Why does the legend of King Arthur continue to captivate people after so many centuries? The authors featured in Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices offer 16 compelling reasons. The collection takes readers across time and cultures, breathing new life into one of the oldest Western myths. The stories, edited by Swapna Krishna and Jenn Northington, feature queer characters, BIPOC protagonists, fresh perspectives on characters that readers will recognize, as well as several who are usually at the margins or barely mentioned.
The anthology is organized by time period in three groups--past, present and future--but even in the same era, they vary widely. Maria Dahvana Headley's "Mayday" is a satisfying, intriguing mystery told via a collection of items and documents found in an abandoned lighthouse--by the FBI. Sive Doyle's "Do, by All Due Means" is a sapphic adventure, funny in a way reminiscent of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Arthur in these stories is Art, Arjun, Arturo and more. In "Little Green Men," Alexander Chee closes the anthology with a rather sweet take on Arthur and Gawain set in a space-age future. With nods to the original, Chee's story epitomizes the breadth and universality of Arthurian themes as showcased in these stories. The futuristic setting feels as natural as those in the past and present, with characters both true to the source material and entirely new.
Fans of Arthurian legends are certain to find a few stories to love in Sword Stone Table--and they just might see themselves in the pages, too. --Suzanne Krohn, editor, Love in Panels