This anthology collects 19 stories from various authors -- some famous, some I never heard of -- that take the idea of Pandora and capture items from various places - some items magical, some terrifying, some fun -- and mix the characters' ideas, societies and sometimes shocking sensibilities as pertain to these items.

You can find a complete list elsewhere, but the following are what grabbed me (as with any anthology, some just didn't make the cut):

Timothy Zahn, best known for his Star Wars novels, wrote The Ring, an item found in a pawn shop that actually feeds off the greed of a broke stocktrader and immediately makes him extremely wealthy -- as long as he stays greedy -- but is saved by his lady love.

Louise Maley's "Technicolor" was a fascinating peek at Dorothy from Oz, now a degraded middle-aged woman in Kansas, who longs for her ruby slippers.

The best one was about a magical wedding dress, handed down the generations, that made their wearer's beautiful and stunning. But what would it do to a cross-dresser?? Here's a guy who has always loved cross-dressing. One day he needed a job and they were particularly wanting a female employee, so he dressed up as one! Surprisingly, someone fell in love with him. How will he admit to his fiance that Stephanie is really Stephen? Oh my! The twist ending was a lot of fun. [The Travails of Princess Stephen by Jane Lindskold.:]

The stories I did not like were either political or created worlds that were so secondary to plot that they did not make a lot of sense. A mouse during World War II fighting against Adolph and his Ratzi's? Sounds cute but it wasn't. Or a pair of John Lennon's glasses in an apocalyptic future and its affect on a spy -- droll. And Seebohm's Cap, A Clean Getaway and others were a bit boring. Maybe it's because the same theme is repeated over and over, it might be best to take breaks between stories, LOL.

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This anthology collects 19 stories from various authors -- some famous, some I never heard of -- that take the idea of Pandora and capture items from various places - some items magical, some terrifying, some fun -- and mix the characters' ideas, societies and sometimes shocking sensibilities as pertain to these items.

You can find a complete list elsewhere, but the following are what grabbed me (as with any anthology, some just didn't make the cut):

Timothy Zahn, best known for his Star Wars novels, wrote The Ring, an item found in a pawn shop that actually feeds off the greed of a broke stocktrader and immediately makes him extremely wealthy -- as long as he stays greedy -- but is saved by his lady love.

Louise Maley's "Technicolor" was a fascinating peek at Dorothy from Oz, now a degraded middle-aged woman in Kansas, who longs for her ruby slippers.

The best one was about a magical wedding dress, handed down the generations, that made their wearer's beautiful and stunning. But what would it do to a cross-dresser?? Here's a guy who has always loved cross-dressing. One day he needed a job and they were particularly wanting a female employee, so he dressed up as one! Surprisingly, someone fell in love with him. How will he admit to his fiance that Stephanie is really Stephen? Oh my! The twist ending was a lot of fun. [The Travails of Princess Stephen by Jane Lindskold.:]

The stories I did not like were either political or created worlds that were so secondary to plot that they did not make a lot of sense. A mouse during World War II fighting against Adolph and his Ratzi's? Sounds cute but it wasn't. Or a pair of John Lennon's glasses in an apocalyptic future and its affect on a spy -- droll. And Seebohm's Cap, A Clean Getaway and others were a bit boring. Maybe it's because the same theme is repeated over and over, it might be best to take breaks between stories, LOL.

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This is one of the best short story anthologies I've read. I usually don't keep anthologies, but I'm keeping this one! Many excellent tales in here- from funny to serious and creepy. ( )