ED HOCH • GEORGE R.R. MARTIN • ANDREW LANG • TANITH LEE • FRANK R. STOCKTON • JACK VANCE • HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN • MILDRED CLINGERMAN • F.A. JAVOR • THOMAS N. SCORIA • ROBERT F. YOUNG • THEODORE STURGEON • THOMAS A. EASTON

From a fearsome extraterrestrial sea-monster that demands absolute obedience to a gentle mermaid that inhabits the kingdom of the air, from a very modern, athletic pair of centaurs to the alluring beauty of the legendary Unicorn: here are tales of mythical beasts made so real you can almost hear them speak. An unexpected vacation in the depths of the Minotaur’s labyrinth and a startling glimpse of the winged exploits of fabled Pegasus enable you to take flight into the bewitching realm of.…[sic]

ISAAC ASIMOV’S

MAGICAL WORLDS OF FANTASY

MYTHICAL BEASTIES

Nobody is more surprised than I that I actually enjoy this anthology, despite the fact that there’s nothing by the Good Doctor in it, and despite the fact that it’s in the “Isaac Asimov’s Magical Worlds of Fantasy” series.

The fact is, however, that in all the stories here there are only one or two I don’t like very much (most notably the final story, “Mood Wendigo” by Thomas A. Easton), there are a number which are quite good (e.g., F.A. Javor’s “Triumph of Pegasus”) and several which are very good, notably Mildred Clingerman’s “Letters from Laura,” Frank R. Stockton’s “The Griffin and the Minor Canon,” and Andrew Lang’s “Prince Prigio.” To top it off, this actually contains Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” which is a beautiful, beautiful tale and infinitely better than the Disneyfied version (although that’s quite good, too).

This is actually an anthology which is worth the effort to own, in other words, which, as I say, is more than a slight surprise.