'The Golem and the Jinni' by Helene Wecker. It combines elements of different cultures' mythologies. The story of a golem and a jinni in 19th - century New York City is both a story of their individual struggles and a beautiful exploration of how they interact with the human world.
Neil Gaiman's 'Stardust' is also excellent. It takes you on a journey from the real world to a magical realm. The story of Tristan's quest for a fallen star is full of adventure, with various magical creatures and interesting characters along the way.
Another great one is 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' by L. Frank Baum. It tells the story of Dorothy, who gets swept away to the magical land of Oz. It has themes of friendship, courage, and the longing for home. There are so many interesting characters like the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion that Dorothy meets on her quest to see the Wizard.
Well, 'Cinder' by Marissa Meyer is an amazing fairy tale romance novel. It's a sci - fi retelling of Cinderella, where Cinder is a cyborg. It has an interesting take on the classic love story. 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J. Maas also belongs to this category. The relationship between the main characters is full of passion and magic. Then there's 'The Princess Bride' by William Goldman. It's a humorous and romantic take on fairy tale tropes.
One example is 'The Hunger Games' which has parallels to the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. In both, there is a sense of a young hero or heroine being sent into a dangerous situation against their will. Katniss, like Theseus, has to face a deadly challenge in an arena. Another is 'Cinder' which has elements similar to Cinderella. Cinder is a downtrodden character, like Cinderella, and there are elements of a ball and a lost shoe in the story as well.
Well, 'The Little Mermaid' is among the best fairy tale stories. It's about a mermaid princess who falls in love with a human prince and makes a great sacrifice to be with him. 'Sleeping Beauty' is also very popular. The princess is cursed to sleep for a hundred years until a prince comes to wake her up with a kiss. And 'Hansel and Gretel' is a classic. Two children outwit a wicked witch who tries to eat them in her gingerbread house.
I'm not sure about specifically popular 'fairy tale adult fanfiction' as it's not a mainstream or widely promoted genre. However, some might rewrite classic fairy tales with modern adult themes like Cinderella in a corporate world setting, but these are more like creative reinterpretations that are not necessarily adult in a vulgar sense.
Some of the top fairy tale retelling novels include 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J. Maas. It reimagines Beauty and the Beast in a faerie - inspired world. 'The Sleeper and the Spindle' by Neil Gaiman is a short but brilliant retelling that mixes Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. Also, 'The Goose Girl' by Shannon Hale is a wonderful retelling of the classic Goose Girl fairy tale, with a strong - willed and resourceful protagonist.
One popular one is 'The Lunar Chronicles' by Marissa Meyer. It combines fairy tale elements with science fiction in a young adult setting.
They usually contain deeper moral lessons. Take 'The Emperor's New Clothes' as an example. It's not just a simple story for kids about the folly of vanity. For adults, it can be seen as a commentary on society's tendency to follow the crowd blindly and the importance of speaking the truth even when it's unpopular.
Magic is a common element. Just like in traditional fairy tales, magic in fairy tale adult fiction can create extraordinary situations and drive the plot forward. For instance, a character might use magic to solve a mystery or change their fate.
There are many excellent fairy tale novels in China. The following are some of the acclaimed classics: 1 The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry): This is a classic fairy tale novel, known as the father of fairy tales in the world, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's representative work. The story was based on the adventures of a prince. Through simple and philosophical language, it showed the readers a story about love, friendship and growth. "Little Red Riding Hood"(Andersen): This is a classic fairy tale novel about a little girl who was deceived by a wolf and finally discovered the danger of the wolf to protect herself and her family. This story was famous for its simple yet profound thoughts, beautiful language, and touching plot. Grimm's Fairy Tales (Jacob Grimm and William Grimm): This is a classic collection of fairy tales, including many classic stories such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White. These stories have been translated into many languages and received worldwide acclaim. 4. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Pu Songling): This is a classic collection of fairy tales, which contains many stories of ghosts and immortals. This story was famous for its rich imagination, bizarre plot, and philosophical thoughts. 5 "Pipi Longstocking"(Zheng Yuanjie): This is a classic fairy tale novel about the adventures of Pipi Pipi. The story was famous for its imaginative plot, the hero's perseverance and bravery. These fairy tale novels were all classics in Chinese literature. They not only had profound thoughts and beautiful language, but also conveyed many values about love, friendship and growth through their stories, which were deeply loved and pursued by readers.