By Michelle Crabb

Ed. Datlow, Ellen. Tails of Wonder and Imagination. Night Shade Books (February 15, 2010). US $15.95 ISBN-13: 978-1597801706

Tails of Wonder and Imagination, edited by Ellen Datlow, does a wonderful job of catering to those of us who prefer a more feline sort of company. The anthology featured an excellent variety of stories in different genres; there was everything from macabre to sci-fi, literary fiction to fantasy. So, there is something for everyone. Most of the stories had supernatural undertones, which fit because cats have always had a sort of mysticism surrounding them.

Each story came with an introduction that gave some background information on the author and the story itself. I found this to be both enjoyable and helpful because it allowed me to research authors that had been previously unknown to me and to learn about each story’s origins; the whims of writers always prove to be interesting.

As with any collection of short stories, there are some tales that manage to blow one away with awe, and there are some that make one shrug with an audible “meh”. Tails of Wonder was no different, but it also headlined some big names, including Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates and Neil Gaiman. Big names almost always provide exactly what one would expect from them. My one complaint about the anthology is that the review copy had a lot of errors in it. With that being said, review copies are not the final, polished product.

Since there were forty stories featured in Tails of Wonder, I have highlighted three of my favorites:

“Catskin” by Kelly Link reads like an old folktale with all the nitty-gritty parts left in. A witch is poisoned, and she leaves her belongings to her three surviving children. The youngest son, Small, had always been the most obedient and effeminate of his siblings, so he stays at the witch’s home while the others are quick to use up their inheritances.

The witch returns as a cat and sews Small a cat suit out of fur pelts from her pet cats so that he can masquerade as one; a hint at the nitty-gritty bits previously mentioned. Together, they go off to get revenge on the rival witch, Lack, who had poisoned her.

The names and titles of things in the story hint at deeper meanings, as with many folktales, adding to the overall reading experience. It is one of those stories that draw a person in with their twisted characters, macabre, and clever imagery. While it is a bizarre and creepy tale, it is entertaining and bold enough to make one squirm.

“Puss-Cat” by Reggie Oliver details one of the many womanizing escapades committed by the fictional Sir Roderick Bentley, a renowned stage actor. Roderick called each of his exploits “Puss-Cat.” Godfrey (a minor actor who had often worked under him) recounts the affair that was “Roddy”’s eventual undoing.

Godfrey’s tale has a Shakespearian feel to it – it is full of human beings doing what they do best: meddling with their own, problematic whims. I found these elements fitting since the story deals with actors. The “Puss-Cat” in Godfrey’s narrative becomes obsessed with Roddy after they part ways. Roddy tries to cut ties, but sends a card meant for another “Puss-Cat” to her by mistake. When she finds out that he had actually tried to cut her out of his life, she kills herself and returns as a cat to exact her revenge – or so Godfrey believes.

He describes a particular cat who takes an intense liking to Roddy during the run of the man’s final show. Roddy was never one for cats, so he attempts to poison the animal, and in doing so, ends up dying in his dressing room. Godfrey enters and spies the body of his friend while the cat gazes down at it.

“Puss-Cat” kept my eyes trained solely on it. It was one of those stories that excited me to the point where I felt the obsessive need to read all at once. The intense interaction and drama between the characters held everything together and made for an unforgettable tale.

“Nine Lives to Live” by Sharyn McCrumb was a hilarious piece which had a creative take on the possibilities of reincarnation. It was fun, a light story full of adorable scenes and classic, aloof cat behavior. McCrumb was clever about how she slipped the trendy “my cat is plotting my death” plotline into the story.

One moment, Danby is being murdered by his partner over a shady deal involving a considerable sum, and the next, he wakes up in the body of an adult Maine Coon cat. In his new, furry body, Danby sets out to find his ex-partner, Giles, in order to return the cold favour.

He seduces Giles with deep purrs and affectionate rubs, and is quickly taken into the man’s home. After a series of failed, but mostly humorous, attempts at murder – some involving accidental cap naps – and the death of Giles’s wife, Danby is lavished with treats and delicate cat food, so he ultimately decides to postpone his “revenge”. A cat must have his priorities, after all.

Overall, Tails of Wonder succeeded in bringing a colourful array of stories together, most of which were not disappointments. The anthology was a perfect mixture of outright weird, fantasy, sci-fi, and literary fiction. As stated before, there is something for everyone in this collection.

You can find Tails of Wonder and Imagination at Amazon.com.

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