The book is broken up into seven parts, starting with "Early Stories" where she showcases some works she wrote early in her career, then continuing on to reimagined fairy tales, followed by stories from her various established worlds. The whole collection wraps up with a series of one-offs. I enjoyed every single story in this collection and am really intrigued by the worlds I got a peek at.
It's worth noting that while the cover of this book claims that there are two new stories in this collection, according to the list of publication dates at the end, there appear to be five. These include: "Bear Trap" about a woman who escapes a uniquely abusive relationship; "Not a Princess", an interesting twist on Rapunzel (not to be confused with a different Rapunzel telling later in this book); "The Khaldharon Run," a deleted scene from Heir to the Shadows of Bishop's Black Jewel series; "Home for the Howlidays" set in the world of The Others and a story called "Friends and Corpses" where the water in a small town has some interesting properties that cause the recently deceased to stay up and mobile for a bit. In this story, Bishop explores what such a phenomenon would do to the locals and their society. I especially enjoyed this story and her preface in this section of the book implies there could be more stories to tell in this world.
In the book's headlining story, "The Lady In Glass," readers are treated to a strange version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves set in a post-apocalyptic setting where people have become barren, distorted, and apparently ugly. When a glass coffin with a beautiful woman is discovered by a mining town, the locals struggle with the decision of what to do with the lady. While I had read one of Bishop's stories before ("The Dark Ship" from Heroic Hearts), her succinct telling of this story, coupled with its ending, made me immediately want to read more and the rest of the collection only fueled that desire.
Other fairytale reworks that stood out to me include a version of Snow White told from the Magic Mirror's perspective through several generations and a haunting version of The Matchstick Girl.
Amongst the many short entries in this book, there is a sizable novella called "The Voice," which is apparently part of Bishop's Ephemera series. While I think I only got hints of the bigger world from this story, what it does provide is an in-depth look at a small town and some of the cruelties that happen in this world. In this town, there is a young orphan woman called The Voice who, ironically, is mute. But she is essentially the voice of the people's worries. Whenever someone in the town feels sad or anxious, they bake a special meal called a Moody Cake and deliver it to The Voice. By the time she is done eating it, the townsperson feels better.
Throughout this story, one young woman from this town learns some of the darker secrets behind The Voice, and the town as a whole, and she strives to do what she can to lessen the poor orphan girl's lot in life. At first, she doesn't know what she can do, until she travels to the city of Ephemera and learns of the wider world outside of her small town.
The Lady in Glass and Other Stories has three stories set in the Black Jewels world, all of which really highlight the worldbuilding from this series. I was especially intrigued by "The Price" which gave me, an outsider, a lot of insight into the society and magic system of this world.
The book's final section is comprised of basically the works that don't fit into any of the above categories. These include a story called "She Moved Through the Fair." In this story, Ellen arrives at the small town of Greenfields where she has inherited a good bit of land in the area. Apparently, the leases are enough to keep her comfortable, if not slightly wealthy. She soon learns of a local ghost story about a woman who haunts the local fairgrounds, and that woman is apparently an ancestor of Ellen herself. Ellen feels a strong connection to the town, but she also feels like something is off. Of course, she attributes most of this to Rayce, another major landowner in Greenfields, because something about his too-friendly nature is setting off alarms in her head. Let's just say, Ellen's time in Greenfields will be something she isn't likely to forget any time soon.
This section also has a short article written by Bishop soon after 9/11 called "The Day Will Come." In it, she talks about a time in the future when no one alive will remember watching skyscrapers fall on live TV and the duty we have now to make sure the future doesn't forget the impact that event had on those of us who witnessed it.
The final entry in The Lady in Glass and Other Stories is another novella called "A Strand in the Web." Where most of Bishop's stories are fantasy, urban or otherwise, this actually has a sci-fi setting. Taking place in the distant future where humans have been forced to leave Earth and roam the galaxy in ships, this story focuses on a few students studying to become the next Restorers. Their lot in life is to go from planet to planet and try to introduce delicate and complex ecosystems so that a once barren world can thrive. This is apparently a form of penance that all surviving humans feel the need to perform after what they did to the long-destroyed Earth. In "A Strand in the Web," Willow is in her last year of training and she is helping to prove that she can maintain balance in her plot of land, but when disaster strikes, she decides to go for broke and ask for a project all her own.
The Lady in Glass and Other Stories was a delight to read. Some entries are short and quick, some are longer, but all were well done and worth the time. As someone who has only read one of Anne Bishop's stories before, I was only casually aware of her work. Now though, well, excuse me while I go add some books to my TBR list.
- "Scribere" (1987): First published in The Buffalo News.
- "The Lady in Glass" (1989): First published in 2AM Magazine.
- "Bear Trap" (2024): Published here for the first time in any form.
- "Not a Princess" (2024): Published here for the first time in any form.
- "The Weapon" (1991): First published in 2AM Magazine.
- "Hotting Fuggam and the Dragon" (1993): First published in Figment.
- "Tunnel" (1998): First published in Horrors! 365 Scary Stories, selected by Robert Weinberg, Stefan Dziemianowicz, and Martin H. Greenberg.
- "Match Girl" (1995): First published in Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.
- "Rapunzel" (1997): First published in Black Swan, White Raven, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.
- "The Wild Heart" (1999): First published in Silver Birch, Blood Moon, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.
- "The Fairest One of All" (2003): First published in Lighthouse Magazine.
- "By the Time the Witchblood Blooms" (2000): First published in Treachery and Treason, edited by Laura Anne Gilman and Jennifer Heddle.
- "The Khaldharon Run" (2024): Deleted scene from Heir to the Shadows: Published here for the first time in any form.
- "The Price" (2004): First published in Powers of Detection, edited by Dana Stabenow.
- "The Voice" (2012): First published as a Roc e-book and audio book, 2012. Also published as a bonus story in the Roc mass-market edition of Bridge of Dreams, 2013.
- "Home for the Howlidays" (2024): Published here for the first time in any form
- "The Dark Ship" (2022): First published in Heroic Hearts, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes.
- "Friends and Corpses" (2024): Published here for the first time in any form
- "The Day Will Come" (2001): First published in PanGaia #30, Winter 2001–02.
- "Truth and Story" (2005): Excerpt from GoH speech at Thylacon, Hobart, Tazmania, Australia.
- "Stands a God Within the Shadows" (2008): First published in Imaginary Friends, edited by John Marco and Martin H. Greenberg.
- "She Moved Through the Fair" (2012): First published by ArmadilloCon and Fandom Association of Central Texas in a limited-edition chapbook.
- "A Strand in the Web" (2002): First published in Orbiter, edited by Julie E. Czerneda. Reprinted in Stranded, edited by Debra Dixon.
