Pandora's Closet (Paperback)

~ Martin H. Greenberg (Editor), (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When Pandora's box was opened, all the evils of the world escaped. Only hope was left. The lady also had a closet, it seems, filled with strange shoes, jewelry, and garments, some useful, some beautiful, and others best not touched. Nineteen writers give us stories about some of the items stored in it, such as the Rhinegold, the accursed gold ring that generates wealth (Timothy Zahn's "The Ring"); Dorothy Gale's (i.e., the Wicked Witch of the East's) ruby slippers (Louise Marley's "Technicolor"); a direly inspirational outer garment (Joe Masdon's "Jack's Mantle"); and 16 other magical items of adornment—and the costs of wearing them. Of generally high quality, the stories are most impressive for their variety. They do, however, rather induce the urge to clean one's closet and squelch the impulse to browse garage sales. Murray, Frieda

Product Description

Nineteen original tales of the pandora legend-as no one has ever imagine it before.

When Pandora's Box was opened, so the ancient tale goes, all the evils that would beset humanity were released into the world. When the box was all but empty, the only thing that remained was hope. Now some of fantasy's finest writers have taken on the task of opening Pandora's closet. It is naturally chock full of an assortment of items, including a ring that can bring its wearer infinite health, a special helmet found in the most unlikely of places, a mysterious box that holds a legendary piece of cloth, and a red hoodie that transforms a woman's world. These stories are of items claimed by people, but only at their own peril. After indulging in these stories, readers will certainly look at their own closets in a whole new light.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: DAW (August 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756404371
• ISBN-13: 978-0756404376
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #689,192 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What's in Your Closet?, December 30, 2007

By	Madelyn Pryor "Goblyn Queen" (Mesa, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

Pandora's Closet is an interesting theme anthology that explores clothing and accessories which have some significance or enchantment that changes the fate of the possessor. The stories range from the probable to the fantastic, and together they weave an eclectic, yet marvelous tapestry of tales. It is a very evenly made anthology in that there seems to be stories for everyone's tastes. "Jack's Mantle" by Joe Madson is so blood chilling I had goose bumps for over an hour, and "The Travails of Princess Stephen" by Jane Lindskold is a modern fairy tale that soft and sweet. "What Quig Found" by Chris Pierson had me smiling and cheering out loud, and turned out to be my favorite story of the book.

A complete list of the stories is: **The Ring by Timothy Zahn **What Quig Found by Chris Pierson **Technicolor by Louise Marley **Loin Cloth by Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moestra **Seamless by Michael A. Stackpole **Ancestral Armor by John Helphers **The Opposite of Solid by Linda P. Baker **The Travails of Princess Stephen by Jane Lindskold **The Lady in Red by A.M. Strout **Another Exciting Adventure of Lightning Merriemouse-Jones: A Touching Ghost Story by Belle Holder and Nancy Holder **Revolution: Number 9 by Judi Rohrig **Curosry Review by Donald J, Bingle **Jack's Mantle by Joe Madson **Irrestible by Yvonne Coats **Seebohm's Cap by Peter Schweighofer **Cake and Candy by Kelly Swails **A Clean Getaway by Keith R.A. DeCandido **Off the Rack by Elizabeth A. Vaughn **The Red Shoes by Sarah Zettle

All in all, the quality of the stories is consistently good with only a few, short exceptions. The stories keep you turning pages without knowing if your story will be chilling, sweet, funny, or thoughtful. Many prominent items and accessories throughout history make appearances here, from the Mantle of Don Quixote to Dorothy's famous red shoes just to name a few. Even the `ordinary' items in the stories will have you looking at your thrift store finds and hand-me-downs in a whole new light.

Over all, this is a well done anthology and it would make the perfect addition to your short story collection, or a great vacation book to take along on a trip.

Recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Pandora's Closet Review, September 1, 2009

By	Unagi Sushi "anniegoose" (Seattle WA) - See all my reviews

I LOVE this book! In fact, it is in the reading room [our bathroom] at the moment, and I have just finished it for the second, third, or fourth time.

Pandora's Closet is a collection of short stories that are very interesting, to say the least. The book is sub-titled '19 brand-new stories that take the Pandora legend to a whole new level.' Each of the stories is written by a different fantasy writer.

Two of my favourites are 'Technicolor' by Louise Marley, which is a re-telling, of a sorts, of The Wizard of Oz's Dorothy. I would say more about this one, but I don't want to ruin the story for anyone. You'll just have to get the book and read it!

My other favourite story is 'The Travails of Princess Stephen' by Jane Lindskold and is about an extraordinary wedding dress.

The book is a delight, which is why I keep going back to it.

4.0 out of 5 stars An Enchanting Closet, June 6, 2008

By	Sonya "readaholic" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

Most people have heard a little about the Greek Myth of Pandora's box. Pandora was entrusted with a box which she was told by Zeus (King of the Gods), not to open. Curiosity got the best of her and when she opened the box, evil and sin (greed, envy, gluttony, etc.) were loosed on the world. She tried to close the box, but when she did she sealed in hope.

Pandora's Closet is an anthology of short stories with a twist on the Pandora's box theme. The stories are based on items that might be found in a closet or box to and the consequences based on the magic that item contains. I love short story collections because it exposes me to new authors I may not have otherwise read. As most anthologies go, this is a mixed bag of efforts. Luckily, most of the stories are inventive, interesting and quite creative. A few were just not my cup of tea, but I am sure would be to someone elses' taste. My favorites were The Ring by Timothy Zahn, about a ring that gives, but with a price; Technicolor by Louise Marley about a famous fictional character we know called Dorothy; Seamless by Michael Stackpole which is fantasy and action combined; The Travails of Princess Stephen by Jane Lindskold, a story with an unusual topic that makes you quite sympathetic to the character; Lady in Red by A.M. Strout, about a girl who buys a red hoodie; Jack's Mantle by Joe Madson, which was quite creepy and may make you think twice about buying a used clothing item; Irrestible by Yvonne Coats, which might make you want to buy a used clothing item! LOL; Off the Rack by Elizabeth A. Vaughn which is magical with a little romance thrown in; and my favorite, Cake and Candy by Kelly Swails which tells a story about loss and recovery.

What's really great about this book is that the stories would appeal to both male and female readers. I would definitely recommend this anthology.