From Booklist
Acclaimed horror author Charnas gathers several of her best stories as well as a new novella and two new essays in this inventive collection. The opener, "Beauty of the Opera; or, The Phantom Beast," reimagines the ending of Phantom of the Opera: what if Christine had stayed with the Phantom? Charnas' Christine is shrewd enough to bargain the Phantom down to five years of marriage, but during that time she finds her feelings for him growing complicated. In "Evil Thoughts," a woman's petty thoughts are represented by hideous mushrooms in her front yard; try as she might, she is unable to eradicate either mushrooms or thoughts. "Advocates," a collaboration with Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, brings together Charnas' vampire villain, Wayland, and Yarbro's hero of the ages, Saint-Germain. Charnas addresses writing in the two essays: in one, she struggles to turn a novella into a play; in the other, she wrestles with getting her ideas across in her writing. This imaginative compilation ably showcases Charnas' creativity and talent. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Asimov's Science Fiction
"Exhibits the author at her wide-ranging best."

Review
"There's no greater magician than Suzy McKee Charnas." —Peter S. Beagle, author, The Last Unicorn


Andi Shechter, January Magazine
"Suzy McKee Charnas is one of the reasons why, when I first discovered science fiction and fantasy, I loved it."

The Eternal Night
"From the macabre to the lightly horrific, this anthology has something for almost anyone."

Bookloons.com
"Every story in this compelling collection is hard to forget..."

In The Library Reviews
"A deep, dark, yet highly erotic world…"

SF Signal
"Charnas’ writing is outstanding."

About.com, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
"Charnas clearly demonstrates...control of her craft by intertwining classic works of art into the settings of modern story lines."

Horror-web.com
"Eclectic and original…an intoxicating mix of exhilaration and terror."

Book Description
The scary, lush, and complex stories of a seminal fantasy author are presented in this retrospective collection. In "The Unicorn Tapestry," a therapist finds herself transformed by a client who may be a vampire. A young girl discovers the pitfalls of puberty and an animal nature in "Boobs"; an unlikely shaman finds protection in an unwilling ally in "Peregrines"; and in the dark retelling of the two fairy tales "Beauty and the Opéra or The Phantom Beast," a tempestous maestro meets his equal. Also included are two of Charnas's essays, "Art Is Long," an insightful and entertaining look at the unusual process of writing a four-book trilogy, and "The Stagestruck Vampire," an autobiographical look at the author as a playwright.


From the Publisher
Locus Magazine’s 2004 Recommended Reading List book

About the Author
Suzy McKee Charnas is the author of The Ruby Tear, The Vampire Tapestry, and Walk to the End of the World. She has received the Hugo and Nebula awards for her work. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The scary, lush, and complex stories of a seminal fantasy author are presented in this retrospective collection. In "The Unicorn Tapestry," a therapist finds herself transformed by a client who may be a vampire. A young girl discovers the pitfalls of puberty and an animal nature in "Boobs"; an unlikely shaman finds protection in an unwilling ally in "Peregrines"; and in the dark retelling of the two fairy tales "Beauty and the Opéra or The Phantom Beast," a tempestuous maestro meets his equal. Also included are two of Charnas's essays, "Art Is Long," an insightful and entertaining look at the unusual process of writing a four-book trilogy, and "The Stagestruck Vampire," an autobiographical look at the author as a playwright.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly