The Little Stranger
Publication(s)
- First Publication
- The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2004
- Other anthologies
- Fantasy: The Best of 2004, 2005
Online access
This story is available online (with a free subscription) at AccessMyLibrary.com.
Summary
Ivy, a woman who seems to love children, writes to her deceased cousin about "little strangers" who come to her house.
Analysis
- Ivy is a plant sacred to Wicca.
- Ivy frequently uses a bicycle. This may be a reference to Elmira Gulch, the woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West in Dorothy's dream in the movie version of The Wizard of Oz.
- When Ivy writes "called" she qualifies it with "(phoned)". She has other ways of calling.
- Danny or Daniel has been used by Wolfe for evil spirits before , such as Daniel O'Donoghue (of Domdaniel) in A Cabin on the Coast.
- Wolfe has used the Hansel and Gretel theme before. See In the House of Gingerbread.