It has been suggested that I ought to do background posts on all of my stories that have been accepted (in venues other than here, obviously). Partly because it gives readers an insight into my thinking and partly because the person who suggested it is a completist.
So, without further ado, here’s some background on The Big, Bad Wolf, a stand-alone sceince fiction short story.
Publishing Details
The Big, Bad Wolf was published in the Drollerie Press anthology Straying From The Path in 2009. Drollerie Press folded in 2011, so this is no longer available new (to the best of my knowledge).
Fairy Tales
Like a lot of people, I grew up with fairy tales and folklore being in the background. As an adult, I find myself as curious about their origins as the actual stories. WHile I’m far from an expert, I enjoy finding articles when they come up in my social media streams or someone mentions them to me.
So, I saw the call for Little Red Riding Hood submissions from Drollerie Press, I think in 2007. By coincidence, it was just after I’d been reading an article on how traumatic Little Red could actually be. (Terri Windling’s ‘The Path of Needles or Pins: Little Red Riding Hood’)
Basically, I decided to take that intent and modernise it so the actual threat of the wolf was adult and understandable, instead of a story that was so archaic it was considered just for kids and fantastical.
(Yeah, it turned out rather grim, pun not intended.)
Spoiler Notice
Just in case anyone wants to actually talk about The Big, Bad Wolf, it’s best not to read any comments below unless you’re prepared to read any spoilers.