Dark Alchemy: Magical Tales from Masters of Modern Fantasy by eds. Dann, Jack, and Gardner Dozois (Paperback)

Never-before-published stories by Neil Gaiman, Eoin Colfer, Garth Nix, and a magical lineup of writers.

Throughout the ages, the wizard has claimed a spot in human culture-from the shadowy spiritual leaders of early man to precocious characters in blockbuster films. Gone are the cartoon images of wizened gray-haired men in pointy caps creating magic with a wave of their wands. Today's wizards are more subtle in their powers, more discerning in their ways, and-in the hands of modern fantasists-more likely than ever to capture readers' imaginations.

In Neil Gaiman's "The Witch's Headstone," a piece taken from his much-anticipated novel in progress, an eight-year-old boy learns the power of kindness from a long-dead sorceress. Only one woman possesses two kinds of magic-enough to unite two kingdoms-in Garth Nix's "Holly and Iron." Patricia A. McKillip's "Naming Day" gives a sorcery student a lesson in breaking the rules. And a famished dove spins a tale worthy of a meal, but perhaps not the truth, in "A Fowl Tale" by Eoin Colfer.

Contents

ix Preface (Wizards: Magical Tales From the Masters of Modern Fantasy) essay by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois
1 The Witch’s Headstone (2007) novelette by Neil Gaiman
25 Holly and Iron (2007) novelette by Garth Nix
58 Color Vision (2007) shortstory by Mary Rosenblum
83 The Ruby Incomparable [Anvil of the World Universe] (2007) shortstory by Kage Baker
99 A Fowl Tale (2007) shortstory by Eoin Colfer
105 Slipping Sideways Through Eternity (2007) shortstory by Jane Yolen
119 The Stranger's Hands (2007) shortstory by Tad Williams
139 Naming Day (2007) shortstory by Patricia A. McKillip
153 Winter’s Wife (2007) novelette by Elizabeth Hand
187 A Diorama of the Infernal Regions, or The Devil's Ninth Question [Pearleen Sunday] (2007) novelette by Andy Duncan
219 Barrens Dance [World of The Innkeeper's Song] (2007) shortstory by Peter S. Beagle
234 Stone Man (2007) shortstory by Nancy Kress
254 The Manticore Spell (2007) shortstory by Jeffrey Ford
263 Zinder (2007) shortstory by Tanith Lee
277 Billy and the Wizard [Billy] (2007) shortstory by Terry Bisson
284 The Magikkers (2007) shortstory by Terry Dowling
299 The Magic Animal (2007) novelette by Gene Wolfe
326 Stonefather [Mither Mages] novella by Orson Scott Card