2023 Locus Recommended Reading List

[STARRED REVIEW] “Volume 1, introduced by Jane Yolen, contains some of Beagle’s most classic stories, including ‘Come Lady Death,’ in which a jaded British woman meets her match when she invites Death to her ball, and ‘Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros,’ about a socially awkward academic’s relationship with a somewhat unusually presented and philosophically minded unicorn. ‘Lila the Werewolf’ features the first appearance of Joe Farrell, the protagonist of Beagle’s novel The Folk of the Air (1986); fans of that book will be delighted to encounter Farrell in an additional story that takes place after the novel and features some interesting character growth on his part. The collection also contains the absolutely chilling ‘We Never Talk About My Brother,’ the story of a news anchor with a secret and impossibly powerful control over the stories he reports, and the sweetly melancholy ‘Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifke and the Angel,’ concerning a painter’s divinely compelling model. There are also whimsical works like ‘Gordon, the Self-Made Cat,’ starring a mouse who refuses to accept that biology is destiny. Whether set in a fantastical landscape, the New York City of Beagle’s youth, or the invented northern California town of Avicenna, these are fables that explore how a brush with the uncanny can either change a life or simply spotlight what is already present. Magic is the lens through which the author shows us how fraught a mother-daughter relationship can be, how difficult it can be to let go of a dead friend or lover, and how a greater threat can unite two squabbling siblings. Delicate line drawings by artist Stephanie Law add a charming coda to each tale. Brimming with magic, lyrical prose, and deeply felt emotion, this is, indeed, essential reading.”
—Kirkus

[STARRED REVIEW] “This [second] installment, introduced by SF and horror writer Meg Elison, draws more directly from Beagle’s past, featuring multiple stories purportedly chronicling otherworldly encounters experienced by Beagle and his friends in their youth. Two other tales attribute unearthly abilities to Beagle’s dear friend Avram Davidson, the late (and somewhat quirky) writer. Some of the stories draw from others’ literary works, including a Tarzan/John Carter crossover that also serves as a not-so-subtle criticism of creator Edgar Rice Burroughs’ bigotry and a gripping Patricia Highsmith–inspired story of a meek housewife summoning previously unknown inner strength when confronted by a new member of her bridge club who views her as prey. Two stories have something of a Twilight Zone resonance about them (which isn’t intended as a criticism of these two powerful tales): ‘Sleight of Hand,’ involving a woman mourning the recent death of her husband and child who’s granted an impossible second chance, and ‘Vanishing,’ about an unhappy man forced to confront his dark memories serving as a young American soldier monitoring the Berlin Wall. Of course, there are two tales of dragons invading California (one a work of metafiction and the other a buddy-cop story) and a chronicle of werewolf revenge that draws from an entirely different cultural tradition than the first volume’s ‘Lila the Werewolf.’ There are perhaps many readers who know Beagle only from his classic novel, The Last Unicorn (1968), unaware of his considerable body of long and short fiction; others are longtime fans already familiar with such gems as A Fine and Private Place (1960), The Folk of the Air (1986), and The Innkeeper’s Song (1993), among others. This two-volume collection is a must-have for all of them. Yes, essential, for whomever you are.”
—Kirkus

[STARRED REVIEW] “Beagle (The Overneath) showcases his versatility and ability to entertain even as he challenges expectations in 13 fantasy shorts from throughout his career. While several offerings, including ‘Lila the Werewolf’ (1969) and ‘Come Lady Death’ (1963), stem from Beagle’s early years, the majority represent his post-2000 output, demonstrating that his skills have only been refined over the decades. With a tendency toward gentle thoughtfulness and philosophical rumination, tales such as ‘Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros’ and ‘Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifke and the Angel’ prove timeless in their quiet yet profound exploration of Jewish faith, friendship, family, and fellowship. Others, like ‘The Stickball Witch’ and ‘Four Fables,’ drift into absurdity or everyday uneasiness, while ‘We Never Talk About My Brother’ looks at the balance between good and evil in a new light. Jane Yolen’s introduction helps place Beagle and his work into further context. The result is both an ideal entry point for newcomers, and a lovely way for existing fans to revisit or rediscover old favorites.
—Publishers Weekly

“Master enchanter Peter S. Beagle is best known for his novel The Last Unicorn, a book which has charmed generations of readers.  But the briefer enchantments collected in these two volumes also brim with the deepest and truest of his magical powers: with laughter, with wisdom, and with the ineffable pleasure of the imaginary memories he shares.  From the gradually refined focus of ‘Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros’ to ‘Vanishing’’s crankily slipped-and-skewed perspective, these are visions of an inner world all of us need to visit again and again.  Each tale is a spell welcoming our hearts to their real home: wonder.”
—Nisi Shawl, author of Everfair

“Stepping into a Peter Beagle story is like stepping out your front door into an alternate, but entirely logical, world: your girlfriend seems to be a werewolf, the evening news is anchored by the Angel of Death, dreadful poetry is a lethal weapon, and a Berkeley traffic cop has to negotiate a depressed dragon out of an intersection. But then, what else to expect from a wizard of mischief like Beagle? Two perfect volumes that should come with a warning: When you try and go back inside your house, all its rooms will have changed.”
—Laurie R. King, author of The Beekeeper’s Apprentice

“Gleaming gold, these two volumes of glorious stories remind us of what is true, though it might not be real, and of when the world was solid as a Spalding rubber ball and shadowy soft as a cat’s fur, though that time might never have happened, and may not happen again. (But it was, his tales insist. But it will be.) We are fortunate to live in a world where his work exists; if we didn’t, we ourselves might not exist. Such is Beagle’s magic.”
—E. Lily Yu, author of On Fragile Waves

“Having all these Peter Beagle stories collected together is pure joy. His writing has amazed me my whole life. You think I’d be used to it by now, but the amazement is ongoing.”
—Carrie Vaughn, author of the Kitty Norville series

“The Essential Peter S. Beagle Volumes 1 & 2 are everything I hoped for and wanted them to be. Beagle’s clever and utterly whimsical storytelling is evident in every story, and I love jumping from tale to tale and exploring the facets of his mind. The writing is fun and explores the unique while keeping one foot in the familiar, making it perfect for readers of all ages. I highly recommend these charming volumes!”
—Charlie N. Holmberg, author of Keeper of Enchanted Rooms

“This was an amazing collection, and I cannot recommend it enough for existing fans of Mr. Beagle or fans of fantasy shorts or cozy fantasy.”
—All Booked Up

“Peter S. Beagle’s short stories tap into the sweetest sap of the soul and leave their mark forever. He always makes me cry in the most wonderful and necessary way.”
—Delilah S. Dawson, author of Wicked As They Come

5/5 stars. “Beagle is an absolute master of the short story. This first volume of short stories has everything from ghosts with grudges, angels turned muses, dysfunctional werewolves, self-made cats, time-traveling brujos, to even Lady Death herself. If you loved the timelessness of The Last Unicorn when you were a child you’re going to adore these more mature, but every bit as whimsical, tales as an adult.”
—Seattle Book Review

“Peter Beagle says it perfectly himself in one of his stories: ‘The artist isn’t the magic. The artist is the sight, the artist is someone who knows magic when he sees it.’ To our everlasting benefit, we get to see the magic that he did.”
—Girl Who Reads

“Quite a few of the stories reminded me of classic stories like The Lion and the Mouse, American Tale, and Charlotte’s Web. I recommend both of these collections to fantasy readers looking for unique short stories.”
—Smitten for Fiction