Mercedes Lackey

File:MLackey.jpg

Mercedes Lackey and friend

Mercedes Lackey (born June 24, 1950) (also known as Misty Lackey) is a prolific American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar. Her Valdemar novels form a complex tapestry of interaction between human and non-human protagonists with many different cultures and social mores. There is a prominent theme of tolerance throughout, notably in the relative prominence of homosexual characters and the ethos of Valdemar: "There is no one, true way".

The other main world in which she writes is one much like our own, but also populated by elves, mages, vampires, and other mythical beings. Some of the interlocking series in this world are the Diana Tregarde thrillers, the SERRAted Edge books about racecar-driving elves, and the Bedlam's Bard books, describing a young man with the power to work incredible magics through music. While the SERRAted Edge and Bedlam's Bard series are still in progress, she has declined to write further Diana Tregarde stories because of low sales. Lackey received harassment from a small but determined number of fans over the decision. She claims that the trouble escalated to the point where she and her husband received death threats and were temporarily forced to suspend their fandom activities. She resumed attending conventions by 2004.

There is a Mercedes Lackey fan group on Usenet. The fanclub, the "Queen's Own", is named after Herald Talia's position in her books.

Her earlier novels are all solo projects, but later volumes in the Valdemar saga are illustrated by her husband Larry Dixon, and in many of her latest works he is also credited as co-author.

Biography

Mercedes was born on June 24, 1950. Her birth prevented her father from being called to fight in the Korean War.

She places her meeting with science fiction at age 10/11, when she happened to pick up her father's copy of James H. Schmitz's Agent of Vega. She then read Andre Norton's Beast Master and Lord of Thunder, and continued to read all of Norton's works. (Mercedes notes with chagrined amusement the difficulties of obtaining enough interesting books from the public library to sate her passion for reading.) She wrote for herself but without real direction or purpose, up until she went to college. She attended Purdue University and graduated in 1972. While there, she took a one-on-one class of English Literature Independent Studies with a professor who was a fellow sci-fi fan. He helped her analyze books she enjoyed and then use that knowledge. Mercedes then encountered fan fiction, which further encouraged her writing. She began publishing work in fanzines, and then discovered filk and had some filk lyrics published by Off Centaur Publications. She submitted a story to Sword and Sorceress, then sold the rewritten story to Fantasy Book Magazine. Her first sale was to Friends of Darkover. She met C. J. Cherryh through filk, who mentored her during the writing of her 'Arrows' series. During this time, Marion Zimmer Bradley included her short stories in an anthology and Cherryh helped Lackey through 17 rewrites of 'Arrows' During this time, Lackey claims to have been writing so much that she had no social life at all. She divorced Tony Lackey, and eventually remarried to Larry Dixon.

Mercedes lives with her husband outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in an unusual house. Mercedes describes it as a "2 1/2 story concrete dome with an octagonal wooden shell over it to make it look more like a normal house...it's round with curved outer walls, which makes placement of furniture kind of awkward." (Valdemar Companion, 68)

She and Larry Dixon have in the past worked in raptor rehabilitation. She often refers to her various parrots as her "feathered children". The afterwords to some of her books refer to rehabilitation and falconry, and it is clear that this interest has influenced and informed her writing. She also enjoys beadwork, costuming, and needlework. She claims, however, to be a "wretched housekeeper, and by and large an indifferent cook" (Valdemar Companion, p 64) Besides this, she does radar-reading during tornado season. She helps support the Alex Foundation

Lackey has been active in the filking community. She was a major contributor to an early album of space filk, Minus Ten and Counting.

Her favorite book that she has written is By the Sword, and her easiest to write was anything about Tarma and Kethry.

Lackey's 'dream cast' list for her books is as follows:

• Falconsbane: David Bowie
• Firesong: Sting
• Kerowyn: Cher
• Lavan Firestorm: Haley Joel Osment
• Tarma: Lucy Lawless
• Vanyel: Johnny Depp

Related writers

Mercedes Lackey is a protegee of Marion Zimmer Bradley, and got her start writing short stories in Bradley's story collections. Other mentors include writers C.J. Cherryh and Andre Norton, along with her editor, Elizabeth (Betsy) Wollheim of DAW Books.

In her use of female and homosexual protagonists, she is like Tanya Huff, although she lacks Huff's rather light tone. She has written many of her stories based on her experiences

Published works

Velgarth

Some of the trilogies follow on chronologically from each other. Others are set a considerable number of years apart from the others. Overall the books span some 3000 years of history. There is a significant gap in the middle which might some day be filled. In October 2003 Lackey announced that she was taking a break from writing Velgarth books.

Heralds of Valdemar

This set consists of the original trilogy, the very first Valdemar books published, and a prequel trilogy, the most recent.

Prequels

These centre on the Weaponsmaster Alberich (in the first two books) and the thief Skif (in the third book), telling the stories of their not-entirely-voluntary enrollments as Heralds.

1. Exile's Honor
2. Exile's Valor
3. Take a Thief

The original trilogy

These centre on the character Talia, from her first encounter with the Heralds to becoming the Queen's Own Herald.

1. Arrows of the Queen
2. Arrow's Flight
3. Arrow's Fall

The Mage Winds

These follow on from the original Heralds of Valdemar trilogy, centering on Princess Elspeth completing her transformation from "the Brat" to a fully-fledged Herald. Secondary protagonists include Skif and a new character Darkwind.

The latter part of Kerowyn's Tale fills in the events that happen after Arrow's Fall but before Winds of Fate.

1. Winds of Fate
2. Winds of Change
3. Winds of Fury

The Mage Storms

These follow on again, centering on the characters Karal and An'desha.

1. Storm Warning
2. Storm Rising
3. Storm Breaking

Darian's Tale

These take place some time later, centering on the character Darian.

1. Owlflight (ISBN 0-88677-754-2)
2. Owlsight (ISBN 0-88677-802-6)
3. Owlknight (ISBN 0-88677-851-4)

The Last Herald Mage

These occur some centuries before the Heralds of Valdemar books, telling the life story of Vanyel Ashkevron; by the time of the "later" books he has become legend, thus explaining some of the small inconsistencies.

1. Magic's Pawn (ISBN 0-61363-053-X)
2. Magic's Promise (ISBN 0-61363-055-6)
3. Magic's Price (ISBN 0-61363-054-8)

Vows and Honor

1. The Oathbound (ISBN 0-88677-285-0), 1988
2. Oathbreakers (ISBN 0-88677-319-9), 1989
3. Oathblood (ISBN 0-88677-773-9), 1998

These precede the Heralds of Valdemar books, centering on the characters Tarma and Kethry, These characters appeared first in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress series) and were revisited in subsequent short stories. Two of these short stories are woven into the Vows and Honor books as part of a longer narrative. The third volume is made up entirely of short stories in place of a longer narrative; with its publication, all the Tarma and Kethry stories were available together. The original Vows and Honor pair of books were linked together with By the Sword (published long before Oathblood) as a trilogy.

In the books, Tarma is a sword-wielding Shin'a'in tribeswoman. Kethry is a magic-user who carries a sword with unusual properties. The nature of this sword, Need, is explored in later series set in Valdemar. At the time of the Vows and Honor books, all that is known is that it is magic, protects female bearers, and can pressure its owner into assisting other women. The overarching goal for the two women is to accumulate resources enough to regenerate Tarma's almost-destroyed tribe. As the titles of the books suggest, emphasis is laid on the importance and consequences of oaths in at least one story from each book. The setting of the books is generally in the lands south of Valdemar such as Rethwellan, although there is a brief sojourn in Valdemar in Oathbreakers. Despite limited time in Valdemar, there were references in the first two Vows and Honor books to the Companions of Valdemar which laid early hints to their nature. The introduction of a four-fold deity (Tarma's Goddess) was something of a novel idea at the time of publication.

Kerowyn's Tale

This is a stand-alone novel which connects the Vows & Honor sub-series to the Heralds and other trilogies; it introduces the character Kerowyn who features therein. Kerowyn is the granddaughter of Kethry from the Vows and Honor sub-series.

• By the Sword (ISBN 1-58838-087-4)

The Mage Wars

These are set in pre-history, some 2000-3000 years earlier. They describe the events which set off The Mage Storms. It involves gryphons, creatures created by the mage Urtho (Mage of Silence). Co-protagonists are Skandranon Rashkae, a princely but proud ebony gryphon, and Amberdrake, a Healer of spirit and mind called a kestra'chern.

1. The Black Gryphon
2. The White Gryphon
3. The Silver Gryphon

Miscellaneous

This is a stand-alone novel, set somewhere between The Last Herald Mage and the Heralds books; it describes another legendary character referred to in the latter, Lavan Firestorm.

• Brightly Burning

Anthologies

• Sword of Ice And Other Tales of Valdemar (1995, ISBN 0886777208)
• Sun in Glory And Other Tales of Valdemar (2003, ISBN 0756401666)
• Crossroads And Other Tales of Valdemar (December 2005, ISBN 0756403251)

Reference

• Valdemar Companion

Elves on the Road universe

Bedlam's Bard

• Knight of Ghosts and Shadows (1990) with Ellen Guon
• Summoned to Tourney (1992) with Ellen Guon
• Bedlam Boyz (1993) with Ellen Guon (prequel)
• Beyond World's End (2001) with Rosemary Edghill
• Spirits White as Lightning (2001) with Rosemary Edghill
• Mad Maudlin (2003) with Rosemary Edghill
• Bedlam's Edge (2005) with Rosemary Edghill
• Music to My Sorrow (2005) with Rosemary Edghill

Bedlam Boyz is a prequel to Knight of Ghosts and Shadows, detailing the origin of a secondary character in the series.

Bedlam's Edge is a collection of short stories, set in the same universe as the rest of the series but not involving any of the characters from the rest of the books. It includes two stories and an essay by Mercedes Lackey, one story each from Ellen Guon and Rosemary Edghill, and nine from a variey of other authors. When reading the series in chronological order, Music to My Sorrow follows directly from Mad Maudlin.

Diana Tregarde

• Burning Water (1989)
• Children of the Night (1990)
• Jinx High (1991)

These books are set in the same real world as the SERRAted Edge books: that is, a real world with levinbolts and elves who drive racing cars. At least one character (Tannim) is seen in both sets of books. The main character, Diana Tregarde, is an American witch, practicing a fantasy version of Wicca; by virtue of her position as a "Guardian" Diana has access to more magical power than many, but she is required to give her help when someone asks it of her. Her magical abilities do not pay the bills, however, and Diana is a genre (romance) novelist in her day job. In the stories, she must protect others from angry deities (Burning Water), vampires (Children of the Night), and a sorceress who intends to remain eternally young (Jinx High). The books were published under Tor's horror imprint rather than as fantasy. At the time of publication, positive depictions of what Wiccans and, more generally, neopagans believed and did were rare. In the mid-nineties, Lackey's books generally and these three particularly were regularly cited as examples of pagan-friendly fiction. ([1] (1992), [2] (1995)) Lackey has written that she has no plans for further books in the series because they did not sell well (and not, as some fans apparently believed, because she had come under pressure for stumbling "too close to the truth" of some supernatural conspiracy); nonetheless, she incorporated several elements of the Guardian mythos, including the apartment building where Diana lived, into later books in her Bedlam's Bard series.

The character Diana Tregarde first appeared in two short stories, "Satanic, Versus..." and "Nightside", which were originally written for inclusion in the Bureau 13: Stalking the Night Fantastic roleplaying game and subsequently featured in the short story collection Werehunter (1999). "Satanic, Versus..." is a humorous cautionary tale that demonstrates just what can happen when people who don't quite understand magic meddle with it, whereas "Nightside" is a preliminary version of what later became the novel Children of the Night.

The game Bureau 13 concerned a secret government agency tasked with investigating the supernatural. Presumably any original connection to the game's continuity has been rendered apocryphal by the expansion to novel form. Nonetheless, perhaps it is not entirely coincidental that a similar agency appears as an antagonist in a later Bedlam's Bard book.

The Serrated Edge

• Born To Run (1992) with Larry Dixon
• Wheels of Fire (1992) with Mark Shepherd
• When the Bough Breaks (1993) with Holly Lisle
• Chrome Circle (1994) with Larry Dixon
• Elvendude (1994) by Mark Shepherd
• Spiritride (1997) by Mark Shepherd
• Lazerwarz (1999) by Mark Shepherd
• This Scepter'd Isle (2004) with Roberta Gellis (prequel)
• Stoned Souls with Josepha Sherman
• Ill Met by Moonlight (2005) with Roberta Gellis (prequel)

Born to Run and Chrome Circle were incorporated into an omnibus called The Chrome Borne. Wheels of Fire and When the Bough Breaks were incorporated into an omnibus called The Otherworld. The books were paired off by thematic content rather than order; thus readers wishing to read the series in chronological order would be advised to read the first half of The Chrome Borne, all of The Otherworld, and then the latter half of The Chrome Borne.

Mark Shepherd's solo books in this series are only thinly connected to the other books, and might more properly be considered a separate series of their own.

This Scepter'd Isle and Ill Met by Moonlight are a prequel series set several hundred years prior to the other books in the series. The first printing of This Scepter'd Isle's first Baen hardcover edition included a bound-in CDROM containing ebook editions of that as well as many other works by Lackey and other authors. As with Baen's other bound-in CDs, this CD included blanket permission to copy and share its contents noncommercially; thus it may be found freely circulating in peer-to-peer networks, as well as hosted on the world-wide web.

Sacred Ground

• Sacred Ground (1995)

Sacred Ground is a non-series novel in contemporary milieu concerning Native American magic. There is no formal connection stated with Lackey's other contemporary fiction, but it fits better here than with her other novels.

The Halfblood Chronicles

with Andre Norton

1. The Elvenbane (1991)
2. Elvenblood (1995)
3. Elvenborn (2002)
4. Elvenbred (?)

The Elemental Masters

Set in an alternate universe where magic is real, and Elemental Masters control the powers of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth—in parts of the world at least. These stories are based loosely—sometimes very loosely—upon various fairy tales.

1. The Fire Rose (1995, ISBN 067187750X) based on Beauty and the Beast
2. The Serpent's Shadow (2001, ISBN 0756400619) based on Snow White
3. The Gates of Sleep (2002, ISBN 0756401011) based on Sleeping Beauty
4. Phoenix And Ashes (2004, ISBN 0756402727) based on Cinderella
5. The Wizard of London (October 2005, ISBN 0756401747) based on The Snow Queen

Fairy Tale

1. The Black Swan
2. Firebird

Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms

A fantasy series that deals with the more mature side of fairy tales. In the Five Hundred Kingdoms (almost certainly a literal name), the destiny of witches, knights, princesses and such are regulated by The Tradition, a magical force that is one of the primary scources of magic. Fairy Godmothers, Champions and Wizards are responsible for ensuring that The Tradition is upheld with a minimal loss of life.

1. Fairy Godmother (2004)
2. One Good Knight (2006)

Free Bards universe

Bardic Voices

1. The Lark and the Wren (1992)
2. The Robin and the Kestrel (1994)
3. The Eagle and the Nightingale (1996)
4. Four and Twenty Blackbirds (1997,ISBN 0-671-87853-0)

The Free Bards had their genesis in the story "Fiddler Fair", originally written for an Andre Norton shared-world anthology entitled Magic in Ithkar. The Ithkar series did not continue after its second volume, so Lackey rewrote, changed, and expanded the story into a setting of its own in The Lark and the Wren. "Fiddler Fair" may be found in the Mercedes Lackey short-story collection that is also entitled Fiddler Fair.

Bardic Choices

1. A Cast of Corbies (1994)

The Dragon Jousters

The books primarily follow the story of Vetch (or Kiron, from the second book onward), and centers initially around a war between the neighboring countries of Alta and Tia, both of which use Dragon Jousters as their most powerful weapons. The books are based the predynastic period of Ancient Egypt and (very loosely) the myth of Atlantis.

1. Joust (2003)
2. Alta (2004)
3. Sanctuary (May 2005)
4. Aeyrie (?)

Heirs of Alexandria

An alternate universe/historical fantasy series set primarily in the Republic of Venice during the 1500s. In this world, Hypatia converted to Christianity and managed to save the Library of Alexandria from destruction. As a result, magic is a regular part of the Church, and priests double as magicians. The books focus on citizens of the Republic as they attempt to prevent their beloved city from being destroyed by the demon Chernobog.

1. Shadow of the Lion with Dave Freer & Eric Flint
2. This Rough Magic with Dave Freer & Eric Flint
3. A Mankind Witch by Dave Freer solo work continuing the series.

Obsidian Trilogy

This series primarily follows the adventures of Kellen Tavadon, and centers on the war between the races of light, and the Endarkened.

1. The Outstretched Shadow with James Mallory
2. To Light a Candle with James Mallory
3. When Darkness Falls (July 2006) with James Mallory

Bard's Tale universe

1. Castle of Deception (1992) with Josepha Sherman
2. Fortress of Frost and Fire (1993) with Ru Emerson
3. Prison of Souls (1993) with Mark Shepherd

Other works

• Reap the Whirlwind (1989) with C. J. Cherryh (book three of The Sword of Knowledge trilogy)
• Contributions of short fiction to all seven of the Merovingen Nights shared world anthologies

External links

• Official Website
• Entry on SciFan
• Baen Books author page
• Baen Free Library free ebooks by Mercedes Lackey
• Letter about death threats received.
• The Queen's Own Newsletters archive, provided by The Official Mercedes Lackey Fan Club in Laguna Beach, CA (with archives online dating back to 1988)
• Mercedes Lackey at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

(comments by others on the events at DragonCon)

• usenet thread discussing the issue shortly after the events occurred
• msg by Laura Burchard on usenet group rec.arts.sf.written
• Later Usenet thread discussing the issue