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    Unnatural Creatures
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    Unnatural Creatures
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    Unnatural Creatures
    Ebook424 pages6 hours

    Unnatural Creatures

    By Neil Gaiman

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    About this ebook

    The griffin, the sunbird, manticores, unicorns—all manner of glorious creatures never captured in zoos, museums or photographs are packed vividly into this collection of stories. Neil Gaiman has included some of his own childhood favourites alongside stories classic and modern to spark the imagination of readers young and old. All contributors have given their work free to benefit Dave Eggers' literacy charity, 826DC. Also includes a new Neil Gaiman Story.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateJun 13, 2013
    ISBN9781408845455
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    Unnatural Creatures
    Author

    Neil Gaiman

    NEIL GAIMAN was awarded the Newbery and Carnegie Medals for The Graveyard Book. His other books for younger readers include Coraline (which was made into an Academy-Award-nominated film) and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish (which wasn’t). Born in England, he has won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. You can learn more at www.mousecircus.com.

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    Reviews for Unnatural Creatures

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    • 4/5
      Perfect holiday reading, 16 stories from a wide range of authors about fantasy creatures ranging from werewolves, Griffins and phoenixes (that is probably not the correct plural) to Death itself. As with any collection it is a bit uneven, with Gaiman's own story being my personal highlight, but I was engaged by most of the stories. Gaiman's introduction to the book and the individual stories are short, but entertaining. Well worth a read of you are at all interested in fantasy.
    • 4/5
      Unnatural Creatures. Was. Beautiful. That's all I have to say.
    • 5/5
      I have a love/hate relationship with short stories. No, that's not right. It's more like a love/apathy relationship. I love a good short story more than almost anything, though anthologies are a bit tough to chew on. It's hard to keep the momentum going, like you would reading a novel, when you reach a (hopefully) satisfying climax every fifteen to thirty pages and then have to step into the steep learning curve of an entirely new story. Then there's the issue of cohesion. Many anthologies are nothing more than a hastily cobbled collection of unrelated stories by authors whose names will sell the book.

      In my experience the best anthologies are those by a single author. If it's a good author (as Neil Gaiman undoubtedly is) then you'll be in for a treat. I loved Gaiman's two short fiction collections, Fragile Things and Smoke & Mirrors. For this anthology he contributes one of his stories, which also appeared in Fragile Things, and picks a bunch of awesome stories to go along with it.

      The anthology is surprisingly cohesive. It's held together by the idea that each story be about an "unnatural creature" though it's also held together by a surprising similarity in style. Gaiman's story picks are from old authors (some of them deceased) or authors who write in an old-timey style. many of these stories were written fifty or sixty years ago. One was written over a hundred years ago. This gives the book an old, victorian-era feel that I absolutely adore. These stories feel like they could have been written by Conan Doyle, or H.G. Wells.

      In short, Gaiman has great taste, or at least taste that is very similar to my own, and I'm happy to sit back and let him share some recommendations with me.
    • 3/5
      When I downloaded this e-book (and I only did so because at the moment, it was either free or ninety-nine cents -- I forget which) I mistakenly thought this was another short-story collection by Neil Gaiman. I had read, and enjoyed, his collection titled Fragile Things , which also happened to be my first exposure to Neil Gaiman.Alas, actually Unnatural Creatures is a short story collection, yes, but an anthology of various authors -- edited by Neil Gaiman. And the one short story actually authored by Gaiman is one that is already in Fragile Things . So I will have to keep looking elsewhere to find more of Gaiman. I'm thinking I would like to try his Coraline someday soon.No, discovering that this was not a solely Gaiman collection did not make me throw my iPad across the room -- I went ahead and read all the stories. Of course, being an anthology, some I enjoyed more than others. While some of the stories were memorable I am not sure that any of them make me compelled to race out and find more works by any of the authors. The problem is not the quality of the writing itself but that I need more than one short story by one author to be sure. So, while a nice diversion overall, it did not succeed in "selling" me on any one writer (some long since dead, as some stories' were first published a hundred years ago or more).
    • 5/5
      This is a phenomenal collection of stories. Anything by Neil Gaiman kicks ass, but this book sent my imagination soaring and added to my insatiable love of monsters. I fought to make this book last at least a week, unfortunately I finished it within two sittings. Yeah, it's that great.
    • 2/5
      Well, this ended up the same as the other short story anthologies I've read. Some I liked, and some I didn't. Anthologies are always a crapshoot, and they're always harder than a novel. I gotta get used to another universe and writing style every 5,000 words. I gotta figure out the new protagonist and plot goals over and over again. It's a no-win situation. If you don't like the story, it's a slog. If you do like the story, it's over too quickly. The only reason I read this was because Neil Gaiman's name was attached to it AND I found it easily at the library. Failing those events, I wouldn't have picked this up.
    • 5/5
      An outstanding collection of short stories of strange critters, with diversity of authors, time periods, styles, etc. Well chosen. Tremendously fun to read.

      Library copy
    • 4/5
      Overall Summary and Review: Unnatural Creatures is an anthology for those of us who love monsters, mythic beasts, and magical creatures. Many of the "typical" creatures - like werewolves, unicorns, and griffins - are present, but many of the other creatures are substantially further afield (and some creatures that you might expect to see represented, like dragons, are curiously absent.) The stories also cover a broad range, including classics from the late 1800s and early 1900s, stories by modern fantasy authors, and several stories that are published for the first time in this volume. Overall, I thought this was quite a strong anthology; there were a few pieces I didn't like as much as others, but no real duds, and the blend of older and newer stories made for an interesting variety, with a few really stand-out pieces. 4 out of 5 stars.Individual Summaries and Reviews: "*" by Gahan Wilson is the story of an inkblot that appears out of nowhere, and moves - and grows - when you take your eyes off of it. This was a fun story, but would I have found it as compelling and creepy if I wasn't already familiar with the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who? Probably not."The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees" by E. Lily Yu is, as the title suggests, a story of what happens when some very intelligent wasps need to move their colony. While I like any story that involves this much (accurate) biology, this one didn't grab me."The Griffin and the Minor Canon" by Frank R. Stockton is a story about a terrifying griffin who comes to town to see his likeness where it has been carved into the church, and the local clergyman who is sent to deal with it. Like most of the classic stories in this collection, this one reads easily and surprisingly modernly, and although the moral of the story is maybe laid out a little baldly, I still really enjoyed it."Ozioma the Wicked" by Nnedi Okorafor is about a girl who can talk to snakes, and is feared and hated by everyone in her village, until the day that a monstrous snake comes to town. An interesting contrast to the previous story, both involving the only person who can speak to the monster that's come to town."Sunbird" by Neil Gaiman is the story of the Epicurean Club, the members of which have just about run out of strange and exotic creatures to eat... except the mythical Sunbird. I'd read this story before (twice!), so it's lost some of its shine, but even on repeated exposure, it remains a very clever idea."The Sage of Theare" by Diana Wynne Jones is a story about a prophecy concerning the birth of the sage of dissolution, and the gods' attempts to avert destiny. Every time I read DWJ's work, I'm reminded that I need to read more of her work. This story was good but it felt like there was a larger context (I believe it's set in the Chrestomanci universe?) that I just wasn't getting."Gabriel-Ernst" by Saki is a story about a werewolf, and a strange young boy encountered in the woods. Short, but one of the more effectively creepy creatures in the collection."The Cockatoucan; or, Great-Aunt Willoughby" by E. Nesbit involves a young girl who takes the wrong bus, and winds up in a land where nothing is as it seems, and things can change at a moment's notice. This story was one of the less-modern-feeling "classics" in the collection; it felt a lot more like an old fairy tale (it reminded me a lot of The Princess and the Goblin, actually). But it was charming and fun nevertheless."Moveable Beast" by Maria Dahvana Headley is the story of a girl in a strange town, a town that surrounds a forest, and what happens when a Beast Hunter comes to town. I liked the central concept of this story a lot, but it felt somewhat unpolished, and like the author was trying too hard to make it edgy."The Flight of the Horse" by Larry Niven involves a man who is sent back in time to capture a horse - which are long since extinct - as a present for his ruler. The central conceit - that "hey, the history books didn't show horses with that weird poky thing on their forehead but oh well" - is pretty obvious from the get-go, but this story made me laugh regardless. Plus I do love me some good time-travel fiction.In "Prismatica" by Samuel R. Delany, a man is hounded into participating in a quest for three broken pieces of a mirror that will free a trapped princess, but the quest might not be for the noblest ends. This story had a lot of disparate elements, and although each of them was interesting, it wound up feeling kind of disjointed."The Manticore, the Mermaid, and Me" by Megan Kurashige involves siblings, a museum, and a little magic. I thought this story was interesting when I read it, but it wasn't really substantial enough to have left much of an impression."The Compleat Werewolf" by Anthony Boucher is the story of a professor who, at a low point in his life, encounters a strange man at a bar who claims to be magician, and tells our protagonist that he is a werewolf who can change form at will. Which is all well and good, but who can he trust enough with his secret to change him back? This story was originally published in the 1940s, but on the whole it felt very fresh, although with sort of a throwback-y noir feeling in parts. It's also the longest story in the book, but it read very quickly."The Smile on the Face" by Nalo Hopkinson was one of my favorite stories in this collection. It involves an insecure young woman, a cherry pit, dryads, saints, and some unexpected happenings at a party. The language is beautiful, the characters are very relatable, and the story as a whole was just awesome."Or all the Seas with Oysters" by Avram Davidson is the story of a bicycle shop owner who is convinced that the new racing bike in his store is not actually a bike... and where did all of those coat hangers come from? I couldn't decide if this was a funny story that was secretly really creepy, or a creepy story that was subtly very funny. Very interesting and original, though, and either way, I really enjoyed it.I've actually read - or rather listened to - "Come Lady Death" by Peter S. Beagle before. A highborn London lady always strives to throw the best parties, so finally she invites the one most famous guest that no one else would think to invite: Death. My opinion hasn't changed since the first time: excellent historical fantasy, well-written and well-plotted and left me wanting more. Also, I thought the first time about how Death will always be the Sandman Death for me, so I wonder how Gaiman thought about including this story in his collection.Recommendation: Gaiman and Headley did a very nice job of bring together old and new into a compilation that is going to appeal to lovers of magical creatures of all ages.
    • 5/5
      This anthology of stories, edited by Neil Gaiman, features an array of strange creatures, from mermaids and griffins to creatures that bear no name. This is a fantastic collection with a diverse set of authors representing a wide array of styles and stories. I can't think of a single story in the collection that I didn't like, as they were all enjoyable to some degree. A few of my favorites are listed below. Gahan Wilson's story (which has an image for a title and it therefore both unspellable and unpronounceable) is a delightful creepy tale about a spot that appear on the dinning room table one day, a spot that mysteriously grows and moves when you're not looking. E. Lily Yu's "The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees" presents great world building, showing the complex governmental systems of the bees and wasps. Though the creatures are small, the tale is epic in scope. In "Ozioma the Wicked" by Nnedi Okorafor, Ozioma is a young girl who has the ability to speak to snakes, which makes her an outcast in her village. At least until the day when her gift become very useful. "Moveable Beast" by Maria Dahvana Headley — Angela lives in a town with with a forest in the center that houses a beast. Everything is fine, at least until a beast collector shows up in town to complicate things. Great story. Larry Niven's "The Flight of the Horse" mixed time travel and mythology. Woohoo! Lots of fun and had me laughing. "The Manticore, the Mermaid and Me" by Megan Kurashige offers the reader assembled creatures. I have chills just thinking about how it all turned out. Loved it. Spies, Nazis, and werewolves, "The Compleat Werewolf" by Anthony Boucher felt like a '40s noir novel and was a lot of fun. "Or All the Seas with Oysters" by Avram Davidson — The creatures in this one were most unusual. Who knew a harmless looking bicycle shop could be such a frightening place?
    • 4/5
      I was excited to read a collection of stories picked by Neil Gaiman as some of his favorites. As with all anthologies this is a mixed bag; but in general it was a better mix than most anthologies I have read.This collection consists of 16 stories. Many of these stories feature things or creatures that end up being something different from what they originally seem to be. The stories span a variety of settings but in general are fairy-tale like in feel and have a large dose of irony to them. The ones I enjoyed the most were Gahan Wilson’s story (about a weird spot that grows into something dangerous), Ozioma the Wicked (about a girl who can talk to snakes), Sunbird (about a group of people who have eaten everything living), The Cockatoucan (a fabulous fairy tale about a sneezing bird who changes the world), Pristmatica (a story where a young man goes questing for three mirror pieces), and Come Lady Death (a story about a pretentious noblewoman who invites Death to her ball). Each story is prefaced with a short commentary from Neil on why he chose this story and what it is about. This was interesting and added something extra special to this book. You can read below for short descriptions/reviews of each story. Overall this was a solid collection of fantasy/fairy tale like stories. If you enjoy fantasy short stories go ahead and give this collection a read through, some of them are very good.- (picture of weird line), by Gahan Wilson (5/5) Loved this story. It’s about a dark spot on a tablecloth that isn’t really a dark spot at all but something much more sinister. I loved the writing style, found this easy and fun to read and enjoyed the inclusion of art to tell the story- The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees, by E. Lily Yu (3/5) This was an okay story. It’s about a bunch of rather odd wasps who invade the home of some bees. They form a treaty, but there is a rebellion in their midst. It’s an odd little story that was a bit confusing. It’s an interesting idea but not all that well executed.- The Griffin and the Minor Canon, by Frank R. Stockton (4/5)Very well written story about a Griffin who goes to a town to see pictures of his likeness and befriends a Minister there. This was a well-written and enjoyable read. - Ozioma the Wicked, by Nnedi Okorofor (5/5)About a girl who is ostracized by her village because of her ability to talk to snakes. Her fortunes change however when the village needs her to take care of a gigantic cobra. This story had absolutely wonderful imagery and was incredibly engaging. I really loved it.- Sunbird, by Neil Gaiman (5/5)I’ve read this story before and really enjoyed it then too. It is an ironic and humorous story about a group of people whose goal it is to eat everything. They are bored with the fact that they have eaten everything when one of their members invites them to Egypt to try eating Sunbird. - The Song of Theare, by Diana Wynne Jones (3/5)This story was long and boring. It’s about some Gods who are concerned about a prophecy that will bring about their dissolution. When one of the gods finds out its his offspring Thisper that is supposed to bring it about he tries to divert things, to no avail. It is somewhat ironic, but a bit long and wordy.- Gabriel-Ernest, by Saki (4/5)Well done and ironic story about a man who discovers a strangely beastial boy is living in his woods. I enjoyed the irony and found the story entertaining.- The Cockatoucan; or, Great-Aunt Willoughby (5/5)Magical story about a young girl who ends up in a different kingdom on her way to visit her Aunt. There she must discover how to make the bird stop laughing if she is to stop the craziness that plagues the kingdom. Wonderful description, fairy tale like, and very magical.- Moveable Beast, by Maria Dahvana Headley (4/5)Well done and creative story about a girl who gets involved with a Beast Hunter who is trying to hunt the beast that lives in her forest. Of course, the Beast is not exactly what you think it is going to be. It is well written and well done.- The Flight of the Horse, by Larry Niven (4/5)A man goes back in time to collect a horse, but is a bit puzzled by the fact that the horse is not exactly as pictured in his histories. A wonderful blend of sci-fi and fantasy. This story is also very humorous, I enjoyed it.- Prismatica, by Samuel Delany (5/5)A wonderful story about a poor man who is hired by a grey man to help him collect three magic mirror pieces. The grey man has a creature of a trunk that is very mysterious. This has very much of a questing feel to it, is full of twists and turns and is very fairytale-like. I enjoyed it a lot.- The Manticore, the Mermaid, and Me, by Megan Kurashige (4/5)A well done story about creatures in the Natural History Museum that aren’t exactly what they appear to be. This was well written and entertaining.- The Compleat Werewolf, by Anthony Boucher (4/5)The lengthiest story of the bunch. A decently done story about a man who finds out he’s a werewolf and tries to use this to catch the lady of his dreams. Along the way he ends up embroiled in a dastardly plot. This was a fun story that was a bit silly as well.- The Smile on the Face, by Nalo Hopkinson (3/5)A story about an insecure teenage girl who turns into something unusual when she is threatened with sexual assault. This is done in a modern setting and it is kind of interesting what happens when the girl swallows a cherry pit and ends up channeling something a bit beastial. It was an okay read, but I didn’t enjoy the writing style as much as some of the other stories and didn’t enjoy how long the story took to set up.- Or All the Seas with Oysters, by Avram Davidson (4/5)This was a strange and funny little story about a bike shop that isn’t exactly what it seems to be. The ending surprised me and was ironic and unexpected. Overall an entertaining read.- Come Lady Death, by Peter S. Beagle (5/5)A pretentious noblewoman who is bored with life decides to invite Death to her ball. When Death arrives the nobles get what they deserve, especially the noblewoman who invited Death. This was well written and I love the irony in it.
    • 4/5
      I’ll admit it: I picked up Unnatural Creatures from the bookstore shelf because it carried Neil Gaiman‘s name on the front. A collection of short stories focused on fantastical creatures “that exist only in our minds,” each is a golden nugget by writers both classic and new, every one an enjoyable and creative read.

      Which is why I was more than a little disappointed to put Unnatural Creatures down after the last story. Introduced by a short paragraph by Gaiman, each tale was a refreshing and creative new creature, each defying or belying any fairy tale paradigm.

      In addition to more traditional creatures like the griffin and phoenix, there are the cartographer wasps and anarchist bees, time travelers inadvertently stealing away history’s fantastical creatures, multidimensional dots, and a werewolf against Nazi spies. Some are fun, others dark, and nearly all have a twist that leaves a smile.

      In “The Compleat Werewolf” by Anthony Boucher we find Professor Wolfe Wolf, who is mocked behind his back by his associates and students as “woof woof.” It is California in the 1940s, though, and Nazis are more a danger to America than werewolves.

      In “Prismatica,” Samuel R. Delany writes an homage to James Thurber with the tale of the poor by clever Amos, who will journey to the deepest swamp, to meet the North Wind, and to a land of many colors in search of his fortune.

      The incomparable Larry Niven is here, as well, with a story of a time traveler from a time when the horse is extinct and the General Secretary wants one for his birthday. However, information about what exactly a horse looks like is sparse, almost as sparse as information about the middle ages. The result is a humorous and grin inducing trip to the middle ages.

      The sixteen tales collected are as creative as the creatures they feature, and with them Gaiman has produced a book as interesting and complete as any that he might have written himself.
    • 3/5
      3.2 average = 3 stars. Some good stories here.

      **** [inkspot] - (1972) - Gahan Wilson
      An ominous inksplot grows every time an obnoxious aristocrat takes his eyes off it. Both amusing and creepy.

      *** The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees - (2011) - E. Lily Yu
      Just read this earlier this month in Nebula Awards Showcase, when I said: I feel like maybe I missed something here. Or maybe the 'something' just wasn't there. I liked the set-up, the conflict between the two insect species and the revolutionary faction amongst the bees. But I didn’t feel that it all pulled together.

      *** The Griffin and the Minor Canon - (1885) - Frank R. Stockton
      A vain griffin come to town to see his likeness carved in stone, as the gargoyles of the local church – to the great consternation of the townspeople. An amusingly written story, but the social commentary rather fell flat, for me. No, I don’t subscribe to the idea that the “sick and the poor” are all actually just malingerers.

      *** Ozioma the Wicked - Nnedi Okorafor
      Kind of a ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ set in an African village. People dislike and fear Ozioma, who is reputed to speak with snakes and to be a witch. But when her talents save a man’s life, and incidentally bring wealth to the villagers, they change their tune. Ozioma’s too forgiving for my taste…

      Sunbird -(2005) - Neil Gaiman
      *** Skipped, as I’ve read this story at least twice before, and remember it well. (read in Fragile Things and in Noisy Outlaws…)

      The Sage of Theare - (1982) - Diana Wynne Jones
      *** A short story which ties in with Wynne-Jones’ Chrestomanci series, in which a mysterious enchanter travels between worlds. In this mythologically-influenced tale, the gods of an extremely orderly realm eject a child whom, prophecy indicates, will grow to tear down their society. But it’s Chrestomanci’s job to restore balance, and his magic is aware that the child is in the wrong world… Some nice philosophy here regarding cause and effect, but it’s still not my favorite tale set in this world (or, rather, worlds).

      *****Gabriel-Ernest - (1909) - Saki
      This is a completely excellent werewolf story, and I can’t believe I’ve never read it before now. The young man/wolf’s insolence and effrontery are just perfect – an amoral reflection of the nature of a wild, predatory creature who encounters ‘civilisation,’ and a man who really doesn’t know how to handle the situation.

      *** The Cockatoucan; or, Great-Aunt Willoughby -(1900) - E. Nesbit
      The style and content of this story reminded me of The Phantom Tollbooth – which I haven’t read in long enough that the similarity could be completely illusory. A young girl and her nanny, on the way to visit a dreadfully dull great-aunt, accidentally take the wrong bus, and end up in a strange fairy-tale land where reality shifts every time the caged Cockatoucan laughs. But why is the bird laughing?

      ** Moveable Beast - Maria Dahvana Headley
      A weird and unpleasant small town is centered around their one-block by one-block mini-forest. But not is all as it seems… Good idea, but the writing style didn’t appeal to me.

      *** The Flight of the Horse - (1969) - Larry Niven
      Sent back in time to retrieve a horse, to satisfy a spoiled prince’s whim, the hapless agent captures what is clearly, to the reader’s eye, a unicorn. What will the prince want next? Mildly amusing.

      *** Prismatica - (1977) - Samuel R. Delany
      By far my favorite thing I’ve read by Delany. Of course, it’s billed as an ‘Hommage a James Thurber,’ and I like Thurber. So, Delany imitating Thurber gets my thumbs-up. A classic quest fairy tale with clever and memorable twists – and a bit of a sappy ending, but that’s OK.

      *** The Manticore, the Mermaid, and Me - Megan Kurashige
      A kid discovers that his mom’s colleague at The Museum of Natural History has been sneaking hoax (?) taxidermy into the museum. Strange events occur, and perhaps two children learn something about friendship.

      *** The Compleat Werewolf - (1942) - Anthony Boucher
      Professor Wolfe Wolf (known around the office as Woof-Woof) discovers that his name relates to his identity far more closely than he’d ever realized. And proceeds to get himself into trouble.

      ** The Smile on the Face -(2004) - Nalo Hopkinson
      Teenage girls should be happy with their bodies and stick up for themselves against attempted date rape. Yes, fine, I agree. But I didn’t love the story.

      **** Or All the Seas with Oysters -(1958) - Avram Davidson
      A horror/fantasy story about two partners who run a bike shop – not without much interpersonal conflict. Feels far more contemporary than its 1958 publication date. Really good.

      **** Come Lady Death - (1963) - Peter S. Beagle
      A bored aristocratic lady invites Death as a guest to one of her many soirees – and gets more than she bargained for. I imagine that this story may have influenced Gaiman’s portrayal of Death in Sandman. Excellent story.


    • 4/5
      Sixteen short stories selected by Neil Gaiman run the gamut from amusing to mildly creepy. No particular standouts, but nothing dismally disappointing, either. This would be a good collection for getting the feel for new authors if you're unfamiliar with some of those tapped for inclusion.
    • 5/5
      Great collection of fantasy short stories that are all well written and extraordinary in very individual ways. I really enjoyed getting a taste of these different authors works and discovering some new writers I'd like to add to my TBR list.One of the best stories in this book is an extremely well done tale called Prismatica by Samuel R. Delany. This piece could (maybe "should") be studied by aspiring fantasy writers. The story construction and creativity in the plot are excellent, with no loose ends or empty passages.Overall, there's not a bad story in this collection. All were entertaining in their own unique manners and many of them left me smiling at the end.