Wonders of the Invisible World

by Patricia A. McKillip

Overview

[STARRED REVIEW] “Endlessly astonishing and impressive fantasist McKillip (The Bards of Bone Plain) travels the shadowy twilight realm between worlds and returns with the raw stuff of dreams.”
?Publishers Weekly

Pass through fairy tales into the magic of invisible worlds in these opulent stories by a beloved fantasy icon and author of the classic Riddlemaster trilogy. Patricia McKillip has inspired generations of dedicated readers with enchanting tales that are as romantic as they are unexpected. Her lush, mesmerizing narratives are as deliciously bittersweet as the finest chocolate and as intoxicating as the finest wine.

The bewitching wonders offered here include princesses dancing with dead suitors, a knight in love with an official of exotic lineage, and fortune’s fool stealing into the present instead of the future. You’ll discover a ravishing undine and her mortal bridegroom who is more infatuated with politics than pleasure, a time-traveling angel forbidden to intervene in Cotton Mather’s religious ravings, a wizard seduced in his youth by the Faerie Queen returning with a treasure that is rightfully hers, and an overachieving teenage mage tricked into discovering her true name very close to home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616960872
Publisher:	Tachyon Publications
Publication date:	09/26/2012
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Patricia A. McKillip is the bestselling author of more than thirty much-beloved fantasy novels, including The Riddle-Master of Hed, Harpist in the Wind, and The Sorceress and the Cygnet. She has received the World Fantasy Award for The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, Ombria in Shadow, and Solstice Wood, for which she also received the Mythopoeic Award. McKillip has also received the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement. She recently published the novel Kingfisher and the collection Dreams of Distant Shores. McKillip lives in Oregon.

Table of Contents

Wonders of the Invisible World
Out of the Woods
The Kelpie
Hunter’s Moon
Oak Hill
The Fortune-Teller
Jack O’Lantern
Knight of the Well
Naming Day
Byndley
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Undine
Xmas Cruise
A Gift to Be Simple
The Old Woman and the Storm
The Doorkeeper of Khaat
What Inspires Me: Guest of Honor Speech at WisCon (2004)

Editorial Reviews

[STARRED REVIEW] “Mesmerizing.... Any collection of McKillip’s short stories will be a valuable asset to any library and a joy to her many fans.”
—Library Journal

“Anybody who loves fantasy—not just for what most fantasy does, but for what the genre is really capable of—should definitely pick this book up. It’s like a perfect encapsulation of fantasy writing at its most brave and beautiful.”
—io9

“Jewel-like writing, filling readers with a thoughtful and engaging story, while enchanting us at the same time.”
—Book Swoon

“A casket full of wonders. I think each one is my favorite, until I read the next. McKillip has the true Mythopoeic imagination. Here lies the border between our world and that of Faerie.”
—P. C. Hodgell, author of the Kencyrath series

“This brilliant new collection puts on display the audacity, the warmth, the intelligence, and depth of [McKillip’s] huge and magnificent talent.”
—Peter Straub, author of Ghost Story and A Dark Matter

“The lively and enchanting stories in Wonders of the Invisible World certainly deserve all the accolades I can summon.”
—Paul Goat Allen, Barnes and Noble

“I loved all the stories in this collection, and if I still have to tell you to try this out, well, you haven’t been reading my review.... Patricia Mckillip is a master at what she does. Strongly recommended.”
—Locus

“Wonders of the Invisible World is a wonderful collection of stories full of wit and insight wrapped in beautiful, effortless prose. McKillip’s ability to convey so much in so few words is impressive, as is her ability with storytelling, characterization, and thematic elements.”
—Fantasy Café

“This is one to dip into, savour, and place on that special shelf for books to be cherished.”
—Starburst

“Still one of the best fantasy writers out there.”
—Green Man Review

“Exquisitely written with destinations beyond your imaginings!”
—My Shelf Confessions

“McKillip's is the first name that comes to mind when I'm asked whom I read myself.”
—Peter S. Beagle, author, The Last Unicorn

“In all the stories in Wonders of the Invisible World, McKillip evokes the glamour of Faerie through lush language and crystal-clear imagery . . . she creates gem-like tales that bring the timeless magic of the fae alive for her readers.”
—Examiner

“Great collection by one of the greatest living fantasy writers!”
—Ellen Kushner, author of Swordspoint

From the Publisher