The Lifted Veil: The Book of Fantastic Literature by Women

Williams's ( Women and War ) comprehensive and excellent book is the fantasy and SF equivalent of Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar's Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. Beginning her collection with a ``terror tale'' from the early 19th century and limiting her scope to short stories written in English, Williams explores women's contributions to the genre up until the present day. As expected, such luminaries as Mary Shelley, Elizabeth Bowen, Shirley Jackson, Ursula K. Le Guin and James Tiptree Jr. (aka Alice Sheldon) weigh in with landmark entries. Just as compelling, however, is the inclusion of writers not generally known for their fantasy literature, among them Louisa May Alcott, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Willa Cather and Virginia Woolf. In a succinct introduction, Williams suggests that women's fantasy fiction tends to emphasize different interests than that written by men, and places the collection within a feminist context by arguing that ``fantasy is ideal . . . for any exploration of the social construction of gender.'' A superb anthology. (Nov.)