Once Upon a Crime: The Dark Origins of Fairy Tales

Fairy tales weren't always sweet. Before they became bedtime stories, they were blood-soaked, cautionary, and deeply moral narratives used to scare children into obedience and warn adults of danger. Once Upon a Crime unearths the twisted roots of our most beloved fairy tales and explores how fear, power, and storytelling have long walked hand-in-hand.

Inside this compelling journey through folklore and fable, you'll discover:

• The brutal truths behind sanitized classics like Cinderella, Snow White, and Red Riding Hood

• How the Brothers Grimm transformed oral horrors into printed legends

• Why illustrations were designed to instill fear-and how they worked

• The shifting gender roles and hidden politics embedded in traditional tales

• A look at the modern fairy tale renaissance-and what it says about us today

This book is a must-read for folklore enthusiasts, writers, horror fans, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of morality and myth. Because sometimes, the most dangerous thing in the woods isn't the wolf-it's the story you've been told.