[FFML] Mercedes Lacky reverses stance on Fanfiction

[Raye Johnsen]

--- On Thu, 10/29/09, PR-DCG <pyroraven at gmail.com> wrote:

> Who? And what does she write?
 
Mercedes Lackey writes fantasy and some science fiction (in collaboration).  

She started out in high fantasy, most of which ('the Valdemar series') are specifically set in a specific kingdom around a group of psychics who are recruited by tutelary guardian spirits (in the form of horses, known as 'Companions') and trained to serve the kingdom as its equivalent of SWAT-come-FBI-come-CIA-come-travelling court/judge.  Interestingly, the candidate does not actually have to be psychic for the Companions to decide they're suitable and kidnap them into the ranks (getting snatched up and borne off by a Companion is a standard variation of the usual recruiting process, which however polite and/or voluntary always involves the Companion taking off with the candidate immediately) but it makes the job so much easier if they are.  In this universe, 'magic' is actually the excess bioelectricity the nervous systems of all living things generate and the electrical fields created thereby, and 'mages' are those psychics with the ability to
 perceive and manipulate the bioelectric energy.  Hence there are also 'mages' who don't actually have that ability but do have the knowledge that the power exists and how to manipulate it.

Lackey then began working in urban fantasy, postulating psychics with similar abilities in *our* world; this became the Diana Tregarde series and the Jennie Talldeer stories.  These series were brought to an abortive conclusion when certain obsessive fans felt that these novels were more reality than fantasy and began to act towards Lackey accordingly.  She then shifted towards a more standard urban fantasy model and wrote the 'Burning Wheels' series, which postulated that elves and other fantasy entities were alive, well and doing their best to continue old enmities in the modern milieu.  (And on the racetrack - these elves were heavily involved in NASCAR.)  These novels were also usually combined with the themes of child abuse and its consequences.

She then began to rewrite old fairytales, which then shifted focus into the Elemental Masters series, where there are no psychics and the magic system was based on the mediaeval idea of the four elements (all persons are made up of the four elements; excess of one element at the cost of the others within a person, if they are self-disciplined and pay attention, can lead to mastery of that element and thus 'magic').

In recent years, Lackey has shifted yet again, into the Tales of the Five Hundred Kingtoms series.  In this world, fairytales come true with appalling regularity, and if it looks like your life may fit a fairytale, the magic of the world (known as 'The Tradition') will bend all its might - and it has a lot of it - to making your life fit the tale.  Not so bad if you're in Rumpelstiltskin, but if you're a Rapunzel, a Cinderella or a Red Riding Hood, you're lucky if you survive.  And the Tradition doesn't *care*.  Luckily for the people, most of the Fairy Godmothers do.  But Fairy Godmothers can't be everywhere, and sometimes they burn out and sometimes they go bad - and if a Fairy Godparent taps you as his/her Apprentice/replacement, you can guarantee you'll very rarely ever have a peaceful day again.

On top of that, Lackey was named by Marion Zimmer Bradley as the author of her choice to write any further Darkover books after her death and I understand the publishers have started asking.
 
You may have guessd that I'm somewhat of a fan... and I may have had several fanfic ideas, yes...

Raye

raye_j at yahoo.com
http://windtear.livejournal.com
http://www.thejohnsens.com/index.html

I believe in dragons, unicorns, good men
and other mythical creatures.