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Original poster

Adult fairy tales?

31 replies

DepthOfTheAbyss · 10/02/2022 00:32

I’ve seen variances on Beauty and the Beast and Rumplestiltskin in YA fiction. Does anyone know if there are any for adults?

OP posts:
shivermetimbers77 · 10/02/2022 00:38

Try Angela Carter: ‘The Bloody Chamber’. A real classic.

IntermittentParps · 10/02/2022 13:42

I came on to say Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber. She's the mistress of adult fairytales.
I also fairly recently read Hag, a collection of new tellings of old fairy/folk stories by different authors. It's variable, as anthologies can be, but there's some really interesting ones. Some are quite disturbing and frightening.

PenCreed · 11/02/2022 10:30

There are also some books which are aimed at an older audience which have a similar vibe to fairytales, or are based on fairytales. The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy by Katherine Arden is one that comes to mind.

IThinkIMadeItWorse · 11/02/2022 10:35

I would highly recommend Uprooted and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Both have a fairy tale/folklore kind of vibe and both excellent.

Redannie118 · 11/02/2022 11:02

Neil Gaimans done some great ones. Try snow, glass and apples. Or for a modern original fairy tale James Herberts Once is fabulous.

Danikm151 · 11/02/2022 11:06

There the twisted disney tales. I enjoy them. Currently reading the - What once was mine - a twist on Rapunzel

Gregory Maguire (Author of Wicked) has some too. - Mirror Mirror, confessions of an ugly stepsister

For a laugh- the asbo fairy tales

Original poster
DepthOfTheAbyss · 11/02/2022 11:35

Great list there. Thank you Smile

OP posts:
RightOnTheEdge · 15/02/2022 22:06

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey is a lovely book and based on a Russian fairy tale.

YellowLemonshade · 15/02/2022 23:59

The Good People by Hannah Kent features Irish folklore

2022HereWeCome · 16/02/2022 09:47

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth is historical fiction but a retelling of rapunzel. It's a great read.

Sealskin by Su somebody is about the myth of the selkies but I hated this book with a passion and would be loathe to recommend it.

Lost Boy by Christina Henry is a twisted version of Peter Pan.

TabbyM · 16/02/2022 12:10

Beauty, Rose Daughter and Spindle' End Robin McKinley

PenCreed · 18/02/2022 12:54

@2022HereWeCome

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth is historical fiction but a retelling of rapunzel. It's a great read.

Sealskin by Su somebody is about the myth of the selkies but I hated this book with a passion and would be loathe to recommend it.

Lost Boy by Christina Henry is a twisted version of Peter Pan.

I didn't get past the first chapter of Sealskin.

If you're interested in selkie myths then The Visitors by Simon Sylvester covers that ground and isn't deeply unpleasant.

HerNameIsIncontinentiaButtocks · 18/02/2022 13:15

About half of Ursula Vernon (also writes as T Kingfisher) is adult retellings, novel size and shorts. She's excellent.
And another vote for Neil Gaiman of course.

Icenii · 18/02/2022 13:18

What ever you do, do not read The Claiming of Sleeping beauty by Anne Rice! Had to delete it off my Kindle. I cursed my curiosity.

The Snow Child mentioned above it one of my favourite books.

2022HereWeCome · 18/02/2022 13:47

@Icenii - I've just looked up the claiming of sleeping beauty. Given that 4 sentences into the blurb on Amazon it references 50 shades of grey I'm not surprised you deleted it. I only lasted 3 chapters of 50 shades - I'm no prude but it so was badly written I couldn't continue.

Icenii · 18/02/2022 14:14

Not read 50 shades but this one was warped!

Will follow thread as love adult fairy tales.

StarlessSea123 · 18/02/2022 14:18

Christina Henry has a few - they have titles like “The Mermaid” “The Lost Boy” and a series based on Alice in Wonderland. I’ve only personally read The Mermaid so far and it was a fairly dark take on a mermaid story.

Also have read The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and some of Angela Carter’s stuff as pp have suggested.

Porfre · 18/02/2022 14:20

Juliet Marillier
Daughter of the forest trilogy

MissKittyFantastico84 · 18/02/2022 15:59

Try The Book Of Lost Things by John Conolly

Paranoidandroidmarvin · 20/02/2022 21:41

If u fancy something fairy tale but really different try indexing by Mira grant. That’s a huge different way if seeinf fairy tales

OobieDoo · 24/02/2022 19:04

The Skin by J.E. Hannaford is another good Selkie (and sirens and witches) story.

Saucery · 24/02/2022 19:12

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge is YA but not noticeably so. About changelings.

Alltheprettyseahorses · 25/02/2022 07:21

Terri Windling edits MARVELLOUS anthologies of adult fairy tales and has also written some books herself. Tanith Lee and Patricia McKillip are also worth looking out for.

NannyOggsWhiskyStash · 26/05/2022 11:44

Beauty by Sheri Tepper references a few fairy tales, and is heartbreakingly good. Wylding Hall by Elisabeth Hand is an amazing book