Cover of Xanadu 2 by Jane Yolen

Xanadu 2

XANADU 2

Tor Books 1994, 2009

ISBN# 0-312-85368-8 Tor hardcover

ISBN# 0-312-86199-0 Tor trade paperback

Published for adults.

The second of a series of the best original adult fantasy short stories and poems, including one of my own poems in each volume. Martin H. Greenberg and I sold the book together, but only my name appears on the cover because I edited the book. He handled the monetary details. Rave reviews, calling this the series that shows what fantasy is about. Few sales.

What reviewers have said:

  • “Yolen’s second collection of original fantasy verse and short fiction surpasses the first in overall quality and establishes the series as an enriching mainstay of the genre. By encompassing stories that focus less on sword and sorcery than on twisted versions of reality, it presents a colorful medley of styles and themes ranging from wry satire to modern fairy tale. … A delightfully varied compendium of imaginative storytelling that will appeal to fans and nonfans alike.” — Booklist
  • “The stories here are uniformly literate and well-written. . .”–Book World
  • “This collection of stories has bite, sarcasm, wit, and a slightly bitter edge. It’s just what fantasy needs.”–School Library Journal
  • “<A> consistent sense of storytelling returning to its roots, of new writers harkening back to oral traditions rather than other literary fantasies, and this is the main source of the book’s considerable energy.”–Locus Magazine
  • “The second volume of Yolen’s fantasy anthology series preserves the high quality and range of the first without being repetitive. . .a prime source of good short fiction in the field.”–Publisher’s Weekly

2009 edition available Oct. 1, 09