who exists as multiple men, each with his own life and family; "Spidersong" by Susan C. Petrey, about a spider that plays music with her web; "Wolfland" by Tanith Lee, a dreamy werewolf retelling of Red Riding Hood; and "Melpomene, Calliope... and Fred" by Nicholas Yermakov, a hilarious tale of a blocked writer who is visited by an uncanny muse.
( )

F/SF