Tapping the Dream Tree

Tapping the Dream Tree (2002) — Is the fourth collecton of stories and is #12 in the Newford Series by Charles de Lint.

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Category (YA or Adult)

Adult

Description

✤ BOOK 12 BLURB—Tapping the Dream Tree (2002): The city of Newford could be any contemporary North American city...except that magic lurks in its music, in its `art, in the shadows of its grittiest streets, where mythic beings walk disguised. And its people are like you and me, each looking for a bit of magic to shape their lives and transform their fate. Here are a bluesman hiding from the devil; a Buffalo Man at the edge of death; a murderous ghost looking for revenge; a wolf man on his first blind date; and many more. We're reunited with Jilly, Geordie, Sophie, the Crow Girls, and other characters whose lives have become part of the great Newford myth. And beyond Newford's streets, de Lint takes us to the pastoral hills north of the city, where magic and music have a flavor different but powerful still. ~ Goodreads | Tapping the Dream Tree (Newford, #12)

Themes

World-Building

Settings

Newford

Places:

Mabon
Dreamworld
hills north of the city
Jimmy's Billiards — Vine and Palm ("Wingless Angels")
Crowsea

Supernatural / Mythical Elements

mythic beings, devil, Buffalo Man, ghost, wolf man, Crow Girls, werewolves, fallen angels, ghosts and spirits, Vicious pixies, bogles

Uglies: Fallen angels, small wingless creatures in the shadows; Sammy found them on film; sing with 'honey-golden voices';
tiny folk, once birds, yearn to regain their ancient forms
Trees: Dream tree, witchy Bottle Tree, Tree of Tales

World

Details:

Only Witches kept a bottle tree;

Characters

Characters	What	Story	About
Jilly Coppercorn	human artist
Geordie Riddell	human, fiddler
Sophie Etoile	Half Fae-Human	"Granny Weather"	Sophie saves her boyfriend, Jeck, by using lucid dreaming, personal sacrifice and good sense
Crow Girls			Zia and Maida
Holly Rue	book shop owner		one of the creators of the Wordwood; Vicious pixies from the Internet emerge through a computer screen to wreak havoc in her book store;
Christy Riddell	writer
Meran and Cerin Kelledy
Granny Weather	dreamworld witch	"Granny Weather"	captured by malevolent bogles, summons the aid of Sophie Etoile, in whose veins runs faerie blood
Wordwood	website		a Web site in an imaginary city in a world reached only through dreams; created by Holly Rue, among others
Sheri Piper	local children's book author	"Big City Littles"	encounters some Littles: were avian, until their wings turned into hands and they became very small folk;
Robert Lonnie			Music is a very important part of Lonnie's character;
Dick Bobbins	hobgoblin	"Pixel Pixiex"	shy but valiant; pixies from the Internet emerge through Holly Rue's computer, annoy its unsuspected tenant
Staley Cross	gifted fiddle player	"Ten for the Devil"	her real powers: connection between her music and the Otherworld;
Robert Lonnie	old hoodoo man	"Ten for the Devil"
William
Malicorne	hoodoo man	"Ten for the Devil"
Butch Crickmn	Stacey's friend	"Ten for the Devil"	drops Staley off on highway against his better judgement;
Kate Crickman	Roadhouse owner	"Ten for the Devil"	Staley played with a band there sometimes;


Kickaha	native prople		Staley's g-mom's trailer on their land, don't mind; had understanding with her G-mom
Father Sully	alcoholic ex-priest	"Wingless Angels"	tells Sammy & Christina: creatures are fallen angels
Christina	photo store clerk	"Wingless Angels"	Sammy's friend; helps him develop film of creatures;
Sammy	human	"Wingless Angels"	find film of creatures murdering someone: future-dated; creatures are fallen angels: "Uglies"

To expand the table, right-press on a row of the table or (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add

Story Synosis

—13 • Author's Note (Tapping the Dream Tree) • essay

1—19 • Ten for the Devil (1998) • novelette (first appeared in Battle Magic, anthology)

✥ A fiddle player sends two warring spirits away, so that she can deal with the devil herself. Staley, the fiddler in question

✥ Music is a very important part of Robert Lonnie's character—this is an introduction to him. The story centers around is Staley, a woman that is very gifted in her music, but was unaware of her real powers. She has a connection between her music and the Otherworld.

2—57 • Wingless Angels (2000) • novelette — (previously printed in Black Gate, mag, Spring 2001)

✥ Charles de Lint. “Wingless Angels” is a short, but tightly written story of hope for redemption, even among the unredeemable. It’s remarkable not only for its excellent characterization, but also for what must unfortunately be described as an unconventional approach to traditional Western religion, treating it as a mere basis for the plot rather than an editorial. ~ Black Gate » The best of Black Gates 1-3

✥

3—75 • The Words That Remain (2000) • shortstory

✥ A Christy Riddell story—(Mary told Christy that he was speaking like a writer)

✥

4—89 • Many Worlds Are Born Tonight (2000) • shortstory

✥

5—103 • The Buffalo Man (1999) • novelette

✥ A story mixing Native American and Celtic myth elements. It is the story of saving a spirit that lives as a homeless man. He is dying. Meran, an oak king’s daughter, and her bard husband Cerin try to help with their magic, which draws the young girl Jilly into a dangerous situation.

✥

6—133 • Second Chances (1998) • shortstory

✥

7—143 • Forest of Stone (1999) • shortstory

✥ Geordie faces changes with his life that he is not ready to undergo. His story coincides with a homeless who has lived a strange life. He wants to go to a Celtic heaven but can’t until he dies. Geordie is torn about his long distance relationship and deciding to join his girlfriend. He must meet the request of the homeless man that helps him make a decision. Mr. de Lint creates a vivid story of characters dealing with change and the magic in the world.

✥

8—161 • Embracing the Mystery (2000) • novelette

✥ Sue wants to hear her friend’s dog speak again. She does not believe in magic, but explores ways to reconcile her friend’s suicide. Along the way she encounters a living Internet web site—Wordwood—and the dream city of Mabon.

✥

9—189 • Masking Indian (2000) • shortstory

✥

10—209 • Granny Weather (2000) • novelette

✥ The story of Sophie Etoile. Her friends keep telling her that she has fairy blood, but she does not believe it. She is a true dreamer and can enter another world of magic. Sophie is drawn into the dream world to save a witch and her boyfriend, but is not sure how to do it.

✥

11—239 • The Witching Hour () • short story (only original story)

✥ Macabre tale of a ghost's revenge on the serial killers who murdered her, ✥ Paddy Riddell murders Michael Hill while temporarily possessed. In prison, the ghost of Judy Moore explains to him why she used him to kill her murderer, and then she makes Paddy hang himself. She needs his ghostly help to stop Michael's partner.

✥

12—259 • Pixel Pixies (1999) • novelette

✥ The resident hob Dick Bobbins cleans up Holly Rue's bookstore during the night hours. He notices critters coming out of her PC and helps her hunt them in "Pixel Pixies."

✥

13—291 • Trading Hearts at the Half Kaffe Café (2001) • novelette

✥

14—321 • Making a Noise in This World (2000) • novelette

✥

15—347 • Freak (2001) • shortstory

✥

16—357 • Big City Littles (2000) • shortstory

✥ The story follows children's book author Sheri Piper, whose faithful retelling of a story once told by her grandfather earns her the attention of a miniature man, one of the mythical Littles. All her new friend wants to know is, how can he and his tribe become birds again, like they were originally? The answer lies in a spot of old magic, and Sheri's own willingness to help. ~ The SF Site Featured Review: Triskell Tales 2

✥ Charming tale of wee ones and the impact one of them has upon a woman—Sheri Piper—who thinks that she's quite sensible. Now, given that she's a fantasy writer, that's amazing! Once the Littles of this story were avian in nature, until they made themselves far too fat and became too heavy to fly! Their wings turned into hands and they became very small folk. Or so Sheri Piper, author of the children's fantasy "The Travelling Littles," believes... But what happens when a Little is eye to eye with her? Let's just say that Sheri's life will never be quite as simple again. ~ Greenman review

✥

17—381 • Sign Here () • shortstory

✥

18—397 • Seven Wild Sisters (2002) • novel (longest in the book) (144 page novella)

✥ The story of seven sisters whose family is touched by the world of Faerie. Sarah Jane Dillard helps the older woman Lillian who lives in the hills behind her home. She hears stories about fairies from Lillian but does not believe in their existence. One day she finds a little man made of roots full of tiny arrows, taking him to Lillian. This drags her six sisters inadvertently into a struggle between two different groups. ~ more: Seven Wild Sisters

✥ About a West Virginia mountain girl who finds a painting box. In “Seven Wild Sisters” she’s an old woman with another teenager learning from her. I could only wish that Sarah Jane finished high school.

~ Source:

Contributors

Cover Artists

Charles Vess — 2002-hc & 2003-pb by Tor

~ Source: ISFdb: Cover: Tapping the Dream Tree

Other Contributors

Editor: Terri Windling

Publishing Information

Publishers: Tor Books

Hardcover, First Ed., 544 pages, Pub: November 23rd 2002 by Tor Books—ISBN: 0312874014
Paperback, 541 pages, Pub: September 1st 2003 by Tor Books—ISBN: 0312868405

19 • Ten for the Devil • [Newford] • (1998) • novelette
57 • Wingless Angels • [Newford] • (2000) • novelette
75 • The Words That Remain • [Newford] • (2000) • shortstory
89 • Many Worlds Are Born Tonight • [Newford] • (2000) • shortstory
103 • The Buffalo Man • [Newford] • (1999) • novelette
133 • Second Chances • [Newford] • (1998) • shortstory
143 • Forest of Stone • [Newford] • (1999) • shortstory
161 • Embracing the Mystery • [Newford] • (2000) • novelette
189 • Masking Indian • [Newford] • (2000) • shortstory
209 • Granny Weather • [Newford] • (2000) • novelette
239 • The Witching Hour • [Newford] • shortstory
259 • Pixel Pixies • [Newford] • (1999) • novelette
291 • Trading Hearts at the Half Kaffe Café • [Newford] • (2001) • novelette
321 • Making a Noise in This World • [Newford] • (2000) • novelette
347 • Freak • [Newford] • (2001) • shortstory
357 • Big City Littles • [Newford] • (2000) • shortstory
381 • Sign Here • [Newford] • shortstory
397 • Seven Wild Sisters • (2002) • novel

~ Source: ISFdb

First Sentence

"Are you sure you want off here?" ~ Shelfari

Quotes

Goodreads | Charles de Lint Quotes

You’d be surprised how much satisfaction you can get from the simplest task if you impart it with meaning.” ~ Shelfari

"I lived in a tree," he said. "Not in some little house nestled up in its branches, but deep inside the trunk itself where the sap flows and old secrets cluster. It was a time, let me tell you, but long gone now. Then I was a king in a forest of green, now I live like a beggar in a forest of stone." ~

Awards

Triva

Lists That Contain Tapping the Dream Tree (Newford, #12) by Charles de Lint

Notes

Tapping the Dream Tree (Tor Books, hardcover, November 2002) is my 50th book and collects a new batch of Newford stories written after those that appeared in Moonlight and Vines. As in the previous three Newford collections (which also include Dreams Underfoot and The Ivory and the Horn), you'll meet old friends and hopefully make some new ones. It includes one previously unpublished story, "The Witching Hour." The cover art is by my pal Charles Vess. For readers who don't live in North America, there are no plans for a foreign edition of this collection at the moment. But happily with the Internet, it can be readily ordered and shipped anywhere in the world. ~ Charles de Lint: Tapping the Dream Tree (2002) Description

External Links

Book:

Charles de Lint: Tapping the Dream Tree (2002) Description ~ Author
Goodreads | Tapping the Dream Tree (Newford, #12) ~ Goodreads
Newford series - Urban Fantasy Wiki ~ Wikia
Bibliography: Tapping the Dream Tree ~ ISFdb
Tapping the Dream Tree by Charles de Lint ~ Shelfari (Characters, etc)

Free samples:

Artist:

Charles Vess - Summary Bibliography

Reviews: