Wings of Fire edited by Jonathan Strahan and Marianne S. Jablon

Published by Night Shade Books, June, 2010 (Available in trade paperback and Ebook format from all major retailers.)

http://www.nightshadebooks.com/book/wings-of-fire/#.UcnXJPmkrCk

Review by N.E. White.

Nila soars with the greats with the venerable tome: Wings of Fire.

If you are familiar with Jonathan Strahan’s anthology efforts, then you probably know about this anthology. I was not familiar with Strahan, nor did I know of this anthology’s existence until my brother handed me the thick tome and said, “It’s worth it.” So, there’s a chance that you may not know about it either. Let me tell you.Strahan and Marianne S. Jablon compiled what they deemed were the best dragon stories fantasy and science fiction authors had to offer. And, like many anthologies, some of the dragon-tales warrant inclusion while others do not – in my opinion, of course. Only two are original to this anthology, the others have been published elsewhere.

As a whole, the stories feature creature that run the gamut of what we think a dragon should be: from mind-altering terrifying god-like monsters to a humorous side-kick. The settings are just as varied: modern, futuristic, traditional fantasy, medieval, alternate history, fairy tale-like, etc. The editors were out to offer the reader a wide experience of dragon stories and they do not disappoint. The most notable to me, and my favorites, follow:

Stable of Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

First up is a poem. Normally, poems put me off. I’m just not that into them, but when one starts with “I keep nine dragons in an old cow barn…”, how could I not keep reading? A sordid, adult tale emerges from Beagle’s excellent portrait of man’s infatuation with dragons and dragon legend. One that won’t disappoint and sets the stage for whatever may come next. Something with sharp teeth, no doubt…

The Rule of Names by Ursula K. Le Guin

I’m not a huge Le Guin fan, but there is a reason why she holds a long standing place in the echelons of science fiction and fantasy. Her stories touch on the ancient human condition in a way that surprises. This is true in this quick read about the importance of names.

The Ice Dragon by George R. R. Martin

I love Martin’s Ice and Fire series, and a few other of his works, but not everything he writes hits the right note for me. This was one of ‘em. I felt the main character, a child of the cold was too…cold, basically. There was little for me to like in her, so much so that when she finally decides to do something heroic, it was too little too late – for me and her family. I guess I just didn’t like that she was so self-serving that in the end, those closest to her, including the dragon, paid the price for her failures rather than herself.

Sobek by Holly Black

I’ve never read anything by Holly Black before, but after reading this tale, I will definitely check out her work (even if it is young-adult). The dragon in this modern tale is relatively tame by most dragon standards, and it doesn’t play a starring role. Rather, we get to follow a sad and harrowing tale of a young woman trapped by her mother’s craziness. She ends up saving a young man and a dragon in a most satisfying way. My only gripe with this story is that it felt like the guts of it were edited out. I think it needed to be longer.

King Dragon by Michael Swanwick

**Wow**. Talk about a head spin. This is dark, eerie and completely other-worldly (while still dipping heavily into our own). There’s not much I can say about this one except I will be reading Mr. Swanwick’s novels: The Iron Dragon’s Daughter and The Dragons of Babel very soon. And so should you.

I would like to add: if you like Swanwick’s work, check out Malon Edwards. Swanwick’s King Dragonreminded me of Edward’s excellent story called Half Dark (in the anthology titled Four in the Morning). They each mix and match reality and the surreal into a rich tapestry. Edwards’s is more lyrical, but all the same stunning.

The Laily Worm by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Ah, Ms. Hoffman always knows how to pull at the heartstrings, and she does so in this strange dragon-tale where a wicked stepmother turns a young man into a dragon and his sister into a fish. I’m not exactly sure what the point of the whole story was, but (SPOILER) when the dragon-boy saved his stepmother by killing her, I wept.

The Miracle Aquilina by Margo Lanagan

This is another dragon story that features a dragon in a way that may seem cursory. There is a dragon in this tale, but it is hidden in a man, in a people, and in their culture. A terrible worm that corrupts and devours the light. The light in this story is a woman who dares to defy her king. Told from the perspective of a young woman desperate to avoid an unhappy fate, this story will haunt you.

Dragon’s Gate by Pat Murphy

This story has put Pat Murphy on my to-be-read list. A long story set on an icy mountain about a girl who frees a dragon to save her mother. In the process, she finds herself.

The Dragons of Summer Gulch by Robert Reed

This is another must read author for me (I’ve discovered so many in this anthology!). This story mixed dragon lore, paleontology, and a western setting that worked very well. Back-stabbing fun. I just wished the dragons had hatched.

The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule by Lucius Shepard

This story features a dragon the size of a small meteorite. He occupies a small hamlet (or is it the hamlet occupies the dragon?) and permeates ill-will to man and beast. The story’s alternate world history seems vast and the dragon is as impressive as any world-wonder. Ultimately a story about one man’s grapple with life (the dragon), it ends this anthology on a contemplative mood.
Other equally stunning tales included, but that didn’t appeal to me as much as the others, are: The Harrowing of the Dragon of Hoarsbreath by Patricia A. McKillip, The Bully and the Beast by Orson Scott Card, Concerto Accademico by Barry N. Malzberg, The Dragon’s Boy by Jane Yolen, Orm the Beautiful by Elizabeth Bear. Weyr Search by Anne McCaffrey, Paper Dragons by James P. Blaylock, In Autumn, A White Dragon Looks Over the Wide River by Naomi Novik, St. Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson, The Silver Dragon by Elizabeth A. Lynn, Berlin by Charles de Lint, Draco, Draco by Tanith Lee,The Dragon on the Bookshelf by Harlan Ellison and Robert Silverberg, Gwydion and the Dragon by C. J. Cherryh, The George Business by Roger Zelazny, and Dragon’s Fin Soup by S. P. Somtow.Overall, I recommend this anthology. It is a sampling of some of the greatest writers in science fiction and fantasy. You’ll be sure to find something you like, and you might even be introduced to a new kind of dragon.