The Book Report Episode #14

Episode #13

The Other Side of Never: Dark Tales from the World of Peter

The Authors. In No Particular Order

The Book

The novel was first published in 2023 by Titan Books in Paperback and ebook form only. The combined talents of the Authors above created an anthology of stories giving their own take on What If… The world of Peter Pan went a little bit different.

All the stories seem set a few or hundreds of years after the original story.

History

Peter Pan first appeared as a character in Barrie’s The Little White Bird (1902), a novel for adults. In chapters 13–18, titled “Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens”, Peter is a seven-day-old baby and has flown from his nursery to Kensington Gardens in London, where the fairies and birds taught him to fly. He is described as “betwixt-and-between” a boy and a bird.

Barrie returned to the character of Peter Pan, putting him at the centre of his stage play titled Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, which premiered on 27 December 1904 at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London.^[3] Following the success of the 1904 play, Barrie’s publishers, Hodder and Stoughton, extracted the Peter Pan chapters of The Little White Bird and published them in 1906 under the title Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, with the addition of illustrations by Arthur Rackham.^[4] Barrie later adapted and expanded the 1904 play’s storyline as a novel, which was published in 1911 as Peter and Wendy.

J. M. Barrie may have based the character of Peter Pan on his older brother, David, who died in an ice-skating accident the day before his 14th birthday. His mother and brother thought of him as forever a boy.

wikipedia

What Did I Think

The book is a collection of, if not the psychological trauma from dealing with or walking into the world of Peter Pan: although the story portrays adventure and excitement, not everyone comes out of it well, and by reading some of these stories, many of the characters end up mentally screwed or already are.

Not all the stories are like that, but take the theme of Peter Pan’s world and mould it into something slightly different or go a completely different direction.

The Stories

The first short story is about what would happen if Peter Pan came back and stayed to grow old, Acquiring a job as a London tour guide and going around the places Peter Pan visited in the stories – A Visit To Kensington Gardens – Lavie Tidhar.

This leads to another story about Tinkerbell leaving Neverland after she supposedly died.

Following her new life as a full-sized human who gets her rocks off with men who think they have a chance with her. She takes them to a secluded spot, away from everyone and gets high by absorbing their life force – Manic Pixie Girl – A.C. Wise.

Another story I did enjoy was about the world of Neverland turning into an apocalyptic future hell hole where Peter Pan has turned into a monster devouring anything and everything in its path.

The only thing that can save Neverland is a future distant criminal relative of the late Captain Hook – The Other Side of Never – Edward Cox.

Crossover

Another intriguing idea within one of the short stories was the crossover with Treasure Island.

Captain Hook was an original member of Captain Flint’s crew, the pirate ship The Walrus. The vessel travels the seas, collecting the dead crew, whoever served on the craft.

As a result, this leads them to sail through dimensions to Neverland – Silver Hook – Gama Ray Martinez.

Additionally, we get a handmaiden tale-style story.

The Wendys are taken as a child and groomed for their future Peter; Wendys are all waiting for their “Kiss”: The gift of a thimble says that Peter has chosen his Wendy. But later. The toll and stress of being the perfect Wendy, unable to fulfil the needs of her Peter. And the childish behaviour and treatment she receives from Peter – A School for Peters – Claire North.

But then, some of the stories only have a passing connection to Peter Pan: Being that a word, a name or even a location.

The Lost Boys

For example, the story of the Boy band and the abuse they go through. Not just from their manager but also the problem of attempting to stay relevant. Balanced against their own demons created by that same trauma – The Lost Boys Monologues – Kirsty Logan

After that, there is a detective story. Another story I did enjoy. In another case of London, a series of kids have gone missing and are unnoticed until it is. An old war buddy and the Lost Boys. Set after the World War II – No Such Place – Paul Finch.

Another story I liked was about a secret an old lady had. Gifting it on to her caregiver before she passes – The Land Between Her Eyelashes – Rio Youers.

All in all, a variety of stories that will make you think and wonder. Although you might not like them all, there will be something to your liking. The physiological themes in some of these stories are written well. The trauma seems very real.

Would I Recommend

Do you like the idea of a different take on an old story? And although, not cannon. They are well-written ideas. I would recommend this book. The stories may not please everybody. But the ideas behind them are pleasing and enjoyable. That is worth the reading of the book alone. So, by all means. When you get a chance, give this book a go.

Would you like to purchase your very own copy?

You could try these online stores: Amazon UK USA, Waterstones, AbeBooks UK USA, and eBay UK USA.

Alternatively, you could try your local bookshop or even your local library.