Beyond the Pale contains twelve dark fantasy, urban fantasy and paranormal short stories by award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors:
- "Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela" by Saladin Ahmed (author of Throne of the Crescent Moon)
- "The Children of the Shark God" by Peter S. Beagle (author of The Last Unicorn)
- "Misery" & "Shadow Children" by Heather Brewer (author of Vladimir Tod)
- "Even Hand" by Jim Butcher (author of The Dresden Files series)
- "Death Warmed Over" by Rachel Caine (author of the Weather Warden series)
- "Red Run" by Kami Garcia (author of Beautiful Creatures)
- "Pale Rider" & "The Adventures of Lightning Merriemouse-Jones" by Nancy Holder (author of Wicked)
- "Frost Child" and "South" by Gillian Philip (author of the Rebel Angels series)
- "A Knot of Toads" by Jane Yolen (author of Owl Moon)
The noun "pale" refers to a stake (as in impaling vampires) or pointed piece of wood (as in a paling fence). "Pale" came to refer to an area enclosed by a paling fence. Later, it acquired the figurative meaning of an enclosed and therefore safe domain. Conversely, "beyond the pale" means foreign, strange, or threatening. You are about to go Beyond the Pale.