This book considers the profound influence of fairy tales on contemporary fiction, including the work of Margaret Atwood, A.S. Byatt, Angela Carter, Robert Coover, Salman Rushdie, and Jeanette Winterson.Recent decades have witnessed a renaissance of interest in the fairy tale, not least among writers of fiction. In ""Contemporary Fiction and the Fairy Tale"", editor Stephen Benson argues that fairy tales are one of the key influences on fiction of the past thirty years and also continue to shape literary trends in the present. Contributors detail the use of fairy tales both as inspiration and blueprint and explore the results of juxtaposing fairy tales and contemporary fiction.At the heart of this collection, seven leading scholars focus on authors whose work is heavily informed and transformed by fairy tales: Robert Coover, A. S. Byatt, Margaret Atwood, Angela Carter, and Salman Rushdie. In addition to investigating the work of this so-called fairy-tale generation, ""Contemporary Fiction and the Fairy Tale"" provides a survey of the body of theoretical writing surrounding these authors, both from within literary studies and from fairy-tale studies itself. Contributors present an overview of critical positions, considered here in relation to the work of Jeanette Winterson and of Nalo Hopkinson, suggesting further avenues for research.""Contemporary Fiction and the Fairy Tale"" offers the first detailed and comprehensive account of the key authors working in this emerging genre. Students and teachers of fiction, folklore, and fairy-tale studies will appreciate this insightful volume.

About the Author
Stephen Benson is senior lecturer in the School of Literature and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, UK. He is the author of Cycles of Influence: Fiction, Folktale, Theory and Literary Music: Writing Music in Contemporary Fiction.

Reviews
An excellent volume.... Contributors in each case go beyond what is 'usually said' to bring fresh insights to the works they discuss. - Danielle Roemer, associate professor of English at Northern Kentucky University and co-editor of Angela Carter and the Fairy Tale (Wayne State University Press, 2000)



Book Information
ISBN 9780814332542
Author Stephen Benson
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Wayne State University Press
Publisher Wayne State University Press
Weight(grams) 354g