A review by nmcannon
Alice Unbound: Beyond Wonderland by Sara C. Walker, Cait Gordon, Bruce Meyer, Pat Flewwelling, Fiona Plunkett, Catherine MacLeod, Patrick Bollivar, Dominik Parisien, Mark Charke, Colleen Anderson, Costi Gurgu, Elizabeth Hosang, Alexandra Renwick, James Wood, Danica Lorer, Geoff Gander, Lisa Smedman, Linda DeMeulemeester, Christine Daigle, Kate Heartfield, Nicole Iversen, Robert Dawson, J.Y.T. Kennedy, Andrew Robertson, David Day

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Alice Unbound: Beyond Wonderland was an impulse borrow from the library. Having read both the original and retellings, watched many adaptations, and played multiple Wonderland-inspired video games, you could say I’m a fan of Lewis Carroll’s work, haha. I unfortunately also have a major character flaw of little patience with short story collections. I tread carefully with this anthology, reading only the introduction and the entries that caught my interest.

Speaking of the front matter, it’s distinctly odd, in a not altogether pleasant way. Anderson frames madness as a quasi-magical metamorphosis. While this is a popular concept in literature, this idea has little to do with real world mental illness and jarred me. Sure, becoming disabled will transform and upend your life in joyous and not-so-joyous ways. Being neurodivergent can grant unique perspectives–being any identity different from an abled, wealthy WASP man will–but mostly it gets in the way. Being ill is humdrum, banal, and deadening in its mundanity. For a book published in 2018, I was expecting a more nuanced take. On the plus side, Anderson does introduce the anthology well. These stories are re-imaginings with new settings and remixed characters. They aren’t fanfiction of the original Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Of what I read, my favorite two pieces are the “Twin” poem by Danica Lorer and “Jaune” by Catherine Macleod. Lorer’s narrative poem was a compelling, intriguing take on the disappearing twin phenomenon. Macleod’s work really stuck with me. Alice and Henry, the main characters, pose an interesting conundrum. Can we retain the peace and wisdom gained during healing from deep hurt, if we forget the original trauma? Is viscerally experiencing a hurt ourselves necessary for growth? I don’t know, but it’s fascinating to contemplate.

All in all, Alice Unbound: Beyond Wonderland is a comfortable 3 stars. If Wonderland remixes and imaginings sound fun, pick it up