''Good Bones'' is a collection of short fiction (most stories only a few pages long) by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. The collection was originally published in 1992. The collection explores the sinister side of classical myths, traditional Anglo-European folklore and literary archetypes. Through the stories, Atwood gives voice to the "bad girls": the stupid, ugly or wicked stepmothers and stepsisters who feature as antagonists in the archetypes Atwood explores. For example, the Little Red Hen, the stepsisters from 'Cinderella', and Gertrude from

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' get their say. Ultimately, these stories explore the danger of life (which inevitably ends in death) and the power of telling one's own story. The book was republished in 1994, in combination with another Atwood work called '' Murder in the Dark'', as part of the expanded collection '' Good Bones and Simple Murders''.

References

, pg. 1. 1992 short story collections Short story collections by Margaret Atwood Coach House Press books {{1990s-story-collection-stub