Pandora's Closet is an interesting theme anthology that explores clothing and accessories which have some significance or enchantment that changes the fate of the possessor. The stories range from the probable to the fantastic, and together they weave an eclectic, yet marvelous tapestry of tales. It is a very evenly made anthology in that there seems to be stories for everyone's tastes. "Jack's Mantle" by Joe Madson is so blood chilling I had goose bumps for over an hour, and "The Travails of Princess Stephen" by Jane Lindskold is a modern fairy tale that soft and sweet. "What Quig Found" by Chris Pierson had me smiling and cheering out loud, and turned out to be my favorite story of the book.
A complete list of the stories is: **The Ring by Timothy Zahn **What Quig Found by Chris Pierson **Technicolor by Louise Marley **Loin Cloth by Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moestra **Seamless by Michael A. Stackpole **Ancestral Armor by John Helphers **The Opposite of Solid by Linda P. Baker **The Travails of Princess Stephen by Jane Lindskold **The Lady in Red by A.M. Strout **Another Exciting Adventure of Lightning Merriemouse-Jones: A Touching Ghost Story by Belle Holder and Nancy Holder **Revolution: Number 9 by Judi Rohrig **Curosry Review by Donald J, Bingle **Jack's Mantle by Joe Madson **Irrestible by Yvonne Coats **Seebohm's Cap by Peter Schweighofer **Cake and Candy by Kelly Swails **A Clean Getaway by Keith R.A. DeCandido **Off the Rack by Elizabeth A. Vaughn **The Red Shoes by Sarah Zettle
All in all, the quality of the stories is consistently good with only a few, short exceptions. The stories keep you turning pages without knowing if your story will be chilling, sweet, funny, or thoughtful. Many prominent items and accessories throughout history make appearances here, from the Mantle of Don Quixote to Dorothy's famous red shoes just to name a few. Even the `ordinary' items in the stories will have you looking at your thrift store finds and hand-me-downs in a whole new light.
Over all, this is a well done anthology and it would make the perfect addition to your short story collection, or a great vacation book to take along on a trip.
Recommended.
