Fairy tales are as old as humankind, and each culture has its own interpretation of major fairy tales. In 1989, Chinese American author Ed Young published “Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China.” This children’s story pulls elements from the European version of the “Little Red Riding Hood” story, such as the villainous wolf who pretends to be a grandmother to gain children’s trust so he can eat them. “Lon Po Po” roughly translates to “Granny Wolf,” and although the details of “Lon Po Po” differ significantly from its European counterpart, the key element of deception shines through. In both cases, a predatory wolf tries to impersonate a kindly grandmother, and the stories are often used to teach lessons about the dangers of trusting strangers.

Author Marissa Meyer has a deep love for traditional fairy tales, and like many modern retellings, The Lunar Chronicles borrows heavily from these highly-popularized children’s stories. In Meyer’s debut novel Cinder, elements of the traditional “Cinderella” story are given a sci-fi twist. Cinderella is a cyborg, and instead of leaving a glass slipper on the palace steps, she leaves behind her metal foot and is immediately thrown in jail for allegedly trying to assassinate her prince.