Everyone and their grandparents have heard or read about fairy-tales or some kind of mythology or folklore growing up. The stories are so old and have been past down for generations it's hard to avoid hearing about them, especially stories like Cinderella and Snow White that have been popularized by entertainment industries like Disney.

Since these stories are so old, and were often passed down orally, we've all heard of at least two versions of the same story. Nowadays, something like that is far less likely to happen. With resources like the internet and much easier access to literature, there aren't two different endings to the "Harry Potter" series. With every person I've talked to who's read "Harry Potter" we're all in agreement that Harry manages to defeat Voldemort at the end of the story and not vise versa.

I don't think that only having one way a story is told is a bad thing, but I do think that re-imagining stories is a great way to think about a story again. Also, it's just fun (at least if you're a nerd like I am).

In recent years fairy-tale retelling has become a trend in popular fiction books and movies. And no, I don't just think it's because Hollywood has run out of original ideas. While some of the retelling weren't executed as well as they could have been (I'm looking at you "Snow White and the Huntsmen"), others manage to tell a tale that feels fresh and original.

Also, re-imagining fairy-tales, especially in longer narratives like novels and films, gives us a chance to humanize the characters and not just think of them as icons. Two of my favorite stories that do this are Chris Colfer's "Land of Stories" book series and the hit ABC television show "Once Upon a Time."

One thing both stories did really well was humanizing the Evil Queen. Colfer created a strong sympathetic back story for the Evil Queen that made us want to give her a hug and befriend her. "Once Upon A Time" made many people not only sympathized with Regina, the Evil Queen, but side with her over Snow White.

Humanizing villains in stories is really important. Reading is scientifically proven to create empathy. People who read regularly are known to be more sympathetic, to not judge people right away. By teaching someone to sympathize with the villains in fairy-tales, they can learn to not judge someone right away. In the beginning of the series Rumpelstiltskin was a shady guy who made deals and was one of the main villains, he even created the curse that ripped everyone away from their homeland back in the pilot. But halfway through the first season, when we saw his backstory with Belle, suddenly everyone was rooting for him to have love in his life and to be reunited with his long lost son. After that episode fans were saying that everyone deserves a second chance, and deserves to have love in their lives, even a shady guy like Rumpelstiltskin.

Even though reading in general helps people become more empathetic, I feel like fairy-tales have an even greater potential to do so. Because to me, all the best retelling give a rich backstory to villains like the Evil Queen. Some people might be tired of fairy-tale retelling, but if someone decides to right a Red Riding Hood retelling taking place during a zombie apocalypse, there's a good chance I might check it out.