Tanith Lee

"Tanith Lee was born 19 September 1947 in London, England. Her parents Bernard and Hylda Lee were ballroom dancers. Lee attended a number of primary schools. Following the completion of her secondary education, she was employed in a variety of jobs, including file clerk, assistant librarian, shop assistant and waitress. She also attended art college for one year, but quickly came to the conclusion that she would rather express herself through words than pictures.

"Tanith Lee has won or been nominated for a variety of awards, including the World Fantasy Award, the August Derleth Award and the Nebula. She has appeared as Guest of Honour at a number of science fiction conventions, including Boskone XVIII in Boston in 1981, and the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa.

"In 1987, she met John Kaiine, a British writer and artist. The couple married in 1992 and currently live in the south of England." (Daughter of the Night)

Red As Blood or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer (DAW Books, 1983)

"Red As Blood is subtitled Tales From the Sisters Grimmer and indeed these fairy stories are far darker than the tales that inspired them. Darker, yet more real. Tanith Lee explores traditional fairy tales in a nontraditional way, from a different perspective, one full of passion, far kinder to women, and imbued with Lee's customary dark eroticism. This book belongs on the shelf with the Grimm Brothers, and yet fills a long ignored niche, a niche where pretty little girls are no longer exclusively victims and where princes are not necessarily charming or heroic." (Greenman Review)

"Red as Blood or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer" is the book from which the tale "When the Clock Strikes" emerges. Ms. Lee reinterpreted many traditional European fairy tales in a manner which combats feminism with the patriarchal ideals of the original tales. Actually, she is well known for her feminist movement contributions and is well known in the science fiction world. Due to her upbringing and her life experiences, Lee retells fairy tales in a modern way, which emphasizes gender equality, as well as contains many science fiction and horror components.

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