We are all familiar with a wide range of fairy tales, and
their numerous retellings. However, sticking to just one of these stories can
be a bit limiting in a world where people are always looking for something new.
One quick way of providing the unique product which audiences want is by making
a story combining two or more familiar tales in a new way, and many talented
authors do this in order to make their contributions to the fairy tale genre
stand out. The resulting stories can be referred to as 'combination tales', and
there are more than enough examples of 'combination tales' for them to be
considered as a full subgenre. There are three ways of combining numerous fairy
tales and fairy tale characters into a single story: Universes, Crossovers and
Mash-ups.
Universes
– The simplest way of combining fairy tales is by placing all the characters we
know in a single world. This environment is generally modern in nature, designed
to contrast with the rural traditions of fairy tales. The main source of appeal
in these universes comes from seeing familiar characters react to the pressures
of an unfamiliar world.
Crossovers
– Similar to Universes, but with a few differences. These tend to focus on
combining a select number of stories instead of depicting an entire world, and
they are set in a more conventional fairy tale environment in which woods and
witches lurk around every corner.
Mash-Ups -
In the world of music, Mash-Ups feature the lyrics of one song being laid over
the music of another. The 'combination tales' listed here do something similar,
often putting well-known characters from one tale into another story.
There are numerous examples of stories in all three
categories. As in any subgenre, 'combination tales' range from brilliant to
terrible. However, this article will showcase only the ten best of these. These
prove that different fairy tales can be combined into a single story which is unique,
creative and fascinating in its own right. This list includes comic books,
novels, plays, films, TV series and even a couple of fanfics, but the diverse
range of works highlighted represent the very best examples of this subgenre.
Universes
- · Fables
(Plot: Thousands of years ago, characters from our favourite
children’s stories were forced to flee their homelands when a creature called
The Adversary invaded them. They now live in modern-day New York, forming a
community called Fabletown. One of the most important citizens there is Snow White,
the assistant of Fabletown’s mayor King Cole. In addition to protecting her
fellow “fables” and hiding them from the “mundys” (ordinary humans), she has an
eventful personal life, including a romance with Bigby Wolf - a sheriff keeping
his lupine and homicidal instincts in check - and a strained relationship with
her troublemaking sister Rose Red.)
Vertigo Comics have been behind comic books such as Preacher
and The Sandman (the latter created by the legendary Neil Gaiman), and the stylish
and edgy approach of these cult favourites is applied to the world of children’s
stories in Fables. Created by Bill Willingham with the aid of various
illustrators, the first issue of Fables was published in 2002, with new issues
being published monthly until the series concluded on issue #150 in 2015. Fables
started with a relatively mundane murder mystery story which introduced us to
our main characters and their world, then gradually expanded in scope until the
final issues, which depict Snow White and Rose Red preparing for the battle
which will lead to the destruction of Fabletown. In between, our protagonists face numerous
conflicts and adventures, and a wide variety of characters get smaller,
self-contained stories.
Like other Vertigo Comics properties, Fables is something of
an acquired taste, with plenty of gore, sex and swearing. However, there is
enough charm and creativity to prevent things from becoming too unpleasant, and
plenty of great characters for us to care about. Snow White is a fascinating
protagonist, who is tough and intelligent, but she struggles to deal with the
traumatic events which have defined her past, and repair her relationship with
Rose Red. Meanwhile, Bigby is a moody antihero whose love for Snow White and
desire to protect Fabletown make up for his numerous objectionable traits. Apart
from the protagonists, the most memorable supporting characters include a
womanising Prince Charming who has slept with every "Fable" princess he has ever
met, and the likeable Frog Prince, Flycatcher, AKA Prince Ambrose. Due to its large
and memorable cast and distinctive tone, Fables has become one of the most successful
series created by Vertigo Comics, spawning numerous spin-off comics, graphic
novels and even a video game during its long run.
- · Once Upon A Time
(Plot: On the night of her 28th birthday, cynical
bounty hunter/ bail bondswoman Emma Swan is visited by a child called Henry, who reveals that
he’s the son she gave up for adoption a decade ago. Emma takes Henry back to
his hometown of Storybrooke, but Henry tells her that the inhabitants of
Storybrooke are actually fairy tale characters, transported there after the
Evil Queen placed a curse upon Snow White. Although Henry and his mysterious
adoptive mother Regina are initially the only two people aware of this, the rest
of the residents, including mysterious pawnbroker Mr Gold and warm-hearted
teacher Mary, soon begin to recall their pasts in the fairy tale world. Across subsequent
series, the inhabitants of Storybrooke get involved in various adventures
involving new dark forces and several curses and mysteries…)
Given that they have created some of the most iconic fairy
tale films of all time, it is no surprise that Disney have been behind several works
in which characters from multiple fairy tales interact in a single world. Their
TV movie Descendants featured the children of famous Disney heroes and villains
attending school together, but their most successful attempt at combining the
fairy tale characters we love into a single universe is Once Upon a Time, which
has aired for six seasons on the Disney-owned channel ABC, with the first of
these airing in 2011. The series was created by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis,
who previously helped write the hit TV series Lost. Like Lost, Once Upon A Time
features elaborate storylines and character arcs which can be confusing to
the uninitiated, but it has developed a large and passionate fanbase who are
drawn to the universe it depicts and its messages about the value of love,
family and happy endings.
The most notable aspect of Once Upon a Time is the large
cast of memorable characters, who often prove far more complex to be than the
archetypal fairytale characters they are based on. The most prominent of these
are Emma, a tough everywoman whose experiences in Storybrooke inspire her to
fight for the inhabitants of the town, and Regina, who starts out as a
conventional vampish villain, but soon evolves into a more sympathetic figure. The
residents of Storybrooke have also met a wide variety of characters from famous
stories ranging from Frozen to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Across its run, Once
Upon a Time has been nominated for a total of 91 awards, winning 9 of these,
including Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards. A seventh series
will start airing in the autumn, but this will be a “soft reboot”, centred on
the now grown-up Henry. It will retain some of the core characters, such as
Regina and Hook, but others such as Emma and Snow White are no longer part of
the main cast.
- · Shrek
(Plot: Shrek is a giant green ogre who prefers to live as far
away from others as possible. However, his swamp gets invaded by fairy tale
characters (including the fast-talking Donkey) evicted from their kingdom by
the tyrannical Lord Farquaad. In a bid to get his swamp back, Shrek makes a
deal with Farquaad – he and Donkey will rescue Princess Fiona, a sassy princess
imprisoned in a tower due to a mysterious curse, and bring her to Farquaad to
be his bride. Shrek manages to complete the first part of his task and free
Fiona, but things get complicated when they begin to develop feelings for each
other...)
None of the projects on this list has had as much impact as
Shrek, which revolutionised the animated genre in 2001. At the time, Disney’s
films had become too formulaic and had lost a lot of their signature charm, so
when rival animation studio Dreamworks (owned by former Disney head Jeffrey
Katzenberg) released Shrek, its irreverent humour meant it represented a breath
of fresh air. Shrek was adapted from a 1990 picture book written and
illustrated by William Steig, but screenwriters expanded the 32-page story to
feature-length by creating a more elaborate plot, with fairy tale characters
such as Pinocchio, The Big Bad Wolf, and The Gingerbread Man playing a key
role. The inclusion of these familiar figures enhanced the movie’s parody of
established fairy tale conventions, and there were numerous jokes at the
expense of Disney. However, for all the crude and subversive aspects of Shrek,
the CGI animation was incredibly advanced for the time, and the film had an
excellent message about the importance of inner beauty.
Due to its ability at combining edgy humour with an
appealing, family-friendly story, Shrek proved a major hit, winning the first
ever Academy Award for Best Animated Film. In 2004, it was followed by Shrek 2,
which added a Zorro-inspired take on Puss in Boots and a villainous Fairy
Godmother to the universe, and introduced viewers to Far Far Away Land, a
fairytale kingdom with more than a passing resemblance to modern-day Hollywood.
It proved to be every bit as popular as the original, making over $919 million
worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing animated film to date. The two
subsequent sequels (released in 2007 and 2010) failed to match up to the high
standard set by these two movies, but Shrek remains popular today, and Dreamworks
have been spending the last few years developing a revival of the franchise.
- · The Lunar Chronicles
(Plot: Cinder is a cyborg* in the polluted, plague-ravaged
futuristic city of New Beijing. Scarlett is an impulsive teenager from France
whose grandmother has just gone missing. Cress is a computer expert who has
been imprisoned on a satellite since childhood. Winter is a rebellious princess
whose facial scars do not conceal her inner beauty. These heroines will have to
team up to take on the tyrannical Queen Levana of the planet Luna, who plans to
take over the earth.)
(*for those too addicted to fairy tales to understand
technical terminology, this means she’s half-human, half-robot)
Most of the fairy-tale “universe” stories mentioned here
feature fairytale characters in the modern world or (in the case of Shrek) a
fairy tale world that has more in common with the present than the past.
However, The Lunar Chronicles goes even further, setting its retellings of fairy
tales such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel in the far future.
The Lunar Chronicles franchise consists of five novels (as well as several
shorter stories and a couple of graphic novels) written by Marissa Meyer. The
first three novels in The Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, Scarlet and Cress)
introduce us to our misfit protagonists, the fourth (Fairest) is told from the
perspective of the villainous Queen Levana, and the series climaxes with an
epic finale, the 827-page Winter.
A former fanfiction writer, Meyer understands her teenage
audience very well. Although The Lunar Chronicles uses the same basic ‘teens
vs. tyrants’ storyline of major YA (Young Adult) literary franchises such as
The Hunger Games and Divergent, it also has the epic storytelling and memorable
characters needed to stand out in a crowded genre. Cinder, Scarlet and Cress
are relatable protagonists, with enough quirks and flaws to feel realistic and
well-developed. The combination of fairy tale characters and sci-fi tropes is
also effective. Whilst the two genres seem totally different, they both rely on
building atmosphere and appealing to our fascination with the unknown. This
means that, in spite of the frequent use of technical terminology and the
complex relationships at the centre of her work, Meyer manages to maintain the
of the underlying mystique and charm of the classic stories which inspired her.
Overall, The Lunar Chronicles is an entertaining series which highlights the
enduring appeal of the fairy tale protagonists who feature in it.
Crossovers
- · A Tale Dark and Grimm
(Plot: Hansel and
Gretel are reimagined as the children of a monarch, who cuts off their heads in
order to bring his faithful servant back to life. Hansel and Gretel quickly get
resurrected, but their experience (understandably) causes them to run away and
look for parents who won’t kill them. However, in the world of fairy tales,
such perfect parents turn out to be incredibly hard to find, and Hansel and
Gretel end up battling witches, dragons, curses and even the devil himself…)
It is difficult to dislike a story which begins with the
line “Once upon a time, fairy tales were AWESOME!”, and this novel by Adam
Gidwitz succeeds in demonstrating that fairy tales are not as sweet and
innocent as many moral guardians want us to believe. A Tale Dark and Grimm has often
been compared to Lemony Snicket’s much-loved A Series of Unfortunate Events,
as it revels in the notion that it may be too dark and gory for sensitive
readers, featuring numerous warnings advising the faint of heart to stop
reading. Much is made of the fact that A Tale Dark and Grimm preserves the
bloody content of the classic Brothers Grimm stories, but it also maintains the
simplistic, earthy and unpretentious tone which makes them so appealing.
A Tale Dark and Grimm weaves together several Brothers Grimm
stories in which children are treated in ways which would make modern audiences
uncomfortable. Almost everyone knows about Hansel and Gretel, but only fans of
the Brothers Grimm are familiar with tales like Faithful Johannes, The Seven
Ravens and Brother and Sister. The common theme of “children in peril” which
unites these stories allows them to be combined into a single engaging and
effective narrative, as our two protagonists end up stuck in a variety of
dangerous situations and realise that they have to grow up quickly in order to
survive. The darkness of the fairy tales used is balanced out by the comedic
narration and a narrative with the excellent message that children are more
intelligent and self-sufficient than adults give them credit for. Unsurprisingly,
A Tale Dark and Grimm has been a huge hit with older children since it was
first published in 2010, and it even managed to appear on the New York Times’
prestigious Bestsellers list. Adam Gidwitz has since written two follow-up
stories (In A Glass Grimmly and A Grimm Conclusion) which have stuck with the
winning formula, featuring various child protagonists navigating their way
through fairytales both familiar and obscure.
- · Into the Woods
(Plot: A baker and
his wife learn that their inability to have a child is the result of a curse
placed on them by a witch. In order to break this curse, the duo have to bring
her a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and
a slipper as pure as gold. Their quest leads them to Little Red Riding Hood,
(who encounters a wolf on her journey to find her grandmother) Jack (who wishes
to regain the cow he sold for five magic beans), Rapunzel (seeking to leave her
tower and explore the outside world) and Cinderella (who wishes to attend the
King's Festival and escape her cruel stepmother and stepsisters). Initially,
all these characters are able to obtain the happy endings they seek. However, their
impulsive actions eventually lead to disaster, as the Baker’s marriage starts
to fall apart, Rapunzel proves unable to cope with the outside world, and a
rampaging giant seeks revenge on Jack…)
Stephen Sondheim is one of the most iconic songwriters in the
musical theatre genre, renowned for his clever lyrics, intricate melodies, and
his ability at creating compelling musicals about dark and unconventional
subjects. Sondheim’s talents are in full display in Into the Woods, which
premiered on Broadway in 1987. James Lapine, (who previously collaborated with
Sondheim on Sunday in the Park With George) wrote the script, but Sondheim is
the person most responsible for making Into the Woods such an iconic musical. The
14-minute prologue to Into the Woods, which introduces us to the characters and
their wishes and kick-starts the plot, highlights just how talented Sondheim
is, as he creates a distinctively mysterious world and memorable characters
using complex musical techniques, amusing wordplay and even a bit of rapping.
Other notable songs from Into the Woods include “Hello Little Girl” (The Big
Bad Wolf’s enjoyably creepy attempt to seduce Little Red Riding Hood), the moving
“No-One Is Alone” and the closing number “Children Will Listen”. This
impressive music is used to soundtrack a creative and intelligent deconstruction
of the fairy tale genre.
The most notable feature of Into the Woods is its inspired
use of the Two-Act structure which defines modern theatre. The First Act blends
faithful retellings of four classic fairy tales, which preserve their darker
and gorier aspects (Cinderella’s story is based on the Brothers Grimm version,
rather than the softer and simpler Charles Perrault version which inspires most
adaptations), with the adventures of the baker and his wife, two ordinary
people who end up having a significant influence on the familiar characters. The
First Act ends happily, with the dreams of the protagonists coming true, but in
the Second act, these dreams turn into nightmares. Today, in an era when fairy
tales are expected to be dark and edgy, many of the twists which shocked those
expecting more a conventional fairy tale narrative (protagonists get killed by
the giant, Cinderella and Rapunzel’s Prince Charming’s both turn out to be
shallow philanderers) no longer feel so subversive. That said, Into the Woods will always remain a great musical, due to the brilliant songs, the fascinating characters
and, most importantly of all, the timeless and valuable messages about the
impact of fairy tales on our children and the consequences of pursuing your
dream without considering the long-term effects this could have. There have
been several major productions of Into the Woods over the last 30 years, and in
2014, it was even adapted into a film featuring an all-star cast which included
Meryl Streep, James Corden, Johnny Depp and Chris Pine.
- · Kissing the Witch
(Plot: This
collection features thirteen stories, which put unique twists on European fairy
tales ranging from Cinderella and Donkeyskin to The Snow Queen and The Little
Mermaid. These include a story about Cinderella realising that she cares more
about her fairy godmother than any prince, and one which explains why the Evil
Queen wanted to kill Snow White. However, these tales are connected far more
closely than they initially appear to be…)
Emma Donoghue is best known for her 2010 novel Room, which
was recently-adapted into an Oscar-winning film, but she has also provided a
number of short story collections, of which Kissing the Witch is the most
notable. Kissing the Witch sounds like yet another collection of revisionist
takes on fairy tales, but whereas most works in this crowded genre consist of
an anthology of standalone stories, Donoghue combines her tale into a single
chain of interlinked narratives. Each story ends with the protagonist asking a
question about another central character, and that character then tells them
their own tale. Donoghue described this device as “a simple ploy” to make the
stories “more marketable”, but it allows Kissing the Witch to stand out (it
also allows the anthology to qualify for this list). This structure also pays
tribute to the role of women’s folklore in shaping the fairy tale genre.
Kissing the Witch starts with its unusual spin on
Cinderella, with establishes some of the major themes of the collection. In
addition to showing Cinderella rejecting her Prince in favour of the beautiful
Fairy Godmother, it focuses on her doubts and insecurities, with her earlier servitude
forced upon her by negative voices in her head rather than a wicked stepmother.
After this, we learn about how the fairy godmother had to deal with her own
inner demons, and a sense of inadequacy which made her feel as small as
Thumbelina. The chain of fairy tales continues from here, going from Rapunzel
to The Snow Queen to Hansel and Gretel, before finishing with an original story
about a witch who, in spite of her reputation has no magical powers”. The transitions
are usually highly effective, giving increased depth to the characters and the
world which they inhabit, and the ease with which a secondary character from
one story becomes the protagonist in the next proves that the wide range of
women in fairy tales have more in common than most casual readers would think. Kissing
the Witch uses its unconventional structure to update fairy tales for more
feminist times whilst also highlighting their origins as oral narratives and
old-wives tales.
Mash-Ups
- · Dark as Snow
(Combines Frozen and
The Bloody Chamber)
(Plot: Desperate to escape from her lonely life with her
troubled, reclusive sister Elsa, Anna Arendelle gets impulsively married to
seemingly perfect widower Hans Westergard. However, life with Hans in his
lavish estate isn’t the fairy tale ideal she expected, and Anna soon finds
herself becoming increasingly close to his stable hand, Kristoff. But Hans is
keeping a dark secret, hidden inside a mysterious locked room, and it could endanger
everything Anna holds dear…)
In theory, the idea of combining Frozen, Disney’s most
successful movie, with The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter’s adults-only take on
Bluebeard, sounds ludicrous. However, this fanfic, from the author Anysia, blends
the two into one atmospheric and enthralling story. Essentially, Dark as Snow is
a straightforward retelling of The Bloody Chamber with characters from Frozen
in the lead roles. Anna becomes the protagonist, whilst the villainous Hans
takes on the role of The Bloody Chamber’s sinister Marquis. Kristoff and Elsa
are also central characters, with Anna’s relationship with Kristoff providing
some much-needed sweetness to contrast with the dark and grim tone of the rest
of the tale. Dark as Snow includes many of the most memorable elements from
Carter’s story (the red ruby necklace, the bed surrounded by mirrors, the book
full of sexually sadistic pornography), whilst also sneaking in a number of
references to Frozen. If you are familiar with The Bloody Chamber, the
allusions to that story are a real treat, but even if you aren’t, this is still
a great work on its own terms.
The writing is excellent, with vivid and evocative
descriptions that really add to the atmosphere and thus increase tension.
Anysia is also great at getting inside Anna’s head, and really makes us care
about her and hope that she gets a happy ending. Dark as Snow is definitely not
suitable for children, and it is often genuinely scary. Hans is upgraded from
the scheming nuisance of Frozen into a truly terrifying monster, and this
fanfic contains a number of disturbing scenes where he inflicts acts of
physical and sexual violence upon Anna. However, adult readers who can endure
moments like these should definitely check this story out. With its memorable,
well-developed characters, powerful descriptions and an excellent feminist
message, Dark as Snow is proof that a fanfic can be every bit as impressive as
a more professional work of fiction.
- · The Coachman Rat
(Combines Cinderella
and The Pied Piper of Hamelin)
(Read The Coachman Rat here)
(Plot: A rat seeking to explore the human world is accidentally
transformed into a human coachman as part of a spell from a fairy godmother which
turns scullery maid Amadea into a beautiful princess so that she can attend the
Royal Ball. After Amadea’s eventful night at the ball, Robert turns back into a
rat, but maintains his ability to speak. However, his gifts soon attract the
attention of unscrupulous revolutionary Devlin, who exploits Robert’s power of
speech in order to carry out a bloody coup. After Amadea is killed, the fairy
turns Robert back into a human, enabling him to plot revenge on Devlin and his
supporters.)
Even when competing against stories like Into The Woods and
Dark As Snow, The Coachman Rat is the darkest 'combination tale' mentioned in this article by
some distance. Written in 1989 by English author David Henry Wilson, it takes
one of the most iconic stories of wish-fulfilment in fiction and ruthlessly
shatters the upbeat ideals which it represents. The idea of telling the story
of Cinderella from the perspective of an animal sidekick seems rather
whimsical, but this incarnation of the tale takes place in a world of plague, superstition
and witch-burnings. Initially, Robert’s quest to become human permanently has
some amusing aspects, but then Amadea and her prince get gruesomely executed.
Once Robert is made human again, The Coachman Rat reveals itself as a variation
on the Pied Piper of Hamelin, as he gains the ability to summon and control an
army of rats using a recorder. Robert uses this power to strike back against
the kingdom which wronged him, but soon finds himself alienated from both
humankind and his fellow rats.
It goes without saying that Robert is the most important
character here, as his initial fascination at the power and influence of humans
is replaced by disgust and hatred when he realises what they are truly capable
of. Robert’s first-person narration conveys his loss of innocence effectively, as
he recalls a variety of awful events with the cold, matter-of-fact detachment
of a protagonist whose quest to learn and discover has ended in total tragedy. If
you like your fairy tales to be escapist and optimistic, then The Coachman Rat is
definitely not for you. However, its bold approach and hard-hitting messages allow
it to stand out, providing a harsh reminder that the innocence embodied by fairy
tales cannot survive the cruelty and violence of the real world.
- · The Tangled Princess Bride
(Combines Tangled and
The Princess Bride)
(Read The Tangled Princess Bride here)
(Plot: With their parents both away
on royal business, the task of looking after Zachary and Rose falls to their
grandfather, the King of Corona. Deciding to read them a bedtime story, the
King chooses a tale called The Princess Bride from an anthology series called
the Nineteen 80’s. This story is about the relationship between Rapunzel, a
girl with magical hair, and the stable hand Eugene Fitzherbert, who get involved
in an incredible adventure involving fencing, revenge, chases, escapes, true
love, miracles and all sorts of exciting stuff. Soon, Zachary and Rose begin to
notice parallels between the protagonists of The Princess Bride and their
parents…)
Based on the novel by screenwriter William Goldman, The
Princess Bride is one of the best-loved fairy-tale films of all time, with its
wonderfully quotable dialogue (including iconic lines such as “As you wish” and
“Inconceivable!”), memorable characters and playful sense of humour. Its blend
of comedy, fantasy and adventure has inspired numerous fairy-tale films, such
as Disney’s 2010 hit Tangled. This story highlights how much Tangled was
influenced by The Princess Bride by inserting Rapunzel, Eugene and all their
friends and enemies into Goldman’s story, leading to a gloriously chaotic and
enjoyable adventure.
Rapunzel and Eugene fit perfectly into the shoes of
Buttercup and Westley, and their eternal love for each other gives the story
heart to accompany the comedy. Like the two films which inspired it, The
Tangled Princess Bride takes great pleasure in celebrating the familiar fantasy
tropes whilst pointing out how ridiculous they can be, leading to plenty of
silliness and tonnes of anachronistic humour. Highlights include an unusual
wedding ceremony presided over by a highly inebriated priest, a wonderfully
over-the-top climactic battle involving dozens of famous Disney characters, and
an interlude where the King of Corona gets the wrong page and accidentally
reads the children an extract from a story called Tangled Die Hard…
lit
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