These are not your mother's fairy tales... Did you ever wonder how the dwarves felt after Snow White ditched them for the prince? Do you sometimes wish Cinderella hadn't been so helpless and petite? Are you ready to hear the Giant's point of view on Jack and his beanstalk? Then this is the book for you.

Thirteen award-winning fantasy and science fiction writers offer up their versions of these classic fairy tales as well as other favorites, including The Ugly Duckling, Ali Baba, Hansel and Gretel, and more. Some of the stories are funny, some are strange, and others are dark and disturbing - but each offers something as unexpected as a wolf at the door.

Introduction copyright 2000 by Terri Windling; “The Months of Manhattan” copyright 2000 by Delia Sherman; “Cinder Elephant” copyright 2000 by Jane Yolen; “Instructions” copyright 2000 by Neil Gaiman; “Mrs. Big” copyright 2000 by Michael Cadnum; “Falada” copyright 2000 by Nancy Farmer; “A Wolf at the Door” copyright 2000 by Tanith Lee; “Ali Baba and the Forty Aliens” copyright 2000 by Janeen Webb; “Swans” copyright 2000 by Kelly Link; “The Kingdom of Melting Glances” copyright 2000 by Katherine Vaz; “Hansel’s Eyes” copyright 2000 by Garth Nix; “Becoming Charise” copyright 2000 by Kathe Koja; “The Seven Stage a Comeback” copyright 2000 by Gregory Maguire; “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” copyright 2000 by Patricia A. McKillip.