The Bread We Eat in Dreams

Author: Catherynne M. Valente
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Reviewer: Todd

Summary: Subterranean Press proudly presents a major new collection by one of the brightest stars in the literary firmament. Catherynne M. Valente, the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and other acclaimed novels, now brings readers a treasure trove of stories and poems in The Bread We Eat in Dreams.

In the Locus Award-winning novelette “White Lines on a Green Field,” an old story plays out against a high school backdrop as Coyote is quarterback and king for a season. A girl named Mallow embarks on an adventure of memorable and magical politicks in “The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland—For a Little While.” The award-winning, tour de force novella “Silently and Very Fast” is an ancient epic set in a far-flung future, the intimate autobiography of an evolving A.I. And in the title story, the history of a New England town and that of an outcast demon are irrevocably linked.

The thirty-five pieces collected here explore an extraordinary breadth of styles and genres, as Valente presents readers with something fresh and evocative on every page. From noir to Native American myth, from folklore to the final frontier, each tale showcases Valente’s eloquence and originality. - From Publisher, Subterranean Press.

Review: This collection of Valente’s work was a delightful surprise. At this time my exposure to her non children oriented tales was limited to Yume No Hon: The Book Of Dreams. So imagine my surprise when I found this tome waiting to be feasted on. Like a large ripe apple, its meat made of worlds and the juice the life of stories.

Each story and poem in this tome showing off Valente’s skill; her use different of various styles and genres, easily slipping from reality into the realm of surreal as needed, and of course her rich knowledge of tales. Although a small warning to those expecting all the stories to be similar to her fairyland series, one or two of the tales are a bit more explicit. So if you’re planning on reading any of these stories to children, I advise you to read ahead to make your decision on it. And when you’re ready to reader I do hope you give the tales in this tome a chance. Because then you can risk those tales pulling you within their worlds, and perhaps they’ll make you shed tears. Tears of laughter at a funny twist of fate, tears as you want to pull all the people of world in your arms as you lie and say the world will be better. Tears of shock as you realize you’ve been paying the trickster’s price all along, and perhaps even a tear of sympathy for a demon.