Strip the fairytale princesses of their petticoats and tiaras, and what you have left are the Black Apples. These are stories of trials and survival, strength and defeat, exploring the bones of fairytales. Carolyn has stolen from the temple and is on the run, the mistress of the Gingerbread house is out of control, Bluebeard's child collects hearts on her wall and a horse is not a horse... This collection offers eighteen new dark and delicious fairytales, some exploring the classic tales, others presenting brand new ones. Features stories by eighteen international authors. Edited by Liv Lingborn and Camilla Bruce. Table of contents: Snow Child by Molly Pinto Madigan Twelve Sisters, Twelve Sisters, Ten by Karen Heuler Deus Ex Machina by Caren Gussoff Bluebeard's Child by Alison Littlewood Sickly Sweet by Ephiny Gale Bunny's Lucky Slipper by Pat R Steiner Every Heart is Cold Dark Matter by Nadia Bulkin Citizen by David Turnbull Everyone Else has Two Eyes by Nicki Vardon Scar by Elin Olausson Harsh Beauty by Martine Helene Svanevik Cloaks and Hoods by Angela Rega The Shadow and the Snake by Natalia Theodoridou Coyote and the Girl in the Red Dress by Rose Williamson A Winter Evening by Sarah L Byrne Enkesonnen by Alex Petri And Gold in Her Eyes by Maigen Turner Godmother Death by Kate O'Connor

本書は、お仕着せのドレスを剥ぎ取り、おとぎ話の深奥に潜む「毒」と「骨」を冷徹に描き出した珠玉のアンソロジーです。救いや幸福という甘美な結末を拒絶し、試練や生存の痛みそのものを美学へと昇華させる筆致は、まさに黒い林檎を齧るような禁断の喜びを読者に与えてくれます。 十八人の作家たちが紡ぐ物語は、古典の再構築に留まらず、人間の根源的な恐怖や強靭さを抉り出します。冷酷な運命に抗い、あるいは同化していく少女たちの姿は、現代に生きる我々の孤独や野生をも呼び覚ますでしょう。この一冊には、安易な癒やしを許さない、文学としての真の凄みが凝縮されています。