''Spells'' is an
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...
of
themed fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures.
The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
and
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
short stories on the subject of
spells edited by
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...
,
Martin H. Greenberg
Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011) was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned ...
and
Charles G. Waugh
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...
as the fourth volume in their
Isaac Asimov's Magical Worlds of Fantasy series. It was first published in paperback by
Signet/New American Library in May 1985. The first British edition was issued in trade paperback by Robinson in 1988.
The book collects twelve novellas, novelettes and short stories by various fantasy and science fiction authors, with an introduction by Asimov.
Contents
*"Curses!" (introduction) (
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...
)
*"The Candidate" (
Henry Slesar
Henry Slesar (June 12, 1927 – April 2, 2002) was an American author and playwright. He is famous for his use of irony and Plot twist#Twist ending, twist endings. After reading Slesar's "M Is for the Many" in ''Ellery Queen's Mystery Maga ...
)
*"The Christmas Shadrach" (
Frank R. Stockton)
*"
The Snow Women" (
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Along with Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock, Leiber is one of the fathers of sword and sorcery.
Life ...
)
*"Invisible Boy" (
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...
)
*"The Hero Who Returned" (
Gerald W. Page)
*"Toads of Grimmerdale" (
Andre Norton
Andre Alice Norton (born Alice Mary Norton, February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen na ...
)
*"A Literary Death" (
Martin H. Greenberg
Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011) was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned ...
)
*"Satan and Sam Shay" (
Robert Arthur)
*"
Lot No. 249" (
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...
)
*"The Witch Is Dead" (
Edward D. Hoch
Edward Dentinger Hoch (February 22, 1930 – January 17, 2008) was an American writer of detective fiction. Although he wrote several novels, he was primarily known for his vast output of over 950 short stories. He was one of the few Ame ...
)
*"
I Know What You Need
"I Know What You Need" is a fantasy/ horror short story by American writer Stephen King, first published in the September 1976 issue of '' Cosmopolitan'', and later collected in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''.
Plot summary
Elizabeth ...
" (
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
)
*"The Miracle Workers" (
Jack Vance
John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. He also wrote several mystery novels under pen names, including Ellery Queen.
Vance won the World Fantasy Award for Life Ach ...
)
Notes
{{Reflist
1985 anthologies
Fantasy anthologies
Science fiction anthologies
Martin H. Greenberg anthologies
Isaac Asimov anthologies
Signet Books books