Wonderland: An Anthology of Works Inspired By Alice's Adventures in Wonderland edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane

 

Wonderland: An Anthology of Works Inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane.

Published 17th September 2019 by Titan Books.

From the cover of the book:

From the greatest names in fantasy and horror comes an anthology of stories inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Join Alice as she is thrown into the whirlwind of Wonderland

Within these pages you'll find myriad approaches to Alice, from horror to historical, taking us from the nightmarish reaches of the imagination to tales that will shock, surprise and tug on the heart-strings. 

So, it's time now to go down the rabbit hole, or through the looking-glass or… But no, wait. By picking up this book and starting to read it you're already there, can't you see?

Brand-new works from the best in fantastical fiction:

M.R. CAREY

MARK CHADBOURN

GENEVIEVE COGMAN

JONATHAN GREEN

ALISON LITTLEWOOD

JAMES LOVEGROVE

L.L. McKINNEY

GEORGE MANN

JULIET MARILLIER

LAURA MAURO

CAT RAMBO

LILITH SAINTCROW

CAVAN SCOTT

ROBERT SHEARMAN

ANGELA SLATTER

CATRIONA WARD

JANE YOLEN

RIO YOUERS

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Welcome to a fresh and exciting look at the world of Alice, with an anthology of short stories inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, with an introduction by the editors Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane.

I think the first thing to say about this wonderful collection, which holds true for every anthology have read from Titan Books, is that it amazes me how much variety in style and content there is incorporated in these stories coming as they do from the same source material - the imagination of a talented author truly holds no bounds and many of the writers who have contributed to this collection are huge literary names.

Here there are stories of Dystopian nightmares full of death; macabre horror tales dripping with blood; fantastical fables with an ironic twist; historical themed magical realism with a quirky look at famous murderers; alien invasions that slice through the notion of the civilised human mind; and even rootin' tootin' westerns that will make you think very differently about the white rabbit - and everything in between - exploring a myriad of aspects based on Alice's adventures and the characters she meets. Some are metaphorical looks at coming of age, some are thought-provoking examinations of the human psyche, and some are profoundly shocking, but each and every one is superb in its own way and will hold you spell-bound.

I should add that these tales are not for children, despite their references to Alice's Wonderland, and are firmly in the grown-up zone. Most of them are littered with references to violent acts, sex and terror, and there are some very deep themes explored which although they might not always be overtly mentioned are profoundly disturbing - particularly Six Impossible Things by Mark Chadbourn with its veiled allusions to sexual abuse. Definitely not for those of tender years, or delicate sensibilities, but hugely entertaining nonetheless.

This book is absolutely brilliant and the perfect mind-bending, spine chiller for spooky season, so if you are after a sideways look at a world you thought you knew well then head down the rabbit hole or through the looking glass, and prepare to be gripped! Incidentally, the audio version of this book is astoundingly good too, and is beautifully narrated by a cast of voices who vividly bring these tales alive. Daytime reading/listening recommended!

Wonderland is available to buy now in ebook, paperback and audio formats from your favourite book retailer,

Thank you to Titan Books for sending me a paperback copy of this book in return for an honest review. I have purchased the audio version myself.

About the editors:

Marie O'Regan is a British Fantasy Award-nominated writer and editor of horror and dark fantasy fiction. She is the author of four collections, Mirror Mere, Bury Them Deep, In Times of Want and Other Stories and The Last Ghost and Other Stories, and her anthologies include Hellbound Hearts, The Mammoth Book of Body Horror, Carnivale: Dark Tales From the Fairground, The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women, Phantoms, Exit Wounds and Wonderland. She is Co-Chair of the UK chapter of the Horror Writers' Association and lives in Derbyshire, UK. She tweets @Marie_O_Regan

Paul Kane is the award-winning and bestselling author/editor of over 90 books, including the Arrowhead trilogy (gathered together in the sellout Hooded Man omnibus, revolving around a post-apocalyptic version of Robin Hood), The Butterfly Man and Other Stories, Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell, Before, Arcana and Pain Cages (an Amazon #1 bestseller). He is a respected anthologist, editing books such as Beyond Rue Morgue, The Mammoth Book of Body Horror, Hellbound Hearts and Exit Wounds. His website can be found at www.shadow-writer.co.uk and he tweets @PaulKaneShadow