Such A Pretty Face [Paperback]

Gene Wolfe (Author), Elizabeth Anne Scarborough (Author), Jane Yolen (Author), Jody Lynn Nye (Author), Sharon Lee (Author), Steve Miller (Author), Barbara Krasnoff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 8, 2000

Think all heroes have washboard abs? Think all heroines wear Size 3 Junior Petite? Think again! Come join Gene Wolfe, Elizabeth Anne Scarborough, Jane Yolen, Jody Lynn Nye, and Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, who along with nineteen other authors, introduce you to some of the funniest, wildest, sexiest, most powerful, and normal (considering these are science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories) fat people on earth and a few other planets. Meet a pirate named "Valkyrie" and a cardsharp named "Fat Moriah". Meet a xeno-fitness instructor and an earth-mage who don't apologize for taking up space. Meet fat cats on a mission and a very different kind of vampire. Meet characters for whom "plus-size" is about body size and heart. Brought together in this first-of-its-kind collection are stories that raise the set point on adventure and redraw the picture of "the hero" along the way. Tales of power and abundance that prove that heroes and heroines come in all sizes.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Theme anthologies are outstanding when the stories in them are strong in their own right. Editor Martindale has a worthy goal--celebrating characters who are neither Conan nor Barbarella but physically more like most Americans. That is, as the phrase has it, persons of size. Unfortunately, only a few of these dozen stories stand out. Unsurprisingly, those few are by such established writers as Gene Wolfe, Jody Lynn Nye, and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. Wolfe contributes a tale of magic, Nazis, and a mysterious Austrian innkeeper; a sly story of elephants and actors is Nye's offering; and Scarborough delivers the witty and wise fairy tale of a princess who finds that a weighty curse has hidden benefits. The other stories are mostly unpolished and unimaginative. Only thoroughgoing collections and those with patrons who would be grabbed by the theme ought to add the book. Roberta Johnson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Author

Why fat people? Why NOT! The one question I've gotten more than any other regarding _Such A Pretty Face: Tales of Power and Abundance_ is, "Why fat people?" The short answer is "Why not?" The long answer involves being a fat kid who grew up wondering why none of the heroines ever looked like her, who grew up to be a fat writer and editor who wanted to do something about that.

Heroes and heroines come in all sizes. As a writer of SF&F, I've been proud to add a few from the upper end of the size diversity spectrum to the body of short speculative fiction. Now, as editor of ths work, I'm proud to present stories by such writers as Gene Wolfe, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Jody Lynn Nye and others that tell those tales and more.

These are stories of people whose worth is, most definitely, not inversely proportional to their waistlines. They're big in size as well as courage, wit and all those other qualities associated with heroes. Science fiction, fantasy and horror featuring characters who get it done, not "when they lose weight", but now and "as is."

This is a book for readers who always wanted to see characters who looked like them and readers with the imagination to appreciate characters outside the current mold.

Enjoy! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.; 1st MM Publishing Ed edition (June 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892065282
• ISBN-13: 978-1892065285
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,352,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barbara Krasnoff's short fiction has appeared in Space & Time Magazine, Electric Velocipede, Apex Magazine, Doorways, Sybil's Garage, Behind the Wainscot, Escape Velocity, Weird Tales, Descant, Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, Amazing Stories, and the anthologies Clockwork Phoenix 2 (ed. Mike Allen), Such A Pretty Face: Tales of Power & Abundance (ed. Lee Martindale), and Memories and Visions: Women's Fantasy and Science Fiction (ed. Susanna Sturgis). Recent stories include "Waiting for Jakie" in Descended From Darkness: Apex Magazine Vol. I (ed. Jason Sizemore and Gill Ainsworth) and "The Seder Guest" in Crossed Genres, Issue 15. Barbara is also the author of a non-fiction book for young adults, Robots: Reel to Real (Arco Publishing, 1982), and is currently Features & Reviews Editor for Computerworld (www.computerworld.com).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great concept, and terrific stories, July 7, 2000

By 

Deci Reynolds (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Such A Pretty Face (Hardcover)

I ended up staying up far too late the night I got this book, because I kept telling myself I'd just read one more. The stories were well-written (I especially loved "Worse than the Curse" and "Casting Against Type"), and while the theme was definitely evident in all the stories, it was not hammered in. A touch of spice, rather than an overwhelming topnote.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Size should not be an issue!, June 30, 2000

By 

Arianne "arianne_steppes" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Such A Pretty Face (Hardcover)

I found Such A Pretty Face a delightful romp from one end to the other. I very much enjoyed the concept that someone's size is irrelevant to their personality and abilities. The characters were people first and fat/large/whatever second, something I think more characters (and people) should try. I intend to buy many copies to give as gifts and would recommend this book to anyone who is tired of the fat versus thin stereotypes. These stories prove that there is more to people than just their packaging.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice variety of stories, June 21, 2000

By 

Adina Reeve - See all my reviews

This review is from: Such A Pretty Face (Paperback)

I greatly enjoyed the stories in this book. I can't say that I liked all of them, but then again I've never read any anthology where that was true. I particularly appreciated the authors and editor resisting the urge to hit us over the head with the message of fat heroes and heroines. All the main characters were large, but that wasn't usually the crucial plot point. In other words, just like in real life (or at least the way it should be) size isn't their defining characteristic, it's just another facet of these well-rounded (pun intended) individuals. The stories span the range from traditional fantasy/fairytale to hard science fiction, with every step along the way.

Picking a favorite story from this anthology is quite impossible. "A Taste of Song" by K.D. Wentworth, "Demon Bone" by Teresa Noelle Roberts, and "Lady Emerdirael's Rescue" by Lisa Deason are three that stick in my mind. All three deal with preconceptions about physical appearance and personal value in an entertaining and enjoyable way. The introductory poem by Jane Yolen, "Fat is Not a Fairytale", is wonderful and sets the perfect mood for the book.

I sincerely hope that we'll see another anthology of stories like this from Lee Martindale and Meishe Merlin publishing.