Rotten Relations (Paperback)

~ Denise Little (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

15 all-new tales of family Skeletons to make your most "evil" relatives look good

Fifteen all-new tales by top authors told from the viewpoint of those "evil" relatives from classic fantasy and fiction. From Grendel to Santa Claus' son to Cinderella's stepmother to Hamlet's uncle and more-these wonderfully provocative tales prove there is more than one side to any story.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: DAW (December 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756402395
• ISBN-13: 978-0756402396
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,146,043 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everyone has that ONE relative...., May 31, 2005

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

Everyone has that one relative they can't stand. This anthology is based on the premise of those relatives of literary characters we know and love. Many of the stories are written from the perspective of the relatives in fairly tales that are `the bad guy'. Most of these were especially entertaining.

A full list of the stories includes....

*** Home for the Holidays by Pauline Alma
*** With a Face Only a Mother Could Love by Jenn Reese
*** Switched by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
*** The Trick of the Tricksters Tricked by Josepha Sherman
*** Thrice Told by Von Jocks
*** Dynasty by Bill McCray
*** Serpent's Tooth by Susan and Bradley Sinor
*** Mirror, Mirror by Jacey Bedford
*** After the Ball by Pamela Luzier
*** Peggy Plain by Devon Monk
*** Heathcliff's Notes by David Bischoff
*** Cuckoo's Egg by Jody Lynn Nye
*** Rapunzel- The True Story by Robert Sheckley
*** Among the Stars by Susan Sizemore
*** King of Shreds and Patches by P.N. Elrod

I found many of these stories to be original and entertaining. "Peggy Plain" by Devon Monk was especially entertaining with it's crime noir style superimposed on the world of nursery rhymes. " King of Shreds and Patches" by P.N. Elrord was another stand out tale, this set from the perspective of Claudius in Hamlet.

The complaint I had about the collection was too many of the stories overlapped. For instance, Cinderella's tale receives several different treatments. With the vast scope of literary characters out there, I wish Denise Little would have encouraged the writers to broaden their scopes.

Still, this is another highly entertaining, solid anthology by DAW.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Tales from Unclasic Angles, December 21, 2004

By	Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Fifteen original tales that take familiar stories and stand them on end. Most of the stories are fairy tales although there are also nursery rhymes and some classic literature.

Read no fewer than three different accounts of what really happens in Cinderella. Rapunzel and sleeping beauty also get their chance at a rewrite. Heathcliff and Cathy find new work after their story has been told. The collection is topped off with a new take on Hamlet that makes far more sense than the original.

As with any collection like this, stories vary greatly in subject, style and quality. But if you enjoy stories told from the so-called villain's viewpoint, then there are probably a few tales here that will tickle your fancy.

Collection contributors are: Pauline J. Alama, Jenn Reese, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Josepha Sherman, Von Jocks, Bill McCay, Susan P. & Bradley H. Sinor, Jacey Bedford, Pamela Luzier, Devon Monk, David Bischoff, Jody Lynn Nye, Robert Sheckley, Susan Sizemore, and P. N. Elrod.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seeing it from the other side..., December 2, 2005

By	Steven Saus (Dayton, OH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Have you ever wondered about the other side of the story? You know, things from the point of view of the evil stepsister, or Hamlet's uncle, or Grendel? That's what the 15 short stories in this book are all about.

The stories are, on the whole, good. There are a few true gems - King of Shreds and Patches and With A Face Only a Mother Could Love, but the rest aren't slouches either. It's mildly predictable at times, but a very entertaining read nonetheless.