The anthology Flipped Fables features nine short stories that are based on various fables. There is a twist to these stories however: the main characters of each are gay men.

The Man Who Cried Werewolf by Kiernan Kelly is based on Aesop’s “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”. It concerns a tabloid reporter who has written so many faux werewolf stories that once he encounters an actual werewolf, no newspaper, not even his own tabloid, will believe him.

A Sheepherder in Fabulous Clothing by Rob Rosen is a turn on Aesop’s “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”. This story concerns a shepherd who falls in love with a member of a drag queen review. In order to win the affections of his beloved, he must dress in drag himself and win the approval of the crowd.

Shifter 2.0 by Winnie Jerome is a retelling of Aesop’s “The Lion and the Mouse”. Here, a lion shape-shifter spares the life of a mouse instead of killing it as he originally intended. Not only does he find that the mouse belongs to a beautiful – and now grateful – man, but the mouse eventually saves the life of the shape-shifter.

Bad Hair Day by Clare London is based on the Grimm’s fairy tale “Rapunzel”. This tale features a reluctant prince who is sent to rescue a maiden from her imprisonment in a tower. After falling in love with her after repeated conversations, the prince finds that the maiden he has been sent to rescue has been eaten by the witch and that his new love is in actuality a man.

Wild Fox Chase by Misa Izanaki has its base in the Chinese fable “Ask a Fox for its Skin”. In this story, a young baker is expected by his family to marry a woman against his sexual inclinations. He finds that his good friend is a kitsune, or fox demon, when he hunts the fox for its fur, and the kitsune helps him to realize that he cannot act against his nature.

Sweet Persuasion by Angelia Sparrow is based on Aesop’s “The North Wind and the Sun”. The Greek gods Apollo and Zephyros make a lovers’ wager: he who can make a certain shepherd drop his cloak is the stronger. Apollo’s gentle persuasion with the rays of the sun wins out over Zephyros’ brute force of wind. Oh, and they seduce the shepherd as well.

The Nature of Love by Anah Crow is a twist on Aesop’s fable “The Cat and Venus”. A broken-hearted man begs the Virgin Mary to allow him to be back with his lover, who has been affianced to a girl by his family. He agrees to give up his human existence, and the Virgin sends him to his lover in the form of a dove. When his lover’s life is threatened, the dove breaks his promise to the Virgin in order to save him. When she sees that the dove cannot deny his human nature, the Virgin transforms him back to his human form to reunite with his lover.

Court and Country by GS Wiley has as its base Aesop’s “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse”. This story features two childhood friends, one country squire and one city dandy, and their experiences while visiting the other in his preferred environment. The country squire finds that he prefers his quiet simple existence over the gossip and intrigue of the London court.

The Cock and the Jewel by Sean Michael is a retelling of Aesop’s fable “The Cock and the Jewel”. It concerns a young man who has been left by a lover who believes he wants a more traditional and conservative partner. The lover finds that although he can find scores of desirable lovers, what he really treasures is one he left behind, and he begs to return.

Each of these short stories is a clever retelling of a traditional fable. They are all well written and feature a dry wit and humor that this reader found most entertaining. This collection is well-suited for readers who are tight on time, and the fact that each story is written by a different author keeps each individual story fresh as well as fun. Matching each story to its corresponding fable will be an irresistible challenge to fans of Aesop’s fables.

Reviewed by: Whitney