The Mammoth Book of Gaslit Romance
There is plenty of choice in this book of short stories and a novella. The stories are mainly fantasy, time slip, science fiction, or a combination of two or three: four vampires with a ferociously hungry baby; horrific condemnation of women whose passions cannot be normal (anyone who has had nightmares from the terrifying old classic, The Yellow Wallpaper – be prepared); the captain of a dirigible who brings the Emperor his heart’s desire and she finds her own; a hellish although commonplace marriage; the possibility of true friendship between a man and a woman; ultra-rapid sex changes. Conventional romance is represented by a well-known Victorian lady author whose story is pedestrian compared to those written by modern authors.
Others are memorable: Merlin meets Queen Victoria; a lovable female Minotaur; a sad little fairy tale of a shoemaker. And The Lady in Red which is such an oddity I thought it must be a spoof but now believe the author is inexperienced. But the best is undoubtedly Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells: excitement, suspense, a solidly convincing background, a teasing conclusion and a comforting finale. Feminism is well represented but not exclusive, and if there is any moral to be found in this collection it is probably: Be careful what you wish for.