Fiddler Fair

A COMMAND PERFORMANCE BY
FANTASY'S GRAND DIVA

Mercedes Lackey has, in a few short years, soared to the peak of the fantasy field, and her thousands of enthusiastic readers clamor for more and more. Now comes a volume demonstrating the wide range of her talent, running the gamut from her beloved Bardic fantasies to urban fantasy set in the modern world; from science fiction adventure to chilling horror. And throughout Fiddler Fair, Lackeys sheer storytelling skill will hold the reader spellbound. Learn what happens when animal rights fanatics try to "liberate" genetically reconstructed dinosaurs. Follow Lawrence of Arabia into the desert to meet a power beyond human comprehension; and be with King Arthur, reborn into the present day, when he again gains possession of the enchanted sword Excalibur. And, in a very weird encounter of the most bizarre kind, learn why an alien from a UFO took an unusual interest in a battered Chevy pickup truck.

Fiddler Fair is a feast for the multitudes of Lackey fans everywhere—and for new readers, a powerful introduction to the most significant new fantasy writer of the decade.

Bouquets from Colleagues and Critics for Mercedes Lackey:

"She'll keep you up long past your bedtime."—Stephen King

A writer whose work I've loved all along."—Marion Zimmer Bradley

. . . with [Lackey], the principal joy is story: she sweeps you along and never lets you go."—Locus

. . . remarkable . . . high-octane adventure and sharp social commentary."—Dragon

"An undoubted mistress of the well-told tale." —Booklist

. . . above all else, Lackey can tell a good story . . . highly, highly recommended . . . ."—Kliatt

Cover art by Clyde Caldwell

Paperback

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, April 1998

Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
http://www.baen.com

ISBN: 0-671-87866-2

Copyright © 1998 by Mercedes Lackey

"Fiddler Fair," in Magic in Ithkar 3 (Tor 1989) "Balance" and "Dragon's Teeth," in Bardic Voices One (Hypatia Press 1988) (HC), in Spellsingers (DAW 1988) (PB); "Dance Track," in Alternate Heroes, Mike Resnick, ed. (Bantam Spectra 1989); "Last Rights," in Dinosaur Fantastic, Martin Greenberg, ed. (DAW 1993); "Jihad," in Alternate Warriors, Mike Resnick, ed. (Tor 1993); "Dumb Feast," in Christmas Ghosts, Mike Resnick, ed. (DAW 1993); "Small Print" in Deals with the Devil, Mike Resnick, ed. (DAW 1994); "The Cup and the Caldron," in Grails of Light (DAW); "Once and Future," in Excalibur!, Martin Greenberg, ed. (Warner Aspect 1995); "Enemy of My Enemy," Friends of the Horseclans, Robert Adams, ed. (NAL 1989)

Production by Windhaven Press
Auburn, NH

Electronic version by WebWrights
http://www.webwrights.com