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The Midnight Circus

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Pub Date Oct 01 2020 | Archive Date Feb 01 2021


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Description

“Jane Yolen has done it again.” —Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked

In the newest short fiction collection of this World Fantasy Award-winning series, beloved fantasy author Jane Yolen’s dark side has fully emerged. Her vivid, startling, and thrilling tales and related poems of the supernatural—from icy-hearted witches to sometimes-innocent shapeshifters—reveal a classic storyteller at the height of her powers.

In these sixteen stories, Central Park becomes a carnival where you can—but probably shouldn’t—transform into a wild beast. The Red Sea will be deadly to cross due to a plague of voracious angels. Meanwhile, the South Pole is no place for even a good man, regardless of whether he is living or dead.

Wicked, solemn, and chilling, the circus is ready for your visit— just don’t arrive late.

“Jane Yolen has done it again.” —Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked

In the newest short fiction collection of this World Fantasy Award-winning series, beloved fantasy author Jane Yolen’s dark side has...


A Note From the Publisher
Jane Yolen is the author of over three hundred and sixty five books, including children’s fiction, poetry, short stories, graphic novels, nonfiction, fantasy, and science fiction. Her publications include Owl Moon, The Devil’s Arithmetic, Briar Rose, Sister Emily’s Starship and Sister Light, Sister Dark. Among her many honors are the Caldecott and Christopher Medals, multiple Nebula, World Fantasy, Mythopoeic, Golden Kite, and Jewish Book awards; as well as the World Fantasy Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Science Fiction Poetry Grand Master Award. Yolen is also a teacher of writing and a book reviewer. She lives in Western Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Jane Yolen is the author of over three hundred and sixty five books, including children’s fiction, poetry, short stories, graphic novels, nonfiction, fantasy, and science fiction. Her publications...


Advance Praise

“Jane Yolen's stories are pure magic! They draw you in, beguile your senses, and paint the world in richer hues than you've ever seen. Her tales will haunt you in the very best way. I loved every word!”
—Sarah Beth Durst, author of Race the Sands

“Look this way, look that; blazing her consummate imagination against the shadows of human sorrow, Jane Yolen has done it again. She has produced a set of spectacles designed to keep us awake in the darkness. The Midnight Circus delights, confounds, and challenges. We read all the night long; we are not the same come dawn.”
—Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and A Wild Winter Swan

“The Midnight Circus explores an unexpected aspect of a beloved author and reminds us why Yolen’s writing means so much to us . . . essential reading for all fans of Yolen’s work, especially those who are less familiar with the darker side of her imagination.”
—The Fantasy Hive

The Midnight Circus sings with magic, darkness, and wonder—perfect for anyone who has ever loved a fairy tale. Thrilling and chilling all at once, this collection of stories will keep you riveted long after your bedtime, no matter your age. This is exactly the kind of dark, lovely book to keep close to one's heart while facing down darkness in the wider world.”
—Meagan Spooner, author of the Starbound Trilogy

A girl uses magic to call her love but not to keep him. A child born in winter hears voices calling to him in the cold wind. A lonely man falls for a selkie who sings an enticing song. Yolen often uses the language and imagery of fairy tales to weave her original, spellbinding stories, which make a cohesive collection. They’re all dark, though in most cases, that darkness encompasses loss but doesn’t revel in it. As Yolen puts it in her introduction, there's “a frisson of terror rather than massive amounts of spilt blood.” A couple of stories veer closer to true horror: The main character of “Great Gray” is drawn to the rare owls of the title because of his own predatory instincts, and the narrator of “Little Red” endures hinted-at torments because the alternative of returning home to her grandmother is somehow worse. But, as promised, there’s very little blood in these pages—just glimpses of the darkness of human nature. Some stories, like “Inscription,” read like Celtic folktales while “Requiem Antarctica” is a Jamesian tale of creeping madness at the ends of the Earth, and “An Infestation of Angels” is a retelling of the book of Exodus. And if the stories themselves somehow aren’t enough, each is accompanied by a poem that extends its themes into evocative verse. Haunting stories from a modern master.”
—Kirkus

“In 16 well-crafted stories, Yolen reveals the dark underside of her imagination, delving with surgical precision into horror, suspense, and the psychological fabric of nightmare ... The collection spans science fiction, mythology, and fairy tale, and despite its often gory imagery, remains imbued with Yolen's characteristic dry wit ... An engrossing collection that will linger in readers' minds long after reading, and a perfect (re)introduction to Yolen's rich well of fantasy horror. For fans of Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, and Leigh Bardugo.”
—School Library Journal

“Each deliciously spooky tale in Jane Yolen’s Midnight Circus draws readers into fully realized worlds with strong characters who reflect the strengths—and the darkness—in all of us. She mixes storytelling styles to excellent effect, from disturbing folklore to futuristic shapeshifting, grounding them in history and legend, so they are at once familiar and utterly, terrifyingly alien. I love Jane’s storytelling EVEN WHEN IT GIVES ME NIGHTMARES. These short pieces are can’t-put-down, and they will absolutely make you shiver like someone is walking across your grave.”
Susan Vaught, author of Trigger

This collection teems with Yolen’s weird, folkloric verve. Her menagerie of stories is distilled from a cauldron of fairytales, legends, and history, featuring everything from selkies to shapeshifters; witches, weavers, and warriors; and angels murderous to ravenous.”
—Washington Independent Review of Books

“Yolen’s The Midnight Circus retains her traditional magical beauty while she pulls back the curtain on the darkness backstage . . . Get your ticket, join the queue, and get ready for beauty, horror, sadness and beauty.”
—Universe in Words

“Overall, this is a wonderful collection of tales that is perfect for sitting around the campfire or for a fun fall or winter read (definitely Halloween worthy)!”
—Fantastically Bookish

“A master writer with a prodigious oeuvre and these are some of her best dark stories.”
—Nonstop Reader

“As a whole, this collection of a career’s worth of successes is a celebration of an American author that is often times called a modern Hans Christian Andersen.”
—Haunted by Deadliness

“Every story is excellent. I didn't want to stop reading.”
—Paperblog

Praise for the Jane Yolen Classic Fantasy Series

“Jane Yolen is a legend in the world of children’s and young-adult literature, but her acerbic and witty adult fiction and poetry offer their own pleasures. ”
Chicago Tribune

“An invaluable reminder of Yolen’s central role in contemporary fantasy, and perhaps an equally invaluable start­ing point for readers.”
—Locus on The Emerald Circus and How to Fracture a Fairy Tale

[STARRED REVIEW] “These delightful retellings of favorite stories will captivate newcomers and fans of Yolen as she once again delivers the magic, humor, and lovely prose that has attracted readers for years.”
Library Journal on The Emerald Circus

“Jane Yolen facets her glittering stories with the craft of a master jeweller.”
—Elizabeth Wein, author of Code Name Verity on The Emerald Circus

“This collection is Jane Yolen at her best.”
—Patricia C. Wrede, author of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles on How to Fracture a Fairy Tale

“Yolen’s deftly-flowing prose highlights each unique perspective or imaginative speculation. Her tales, once fractured, don’t splinter—they sparkle.”
—Alex Flinn, author of Beastly and Beheld on How to Fracture a Fairy Tale

“Jane Yolen's stories are pure magic! They draw you in, beguile your senses, and paint the world in richer hues than you've ever seen. Her tales will haunt you in the very best way. I loved every...


Marketing Plan

 Review mailings to leading trade publications; ARCs available via NetGalley, Edelweiss, and Goodreads

 Review copies to leading newspaper book reviewers, fantasy and young adult blogs, publications, and leading fiction publications

 Social media rollout to include fantasy and YA-themed blog and podcast features, author and publisher push on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Goodreads

 Author international, national and online appearance, book tour and launch events TBD


 Review mailings to leading trade publications; ARCs available via NetGalley, Edelweiss, and Goodreads

Review copies to leading newspaper book reviewers, fantasy and young adult blogs, publications...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781616963408
PRICE $16.95 (USD)

Average rating from 122 members


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