Wonders of the Invisible World

Wonders of the Invisible World (2012) is a Fantasy collection. It contains sixteen stories, a speech and an introduction. - "Introduction" (2012) by Charles de Lint describes his experiences with the author. - "Wonders of the Invisible World" (Full Spectrum, 1995) takes a researcher to meet and record fanatics. - "Out of the Woods" (Flights, 2004) follows a woman who becomes aware of faery. - "The Kelpie" (The Fair Folk, 2005) draws a talented -- but self-centered -- artist into one final imposition. - "Hunter's Moon" (Green Man Tales, 2002) exposes the Chase family to a surprise. - "Oak Hill" (The Essential Borderlands, 1998) teaches a girl that her mother is right. - "The Fortune Teller" (The Coyote Road, 2007) convinces a thief to change her ways. - "Jack O'Lantern" (Firebirds Rising, 2006) presents questions on the nature of fox fire. - "Knight of the Well" (Book of Wizards, 2012) brings a knight to Luminum for the dedication of a foundation. - "Naming Day" (Wizards, 2007) takes a young magician out chasing an imp on her special day. - "Byndley" (Firebirds, 2003) returns a wizard to the boundaries of Faery with a task. - "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" (Wolf at the Door, 2000) solves a problem for the king. - "Undine" (Faery Reel, 2004) inserts a water sprite into an ecological conflict. - "Xmas Cruise" (Christmas Forever, 1993) involves two couples in an ecology themed cruise to Antarctic waters. - "A Gift To Be Simple" (Not of Woman Born, 1999) divulges the innovative way a Shaker community recovers their energy. - "The Old Woman and the Storm" (Imaginary Lands, 1990) traces the thoughts of a man taking a walk. - "The Doorkeeper of Khaat" (Full Spectrum, 1990) concerns a man looking for a means to relieve his father's pain. - "What Inspires Me" (2004) is the Guest of Honor Speech at WinCon 28. It spends most of the time answering another question.These tales cover a wide range of fantastic fiction. Yet the names -- except "Byndley" and "The Doorkeeper of Khaat" -- are so generic. They provide few clues to the contents of the stories, yet the stories themselves are so different from other fantasy tales.Her novels are also very different from most Fantasy works. From  The House on Parchment Street  to  The Bards of Bone Plain , the author has produced original and ingenious tales. This collection allows new readers to sample her style and creativity.Highly recommended for McKillip fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of fantastic settings, strange creatures, and creative ideas. Read and enjoy!-Arthur W. Jordin

Everything you would expect with perhaps a little more edge. I somehow thought that being short stories I would be able to put it down after I finished one. Not so. MacKillop delights the mind with language and imagination whether writing a novel or a short and takes you to worlds delightful and magical which, as if stepping through a door into the fey, will leave you wishing you could stay in its pages a year and a day.

Much has already been said about McKillip's lyrical writing style that casts a net over the gap between "poetry" and "prose." Poignant, thoughtful and nostalgic, this collection of short stories would be a great introduction to the author. The quality here surpasses her previous collection, in my opinion, making this a mandatory addition to the McKillip enthusiast's library. She plays in some different genres here, including sci-fi, which is a riot and well worth the price of admission alone, but most stories are classic McKillip, fairy tales with a twist. This is the thing about McKillip though... The prose is more important than the story sometimes. Once or twice she drops the story all together in favor of dazzling you with her poetry. But for someone like me who reads to feel, I don't mind that at all. You might finish a story completely bewildered by the events, but the way it touches you lingers far longer than any confusion regarding the plot or purpose. Very pleased with my purchase.

This collection is full of good, solid fantasy stories. For me, the two standouts were:Byndley: This one played on my fascination with back roads, shortcuts and borders and it confirmed everything I have suspected.The Kelpie: Everyone's favorite, it seems. If I am ever able to find that borderland wormhole that will allow me to travel through time, I am sooooooo going to visit the Pre Raphaelite painters and I imagine it will be very similar to this story.

Like many fantasy readers, I am usually a fan of longer works, where the world-building efforts pay off over time. And while I like a well-written short story, it is not usually my favorite genre. But several of these stories by McKillip are so good that you forget how short they are and get lost in the worlds she creates. I especially liked The Kelpie, A Gift to Be Simple, and The Old Woman and the Storm (a great Valentine story for the right couple), but the whole book was worth reading, particularly if you already like her novels.

This was an interesting collection and I overall enjoyed reading it. Many of the pieces are short, flash-type pieces and almost all of those are delightful. McKillip is a great writer and has really intriguing and beautiful ideas. However, several of the short stories struck me as interesting stories that I was somewhat slogging through because of the pacing of the story-telling. That being said, the later, longer short stories were wonderful. I haven't read much McKillip, but from this collection I am guessing that she is just full of incredible ideas, but the short story is not her true medium. The flash stories work because they're basically outlines of an incredible idea. And the longer stories work because they're longer and give her room to move. But the middle between those just doesn't seem to work well, for this reader anyway.

I don't usually like short stories very much, but these were excellent. I love this writer so I was willing to give her a chance and I am glad that I did. I have read many versions of The Twelve Dancing Princesses and this version was also good. The stories were long enough that I wasn't too upset when they were finished. I usually don't like short stories because I get into the characters then the story ends. This happened in this book too but it wasn't so bad. Really a good read.

I enjoyed this very much. The stories were full of tenderness and a descriptive beauty, and the themes explored were often similar, but intriguing and beguiling. I am a fan.

Simply exquisite. This was my first read of anything by Ms. McKilip, and certainly not the last.I forgot who recommended it... but thank you, regardless!

ich bin fasziniert von diesen Geschichten, ihre Vielfältigkeit, die unterschiedlichen Blickpunkte, aus denen sie geschrieben sind und die Sprache (wobei ich zugeben muss, dass ich im Englischen nicht alle Feinheiten verstehe, mir aber die Freiheit nehme, Wörter nach eigenem Situationsgefühl zu interpretieren). Es ist mir eine Freude und Bereicherung, in die Welten von Patricia McKillip einzutauchen.

Am McKillip fan. Enjoyed book, glad I bought it, is one I will read more tHan once. Wish there were more mcKillips, MacAvoys, Hendersons (Zenna) and Charles De Lints out there

Wonderful story her writing is like poetry Reall diffent characters