Review: Modern Fae's Guide to Surviving Humanity

I have never read any of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Besides that fact that this admission may force me to give up my Official Nerd ID Card, this should tell you that I am not a fan of fantasy, epic or otherwise. However, since I knew several of the authors in the new anthology The Modern Fae’s Guide to Surviving Humanity (hereinafter called “Modern Fae”) I decided to give the anthology a chance. I’m glad I did.

The conceit of the anthology is that traditional fantasy characters, elves and the like have to survive in the modern day. This keeps the epic down to a low roar.

The first story out of the shoot is Seanean McGuire’s “We Will Not Be Undersold,” which is a wonderful tale of selling one’s soul (perhaps a bit too literally) to one’s work. Anybody who’s ever stepped foot in a “big box” discount store would appreciate this gem.

“Changeling” by Susan Jett is a fascinating story of a mother’s love, and it’s followed by “Water-Called,” a story of science and fantasy intersecting in the form of a water fairy. “The Roots of Aston Quercus” marries the old concept of dryads with urban renewal and modern environmentalism. Avery Shade’s “To Scratch an Itch” proved to be a fine coming-of-age tale.

The next story in the line-up, Kristine Smith’s “Continuing Education” was a story I had the privilege of hearing the author read at a Chicago-area convention. It was unique in that Smith told her story from the point of view of a normal human, not (as in the other stories) from a fae. This was bookended nicely by Barbara Ashford’s “How To Be Human ™,” which was the story of a fairy trying to make a living as a motivational speaker to humans.

Anton Stout’s story “Hooked” proved to be an interesting twist on a detective story, set in New York’s Central Park. This was followed by S. C. Butler’s story “Crash,” also set in New York, which told the tale of what really happens if you get hold of a leprechaun’s treasure.

“Fixed” by Jean Marie Ward was an interesting tale with a surprise ending, discussing the downsides of being able to change from animal to human form. Elizabeth Bear, one of the most prolific authors in SF and Fantasy, contributed a neat story called “The Slaughtered Lamb” which mixed traditional fantasy and very non-traditional gender roles. Closing out this anthology in strong fashion was my friend Jim C. Hines, going darker than his novel-length work with a short story called “Corrupted.”

All in all, a very solid collection, and well worth your time, even if you don’t read fantasy.