Irritation, the Step-mother of Invention by Heather Tomlinson

Don't miss Heather Tomlinson's latest fairy tale discussion post on Tor.com: Irritation, the Step-mother of Invention.

Here's the first paragraph and Heather goes on to share some interesting thoughts on sibling rivalry in fairy tales.

In the comments following my post on YA fairy tale fiction, contributor Patrick Garson remarked that we can’t know the “original” meanings of fairy tales that have been transmitted through the oral tradition. It’s not until a version has been recorded—or composed, in the case of literary tales like those by Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy or Hans Christian Andersen—that a text exists to which subsequent storytellers can respond.